Kim and Vinny Aliperti (Tunisia) and the Billsboro Winery

Vinny and Kim

Kim and Vinny  Aliperti  met as Peace Corps volunteers in Tunisia from 1992 to 1994, They were married when they returned to the United States, and  their honeymoon took them to some wineries. They say they quickly realized they were meant to run a winery. They knew they weren’t cut out for the suit-and-tie city life, and as they walked the vineyards, they knew what we wanted to do.

Vinny had been hooked on winemaking as a teenager in his grandfather’s cellar in Queens, NY where he was first introduced to his family’s annual tradition.

After the Peace Corps, Vinny was offered an apprenticeship at Wolffer Estate in the Hamptons on Long Island. After three vintages (1997-1999) producing mostly Chardonnay and Merlot with long-time winemaker Roman Roth, he moved with Kim to the Finger Lakes to begin his next chapter at the Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard. It was there that he was first exposed to Riesling production during the 2000 vintage.

Billsboro Winery

In 2007 the opportunity arose for the Alpertis to purchase and operate Billsboro Winery located in Geneva, New York, that consisted of 60 acres overlooking the northern end of Seneca Lake, and is surrounded by century-old walnut trees, terraced fields and a deep wooded ravine.

Since then, they have been living their dream.

Vinny is the owner and winemaker, and Kim is owner and manager.

“Billsboro Winery” crafts dry, classic European-style wines with an eye toward guiding both the vintage and vineyard into “a delicious reflection of time and place.

They are especially excited to be working with growers who have completed the certification process for vineyards who are “seeking to advance their environmental, social, and economic sustainability, and here at Billsboro, we try our best to minimize our impact on the environment. From buying sustainably farmed grapes to sourcing our electricity from a local solar farm to using compostable products at our events, we are conscious of our choices.

Big wines cost from $18 to $34 and feature the varietals you’d expect in the Finger Lakes — Pinot Gris, Riesling and Cabernet Franc, and in addition they are planning to introduce a Pinot Noir this fall.