Our story
Three generations on one long hill
The glacier left a smooth, long hill above Seneca Lake. A family has farmed it since 1958, first for grape juice, now for wine and the spirits we distill from what pressing leaves behind.
- On the hill since
- 1958
- Estate wines since
- 2013
- Still House since
- 2019
How we got here
- 1958 The Vandermolen family buys the hill and plants Concord grapes for juice.
- 2009 Ruth and Pieter Vandermolen pull the old vines and replant 18 acres with Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Lemberger.
- 2013 The first estate wines are bottled and the Tasting Room opens in the old equipment shed.
- 2019 The Still House opens with one copper pot still, to make spirits from what pressing leaves behind.
- 2026 34 acres planted, a club that ships four times a year, and the Press Barn hosting weddings.
The land
Why grapes like this hill
The rows run west, down toward the lake. Cold air slides off the slope on spring nights instead of settling on the buds, and the deep water keeps fall mild long enough for the grapes to ripen slowly.
- Soil
- Glacial gravel and clay over shale
- Slope
- Faces west, down to the lake
- Planted
- 34 of 62 acres
- Grapes
- Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Cabernet Franc, Lemberger, Merlot
What we hold to
-
01
Grown here
Every estate wine comes from grapes grown on this hill. When we buy fruit from a neighbor, the label says so.
-
02
Nothing wasted
Pressed skins go to the still, spent mash goes back to the vineyard as compost.
-
03
Plain answers
Fees, policies and club terms are written where you can find them, in words you don't need a dictionary for.
-
04
A good host
Seat people, pour well, check IDs every time and make sure everyone gets home safe.
The people on the hill
-
Ruth Vandermolen
Owner and vineyard manager
Grew up on this hill when it was a Concord grape farm. Replanted it with her husband in 2009.
-
Teo Okafor
Winemaker
Came for one harvest in 2013 and stayed. Makes the Rieslings lean and the reds patient.
-
Lena Brandt
Head distiller
Runs the Still House. Her gin started as a way to use grape spirit nobody else wanted.
-
Marisol Kerr
Tasting room lead
Trains every host, checks every ID policy and remembers what you liked last time.
-
Jonah Pell
Events and weddings
Your one contact from walk-through to last dance.
Drumlin Hill · Seneca Lake
Come meet them
The person pouring your tasting probably picked the grapes too. Reserve a seat and ask them anything.