Bristol Valley Vineyards

About Bristol Valley Vineyards

Bristol Valley Vineyards sits on Lane Road just south of Bloomfield, in the farm country between the Bristol Hills a few miles west of Canandaigua Lake, at the quiet western edge of the Finger Lakes AVA. It is a small, recent and thoroughly family-run project: Barb Anselm planted a few hundred vines in 2013 after a long career at Xerox, launched the business with her son Nick and grandson Evan in 2015, and brought in a first harvest in 2017. Nick is the primary winemaker, Barb's brother David tends the vines, and the extended family hand-picks every vintage. The snowy owl on the label landed in a pine beside Barb's house while she was deciding whether to go ahead.

The list splits between grape wine and mead, with grapes chosen for a cold inland site. Riesling comes semi-dry and lemony or dry with grapefruit and apple, and Vidal Blanc appears alone and in the Valley White blend. The reds lean on cold-hardy hybrids alongside Cabernet Franc: Marquette and Leon Millot are full-bodied, dry and deliberately unoaked, keeping plum, black cherry and a smoky edge in front. The meads are the signature, built on local clover-blossom and wildflower honey and infused with cherry, peach, blueberry, black raspberry, quince and lemon, or blackberry with sage; the site records a gold medal for the Orange Spice Mead at the Finger Lakes International competition.

The tasting room is newly built and set in open country rather than on a lakeshore, and visits are casual: walk in on posted days or arrange an appointment, and call ahead for parties larger than six. The room doubles as an event space for up to 75 guests with catering of your choice, and the family hosts occasional live-music afternoons with wine by the glass and local barbecue. Expect a short, friendly stop where you will likely taste with the owners themselves.