In the heart of Finger Lakes Wine Country stands Bully Hill Vineyards, the region’s most popular estate winery. Bully Hill’s history started almost 150 years ago when master cooper Walter Taylor decided to branch out into winemaking by founding the Taylor Wine Company in 1880. Like many other winemakers of his time, he started small and rustic, eventually becoming the largest winery on the eastern coast by the mid-century.
Nearly a hundred years later the story would repeat itself as his grandson Walter S. Taylor decided to start his own winery on the very spot his grandfather had; the hillside commonly known as Bully Hill. Walter S. Taylor wanted a back-to-basics approach to winemaking. His philosophy was “a product is an extension of a person’s soul” and Bully Hill was quick to shake up the region by utilizing estate grown French American hybrid grapes as the basis for the winery, creating a wine portfolio that helped revitalize a region that had become stagnant. Walter had begun making wine at Bully Hill in the mid-sixties and formally incorporated in 1970. Starting a new small winery in New York in those days was almost unheard of but Bully Hill quickly developed a reputation for high-quality varieties, bolstered by the curiosity of the consumers to try new wines and Walter’s larger-than-life personality.
One thing that clearly separated Bully Hill from other wineries was the labels themselves. Walter, himself a gifted artist, designed and illustrated all of his own labels. As the years went on the labels evolved and became more artistic, colorful, and irreverent. Then came an unusual wine label called Love My Goat Red. The label featured an orange goat with his tongue sticking out, above him a line read, “they have my name & heritage, but they didn’t get my goat”. A representation of years of court battles over the “Taylor” trademark, the wine went on to become the winery’s bestseller, spawning two other hugely popular wines Goat White and Lé Goat Blush.
What started as a few thousand cases has grown into a winery that distributes into 20+ states and produces over 230,000 cases a year. Known not only for its artistic labels the winery has become a legendary summertime destination boasting a world-class restaurant, wine museum, tasting room, and gift shops, all within the pristine vineyards that the family continues to farm to this very day. Bully Hill prides itself on continuing a tradition that has made them New York State’s largest family-owned winery. The aesthetic here at Bully Hill is down-to-earth and casual but we take our wines and vines seriously. It’s the commitment to a quality product that allows our consumers to enjoy affordable premium quality wine with a strong regional focus.
