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!

With the recent news that tasting rooms are unable to sample and serve wine by the glass, we have adjusted our business hours to accommodate incoming phone and online orders with a parking lot pick up.  Our current hours for pick up orders are:
12 to 3 pm Monday through Thursday 
12 to 5 pm Friday & Saturday, closed Sundays 
Our tasting room staff has been laid off until the pandemic passes and we are able to operate as normal.  We are willing to accommodate later pick up times, if the above window does not work for you and will handle this on a case by case basis. 

That being said, here are the instructions you can follow for your next order. 

To place your order with us:
1. Call Deer Run Winery at 585-346-0850 -OR- order online and choose either your wish to order for pick up or order wines to be shipped (shipping fees apply). Our wine list is attached below.
When you place your order online, you will be able to pay securely through our online portal and the order will be e-mailed to us.  We will send you a text message once your order is ready for pick up.

When picking up your order, please:
1. Back your vehicle up to our garage door and pop your trunk
2. Call Deer Run Winery at 585-346-0850 to let us know you are in our parking lot and provide your name and car information.
3. Have your ID ready for verification
4. We will deliver your order right to your car!

Current Covid-19 Quarantine Special Offer, use or mention coupon code: COVID19 when placing your order and receive a 19% discount when you order 1 case (12 bottles) or more and you will also receive a free roll of toilet paper for each case you order.  

The ROC/FLX Craft Beverage trail is one of the newest trails in New York State and is unique in its organization because it includes breweries, wineries, distilleries and cideries, proving that a single trail can have something that appeals to everyone!  Since its inception in 2017, the ROC/FLX Craft Beverage Trail has grown to include more than 30 producers across four counties: Monroe, Wayne, Ontario and Livingston.  In 2019, the trail celebrated with its first sampling event held at Ravenwood Golf Club in Victor.  The sampling event which included craft food and beverage producers was a huge success and enjoyed by hundreds who attended.  Due to the popularity of last year's event, the trail will host First Fest Round Two on March 20th at the same location.  Deer Run Winery will be there pouring samples of our wines along with our other partners on the trail!  Good food, drinks and company will be plentiful that evening, so mark your calendars and get your tickets ordered as there is a limit to the number of attendees and last year's event did sell out.  VIP tickets are also available and will get you into the event an hour before all other attendees.  Click on the button below to purchase your tickets for First Fest Round Two!

**DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO WEDNESDAY JULY 29, 2020**

Our Wine of the Month Club has been growing steadily since we first launched it last year.  This Friday March 06th, we will celebrate our next quarterly wine release with a member-only happy hour from 4 to 7 pm!  This gives club members an opportunity to stop by anytime during these hours and sample the three wines featured in the release along with appetizer pairings before they take their wines home. 

Does this sound like fun and something you would like to be a part of?  Anyone over the age of 21 is welcome to join our Wine of the Month Club!  You decide whether you wish to pick up your shipments or have your wines shipped directly to your door.  There are more benefits that go along with being a member of our club, free wine tastings and 15% savings on all future wine bottle purchases from within our tasting room are some awesome benefits for starters!  There is no annual fee and you only pay for the wines you receive, which is 3 bottles every 3 months at 15% off the retail price.  It's not too late to sign up and join us this Friday!  Follow the link below to register.