Shalestone Vineyards

Open: March - 28th

April - Saturdays

May - Friday to Sunday

June - Thursday to Monday

July - Thursday to Monday

August -  Monday to Sunday

Sept. - Thursday to Monday 

October - Fridays 

November - Saturdays 

November - 23rd 

Rob and Kate moved to the Finger Lakes area in the late 1970's and began a life long journey into the world of wine. They purchased 13½ acres on the east side of Seneca Lake in the early 80's. Clearing the land of native cedar trees they built their home and started planting their vineyards. Recognizing the potential in the shallow mineral-rich soil and the unique niche for a small producer making RED WINE only, Shalestone Vineyards was born.

In 1998 Rob and Kate designed and built Shalestone's retail and production buildings on Rte 414 in Lodi. The retail sales room is an elfin-like building with a wrap-around porch that uses the cedar trees from the vineyard property as posts. Both the warehouse and the production building are nestled into the hillside using the earth to keep the temperature constant year round. The interior doors and trim are finished in black walnut, butternut and cedar wood all from trees cut from the vineyard property.

The pair have been doing most of the work themselves, from the vineyard to the wine cellar to the bottle and then into the glass for customers to taste. In 2008 their son Seth joined them as the Vineyard Manager.  A visit to the tasting room is a mellow and often enlightening experience. Occasionally there is discussion about the wines, but other life focus chats are more common. Our wine is a slice of our life that you can enjoy when you visit, but away from our premises, it still has soul.

Rob now has over 25 years of commercial vineyard and winemaking experience and is a consultant for several new wineries in the Finger Lakes region. Shalestone's goal is to make red wines that are uniquely different from the other leading wine regions of the world but just as complex.Shalestone Vineyards is not just a business, it is our creative outlet, an opportunity that allows us to create and control a life style of our own. It is a joy to enhance the quality of life with our wine.