Conesus Lake today 

Overnight Accommodations: The area has gown in residents and there are many gorgeous lake homes available for rent through sites like Airbnb and VRBO and there is no shortage of activities that one can enjoy when visiting Conesus Lake!   Not looking to stay a whole week?  Look into our local hotels: The Hampton Inn Geneseo, The Quality Inn and The Rodeway Inn. 

Craft Beverage Trail:  A few years back, five breweries and a cidery opened in Livingston County and along with Deer Run Winery and Eagle Crest Winery, the craft beverage producers teamed up to create one of the newest trails, The Livingston Libation Loop.   This trail has bold flavors, quirky characters and award-winning brews and wines that will make you want to stock-up & take home the liquid deliciousness to enjoy after your day of sampling! 

Hiking & Rafting: Just a  20-minute drive from Conesus Lake, lies "the no. 1 state park in the nation" Letchworth State Park.    Voted no. 1 by USA Today in 2015 and again in 2020 by HomeToGo, ranking Letchworth as the #1 Most Extraordinary State Park in the nation!  We are very fortunate to have a picturesque "grand canyon of the East" in our backyard!  While hiking the trails at Letchworth, you can stop for a picnic or have lunch served at the park's, Glen Iris Inn.  For those who seek a bit more adventure, check out the Class I & II river rapids  white water rafting through Adventure Calls.  I enjoyed a trip down river a few years ago with my family and it was hysterical and thrilling all at the same time.  I recommend proper footwear as my sister was disappointed to have lost her Michael Kors sandal when disembarking from the raft! 

Kayaking/Boating: Conesus Lake is a smaller lake than some of its larger sister lakes and due to its size we have smaller boats on our water.  The quaintness of our lake makes it perfect for kayaking.  Tropical Creations on Conesus Lake is open 7 days a week throughout the summer and in addition to kayak rentals, they offer private charters, paddle board and boat rentals.  Side note: Located about a 25 minute drive East of Conesus Lake, lies another Finger Lake, largely overlooked: Canadice Lake.  Canadice Lake is a watershed for the city of Rochester.  Due to its watershed status, no large boats are allowed on its waters (nor is skin contact, so no swimming here!) and its shores are completely natural and do not boast homes, like many of the other Finger Lakes.  Kayaking is allowed and those interested in a more remote and quiet setting will enjoy the serenity that surrounds Canadice Lake.  Contact John Kenny of Canadice Lake Outfitters for kayak rental information!

Dining: Now that you've worked up an appetite, our area has no shortage of restaurants to appeal to many different palates!  For pizza, check out Vincenzo's in Lakeville they have two locations and the phone number to the local pizzeria is 585-346-2030.  For hearty large-portion Italian "like Grandma used to make", visit Fratelli's.  Looking for lake front dining?  Look no further, The Beachcomber on the South West side of Conesus Lake and Hook & Spoon at the North-end of the lake got you covered!   Hankering for some BBQ? Go on over to the 3 Legged Pig for slow-roasted pit BBQ and a popular lineup of house made sauces!   Maybe you imbibed a bit too much last night and are looking for a hearty breakfast - visit our neighborhood Lakeville Diner for a classic, no frills meal that is both delicious and easy on the wallet!   

​Morning Coffee: Looking for great coffee? Visit Little Lakes Brewing for fresh house-made pastries and coffee that's roasted right in house.  It's a little location bursting with flavor and wonderful morning smells!  For those of you who are Dunkin' Donuts fanatics, we have three locations within a 5-mile radius, so apparently residents of Livingston County "runs on Dunkin'"!   Hey Canadians, we have a Tim Horton's in Geneseo too!  

For the kiddos:  The kids will love spending time in the lake or above the water, jet-skiing or boating, whatever you decide, but we also have a great little adventure center located at the corner of Rt. 256 and 20A, Minnehan's Fun Center.  Minnehan's has arcade games, go-karts (for big kids and a smaller one for smaller kids), mini golf, outdoor laser tag, a batting cage, indoor bounce house and obstacle course with a ball pit.  This place makes kids happy!!  There is also a restaurant onsite and an ice-cream service window!!! The family can spend a few hours here and leave full and happy :)

Geneseo is also home to a movie theater, bowling alley and our Main Street offers a historical feel with its own classic movie theater, restaurants and shopping.  Our little town has a lot going on making Conesus Lake a prime spot to spend with your family or honey on your next vacation!  I hope to see you soon ;)   Be sure to stop in and say hi!   -Marie K. 

