Known in Rochester for making winemaking a hands-on experience, Wines By Design is an on-premises facility where customers create their own wine from kits over six weeks. The shop guides individuals and groups through the process, with each batch yielding about 28 to 30 bottles.
Syracuse WineworksSince Robert Maynard and Danielle Bibbens took over Syracuse Wineworks in 2011, the father-daughter team has run an on-premise winemaking facility in Camillus where customers make their own wine with guidance from experienced staff. The business also operates as a retail shop for home wine, beer, and cider equipment and supplies, including Winexpert kits and seasonal juices. Its facility provides cleaned equipment, temperature-controlled fermentation, and help through bottling, making personal winemaking an approachable group activity.CAMILLUS, NY
Lakeland WineryFounded in 2005 by Syracuse wine enthusiast Andrew Watkins, Lakeland Winery grew from a shop for home winemakers into a 19-year-old urban winery built around an approachable, homey experience. The Syracuse facility makes its own wines and invites customers to create custom batches with guidance from its winemakers. Lakeland also hosts tastings and community fundraisers, extending its role beyond production into a gathering place for local wine drinkers.SYRACUSE, NY
R Wine CellarSince 2011, family-owned R Wine Cellar has made handcrafted, small-batch wines at its urban winery in Pittsburgh’s Historic Strip District. The winery blends fruit from California, Pennsylvania, and South America with minimal additives and preservatives, then welcomes guests for customized tastings and other wine experiences. It also creates custom-labeled bottles for celebrations and events.PITTSBURGH, PA
Kreutz Creek VineyardsKreutz Creek Vineyards grew from Jim Kirkpatrick’s birthday wine-making kit into a West Grove winery producing wine from vine to bottle. Jim and his wife, Carole, began the project in 1989, later planting a three-acre vineyard near Kreutz Creek in Wrightsville and building a winery with tasting rooms in West Grove and West Chester. The vineyard also hosts music, tastings, and private gatherings, giving the Kirkpatricks’ winemaking a distinctly social setting.WEST GROVE, PA