Established in 2003 on the northern shores of Conesus Lake, Deer Run Winery was a lifelong dream for owner, George Kuyon.  After accepting a position with Eastman Kodak in 1968, George and his wife, Joan, moved from their home state of Ohio to Rochester, NY. In 1975, George attended an amateur winemaking class; he became hooked and enjoyed his newfound hobby of making wine for his friends and family.  He and his wife, Joan, traveled to wineries in the Finger Lakes and George always had a strong feeling that one day he would own his own winery.  Upon his retirement from Kodak in 1998, George purchased a twenty-acre plot of farmland located on West Lake Road on the northern end of Conesus Lake.  He began working with the local town government to begin to establish a winery on the westernmost Finger Lake.   He worked with representatives from Cornell to test the land’s soil and decided on varietals to plant, some of which were new hybrids that were in final stages of being tested.  The vineyard was planted in 2001. The varietals initially planted that were unnamed at the time would become known as Corot Noir and Noiret, along with plantings of Traminette, Valvin Muscat, Vidal, Frontenac, Marechal Foch and Riesling.  The modest 5-acre vineyard today contributes to twenty percent of the overall wine production.  The remaining grapes and juice are purchased solely from vineyards within the Finger Lakes appellation.   
 
After constructing the winery’s main building in 2002, planting the vineyard, and working with the town planning board and state liquor authority, Deer Run Winery opened its doors on November 17th, 2003.  As the only winery on Conesus Lake, it took time for Deer Run Winery to get its name out to the public.  George, Joan, and their son, Scott attended many off-site events over the years pouring wine and talking to the public.  The winery began to host a Thursday Night Summer Concert series which started off as a modest gathering of 25 to 40 people in 2012 and in its last year (pre-covid) regularly welcomed crowds of over 1,000 guests on the property, with our record concert hosting approximately 2,000 people!    
 
Getting the name out to the public began to take hold and soon Deer Run Winery found itself in need of more tank space to meet demand. In 2013, two 1,500-gallon tanks were added to the tank room's stainless fleet allowing production to increase. However, there was another issue: space.  The winery’s production had outgrown its original tank room, and space was a major issue for winemaker, Scott Kuyon.  An additional tank room had been added in 2006, but the two tank rooms side by side with a wall separating the space was cumbersome to work in.  A new production space was needed.   

During that same time, Scott was planning his wedding.  He and Marie met in 2012 and after two years of dating were married in August 2014.  Marie came to the business with hospitality management experience and was experienced working with weddings.  Marie began focusing her efforts on growing the wedding side of the business and within two years the summer season was booked with vineyard ceremonies and tent weddings.  With the consistent business from the weddings, there was a need for a permanent structure to house the wedding receptions.   

After meeting with architects and a contactor, plans were made to build a new production space as well as a solid structure for the outdoor weddings to alleviate the need to rent a tent.  George met with the bank to secure funding and our plans were set into motion in January 2020.  While the pandemic was already making the news, the shutdown that took place in March 2020 was unforeseen.  The shell of the production building was up and the framework for the pavilion was in place, but the grounds were demolished with piles of earth, and we were in a shaky spot.  All staff had been laid off and we continued to sell bottles of wine for curbside pick-up.  Customers placed orders online and the orders kept us afloat.  Business slowly returned to normal, and we worked to tie up loose ends on the expansion and complete our construction projects.   

Once the wine tanks moved into their new building, we were able to renovate the old tank room space and we added a full commercial kitchen and café space along with offices and a bridal suite. Our new café is open during the winery’s business hours, and we are happy to now serve delicious food along with our award-winning wines!  

As we approach our 20-year business anniversary, we look back on the challenges we have overcome with gratitude for those who helped us along the way, supporting and celebrating each milestone with our family.  We look forward to continuing to serve our customers and remain committed to providing approachable Finger Lakes wines!
Cheers,  
The Kuyon Family 
George, Joan,
Scott & Marie