Conesus Red is Deer Run's Wine of the Month throughout the month of July.  Conesus Red was introduced to the wine list in July of 2017 and has been a big hit with the customers and locals ever since.  A blend of Steuben and Delaware grapes finished at 5.5% residual sugar.  This light-bodied red wine is well-balanced & refreshing; perfect for enjoying during these hot summer days! 
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Conesus Red was awarded a double-gold in its very first competition at the 2017 New York Wine and Food Classic which made this wine an instant hit with our clientele. Conesus Red opens with a white peach bouquet and finishes with notes of ripe cherries and strawberries, perfect to pair with the fresh berries in season right now! 

We have much to celebrate at Deer Run Winery as business slowly adjusts back to normal and we are marking the onset of Summer with some great savings!  Throughout the Covid-19 experience, we have not been allowed to sample our wines for customers so we shifted with the times and added sampling pack experiences.  These sampling packs went over extremely well with our customers who enjoyed the wine sampling experience in their own homes.  One customer shared with us that she and her husband would "head to the winery" during a commercial break and sample a different wine from their sampler pack in their kitchen!  I love the creativity and  imagination that was sparked by this pandemic.   People are so highly adaptable to their current situation.  

Since our first run at a wine sampling party pack was so successful, we have added another.  This time we are showcasing our four best selling wines: Runway Red, 2018 Riesling, Max Black and Pebble Beach Blush.  To order your Best Sellers Sampling party pack, click the item below!  We also have our best-sellers wine four pack on sale at this time, so you can sample the wines and enjoy a bottle of your favorite wine right away! 

Another Summertime product featured below is the Picnic-to-go, which includes a pre-packed picnic for two including a chilled bottle of Conesus White, two stemless wine glasses, a wedge of Yancey's Fancy Bergenost cheese, a box of Back to Nature crackers, a mini jar of Mustard, two Monk's fruit and nut bars, chocolates, hazelnut chocolate Piroulines, plates, napkins and flatware.  We are now able to accommodate guests at our picnic tables on the property, so you can enjoy your picnic right here if you desire!  

Not interested in a whole picnic and just want to grab a chilled bottle of wine paired with a delicious wedge of local cheese, check out our wine and cheese combos.  These combinations are tried and true and takes the guesswork out of what wine pairs best with what cheese. 

Whatever you plan on doing this summer, be sure to bring a little bit of Deer Run along because wine always makes for a good time!   Cheers!!

The above is a Mother's Day card made by my daughter when she was small; my, my how those days have passed by so quickly!  For all Mothers, we secretly understand our plight, our struggle and our joy.  Motherhood is a slurry of all of these things, nothing is nicely packed into its own boxes; it is at best an organized chaos.  When our children are small, we wish them to be older and more self sufficient to give us a much needed break and when they have grown and no longer have a need for us, we long for them to be small and holding their outstretched arms up to us.  What motherhood looks like changes dramatically as our children grow into adults, but they will forever remain our babies, just as we remained like a child in the eyes of our own Mothers. 

Below is a poem I wrote when I a student at Monroe Community College about 20 years ago.  The assignment was to write a poem about my life starting with the present and working backwards to birth.  I felt it would be fitting to include with our Mother's Day theme, I hope you agree.  

Carrot Top

I asked my mother for advice 
on what I should write,
"How do I narrow down my life?"

"Just write about your hair, 
how wearing it short makes you look like a lady.
Tell them how you loved 
inventing new styles, with twists and pins 
Speak of times when I braided your hair, 
after your bath, before you fell asleep.  
And how the neighborhood girls loved to brush and play 
with your long, thick waves during slumber parties.
Finally, let them know
when I saw you for the first time, 
I fell in love with your bright, red hair..."

                        ###

I did end up getting an "A" on the above poem - thank you, Professor Leuzzi. 

