Our Vineyards
THE WINERY AND VINEYARDS
Sayre Fulkerson, 6th generation on the family farm, with his wife Nancy, opened the winery in 1989 with a release of only 1,000 cases of wine. This was a logical expansion from their beginning venture of selling grape juice when they acquired Jensen Juice from Glenora Wine Cellars in 1979. They gradually built a customer base that exceeds 5,000+ home winemakers today.
Sayre, also the winemaker, has slowly increased the production of wine over the ensuing years to maintain the distinctive fine quality that has awarded his wines with hundreds of medals. Fulkerson Winery currently produces 30,000+ cases annually for the winery's retail space and the wholesale market, which includes New York State, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Virginia and Florida.
Sayre graduated from Cornell in 1975 with a degree in pomology, the study of fruit production. He began his career in winemaking at Glenora Wine Cellars as an assistant to John Williams, presently at Frogs Leap in California. Nancy graduated from Elmira College and handles the financial end of their business.
Another hat Sayre wears (no wonder his hair is greying) is overseeing the care of 106 acres of vineyards. The vineyards are a mix of well known grapes and some lesser known varieties that he has introduced to his wine list such as Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Lemberger, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Noiret, Dornfelder, Vincent, Riesling, Chardonay, Traminette, Gewurztraminer, Cayuga, Niagara, Catawba and Himrod, known and loved as Matinee. He also grows varieties exclusively for his juice customers such as Leon Millot, DeChaunac, Cascade, Concord, Aurora, Seyval, Valvin Muscat and Chancellor to name a few..
All this hard work has generated a successful enterprise that demanded more room. Construction of a new building, on the same site as the old one, began in May 2004. The new Fulkerson Winery tasting room, expanded juice plant and retail/gift shop opened on February 18th, 2005 to great acclaim and fan fare.
The same friendly staff at Fulkerson Winery will continue to make your visit an informative, relaxing and pleasant experience. Come savor the unique!