For me this sums up how much we rely on our mothers.  We depend on them for shelter and safety when we are small and as we grow, they provide us with guidance and advice, whether or not we choose to listen!  Mom is always there until the day she is not and we must take up the reigns and do our best to fill the very large shoes of the others who came before us.  May we honor our Mothers and their memories and not let them down.  

Below is a clip of the video from our #deerrunmom photo contest.  We asked our followers on Instagram and Facebook to upload a photo of the Mom in their life and use #deerrunmom.  We received 55 pictures and have randomly chosen three winners.   Congratulations to our winners and Happy Mothers Day to all the Moms our there!  Press on!!

When the automobile was invented people fell in love with driving, and going for a drive is still a cherished pastime that can be done even when one is under quarantine. After Scott and I finished up work yesterday the sun was shining so beautifully we decided not to head home right away, but opted to go for a drive together around Conesus Lake. I enjoyed it so much, I felt that maybe you would too! So here are my points along the way to look for when taking a leisurely drive around our hometown lake.
​1. The Conesus Lake Inlet - located at the South end of Conesus Lake, a great spot to watch the pike and walleye run! Just across the street a couple hundred yards away is also the Conesus Lake Inlet walking trail. I recommend bringing boots appropriate for walking in some mud as the paths are pretty wet this time of year.
2. Alpaca Farm - there is an alpaca farm located at the Southeast side of the Lake where you can see these adorable animals, albeit from the road!
3. Barns - there are some large barns on Conesus Lake and I know that some folks love to see and take photos of old barns (Kris Knight!)
4. Shoreless Acres - They are open for business and serving up take out - if you are hungry check them out!
5. Lakeside homes - When I was a young girl, one thing I loved to do was go for a drive with my Father in the '89 Chevy Celebrity station wagon into suburban neighborhoods and dream about one day living in a spectacular home. I still enjoy looking at gorgeous homes and dreaming and Conesus Lake has plenty of stunning homes to offer!
6. Camp Stella Maris - This well known summer camp is located high on the East side of Conesus Lake
7. OSB Ciderworks - Located at the North end of Conesus Lake you will find our neighborhood cidery owned and operated by a brother and sister team producing hand-crafted hard ciders
8. The Beachcomber - This crab-shack style restaurant is a staple on Conesus Lake's west side, they are open for to-go orders for pick up Friday - Saturday from 4-8 pm.
9. NOBS Brew Company - located a short drive down Bronson Hill Road just north of Conesus Lake, they are also currently offering curbside pick up!
10. 3 Legged Pig - Not feelin' fishy? Head here for some incredible smoked BBQ and house made sauces! Located on the North end of Conesus Lake on the corner of Rochester Road.
11. Deer Run Winery - You are here! Stop by and take a look at the new construction (this project is on a temporary pause) and place an order for wines or a slushy to-go! We will deliver right to your car!

Just 20 minutes south of Rochester, Conesus Lake has much to offer and is conveniently located, making it a perfect drive that won't take too much time out of your day!

You walk into your neighborhood wine & spirit store and you are suddenly overwhelmed looking at hundreds of bottles, some wines have names you have never heard of before and can't even pronounce.  How do you know which wine is going to be great with your special upcoming meal? 

Luckily, I have tried each and every one of Deer Run's wines and truly consider myself well versed on selecting the best wine to go with your special occasion dinner.  I know how daunting the list of wines can be when you have no knowledge of what the wine in the bottle will taste like.  A label can be pretty, even on a bad bottle of wine.  Fortunately, most wines are delicious and I have very rarely met a bottle of wine I have not loved enough to consume in its entirety. ;)  

This post is intended to help you decide what wine to pair with your Easter dinner!  Scott selected his top four wines that he feels will be the best paired with Easter dinner and below I have made a chart to help you decide for yourself!  We wish you a very successful Easter dinner and can't wait to clink glasses with you again in person!   

Ciclismo, pronounced Chee-klees-mo, was a beloved Gold medal awarded wine which was hard for our customers to pronounce, so we changed the name to Conesus White, but we did not change the taste!  

Conesus White is a blend of Diamond and Vidal grapes finished semi-dry, so lower on the calories, but  no shortage of flavor!  The Diamond grapes in this blend lend a fresh, white grape punch making it an ideal crowd-pleasing wine.  Conesus White is not too sweet for the dry wine lovers, finished at just 2% residual sugar with 11.5% ABV, and its lower acidity along with grape forward character strikes the right note with sweet wine lovers too!

Conesus White is April's Wine of the Month! We recommend pairing this wine with Mexican dishes or serving it with tacos.  For a cheese pairing, try this refreshing wine with a jalapeno cheddar or pepper jack cheese.  Since we are unable to showcase this wine in person, due to Covid-19's mandated close of the tasting room, I took the liberty of creating a short video to highlight this delicious, popular wine!   Cheers and enjoy!

Scott and I have been married for six years now and we are finding that dating is quite difficult with two teenagers in the house 24 hours a day.  Our go-to date night typically consisted of dining in one of our local restaurants: Yard of Ale, Beachcomber, Ember Wood Fired Grill, Fratelli's, The National Hotel, 3 Legged Pig BBQ, Big Tree Inn, The Village Tavern (I had to give a bit of a shout out to my local restaurants because I miss them so much and these are all great places that you must visit once the quarantine order is lifted!). 

Today, however, we have to be a bit more imaginative and date night may just consist of a walk down the road together or grilling out on the deck and enjoying a glass of wine or a wine slushy!  As a result, we have a couple of new products that can easily be incorporated to your quarantined date night. 

First off, customers were asking if they could purchase wine slushies, so Scott came up with a formula that, when blended with ice, tastes just like it came out of our slushy machine!  Below is a quick instructional clip which shows you how easy it is to make Max Black wine slushies at home. 

Next, we took the guesswork out of wine and cheese pairing and have limited quantities of wine & cheese combos available.  A bottle of great wine paired with a creamy brick of Yancey's Fancy cheese are sure to get your date night off to a great start!   

These items as well as all of our wines can be ordered online for curbside pick up at Deer Run Winery.  All you have to do is call us once you have arrived and back up to our garage, we will deliver your order right to your trunk and away you go!  You do not have to get out of your car.  We are offering this curbside service Monday-Thursday 12-3 pm and Friday-Saturday from 12-5 pm.  If you need to make special arrangements for a pick up time outside of these hours, please call us directly 585-346-0850 or email us winery@deerrunwinery.com.  

My last piece of advice is to remember why you fell in love with the person you are with, remember the great qualities that your partner has and embrace them!  We can all use a little love and reassurance at this time.  One more thing, DO NOT mention outstanding projects around the house that need to be done, it will be sure to kill the romance!   

Many of our partners on the Livingston Libation Loop and the ROC/FLX Craft Beverage Trail are also accepting orders for pick up (some are even delivering).  Spread the love and support your local craft beverage producers.  You'll be amazed at how good your partner looks after one of our drinks! ;)

Please be aware, if you purchased a Groupon voucher to be redeemed within our tasting room with an expiration date of May 31, 2020, we have extended the expiration date to June 30, 2020.   If you feel that you will not be able to redeem your experience in person, we are offering you a credit toward a wine purchase for the amount you paid for your voucher.  This option is available to anyone who has an outstanding Deer Run Winery Groupon voucher.  Even if your voucher is expired, you can still take advantage of the option below to redeem a credit toward your next wine purchase. 

Deer Run Winery will honor the value which you paid for the voucher and give you a credit toward a wine purchase for pick up at our winery located at 3772 West Lake Road Geneseo, NY 14454.  In order to redeem your voucher (even expired vouchers) and use your credit toward a wine purchase for pick up, we ask that you:
1. Email us at winery@deerrunwinery.com
2. Provide us with your with your name and the Groupon voucher number (this  number is located underneath the bar code and is typically 6-8 numbers long)  See the voucher example below.
3. Provide us with your wine order, Please refer to the following wine order form.
4. Once your order is received, we will email you an invoice for your order which will reflect the voucher credit.  Once you settle your balance, if any, your order will be available for pick up at Deer Run Winery.  

Please be aware the entire amount paid for the voucher must be redeemed in one order.  Credits will not carry over or be issued on a gift card.  

We do wish that we could invite you all here to sample wines with us in person, but for now, we are trying to keep up with the ever changing marketplace and want to make sure you are able to redeem your vouchers and get something in exchange for your purchase.  We thank you for your business!