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Cobblestone History
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Cobblestone Farm Winery & Vineyard is located on the northwest
shore of
Cayuga Lake. It is a
148 acre farm that traces its roots to January 7, 1811, “the 35th year of our independence”. On that date, the state of
New York
gave the northern portion of the breathtaking property to Samuel
Falkinburg as a reward for his military service during the
revolutionary war. Mr. Falkinburg died in January 1839, leaving the property and the farm equipment to his sons. His wife Penelope did not fare as well. He
left her “one good feather bed & bedding, comfortable & decent
support of food, raiment in time of health, and doctoring in time of
sickness” to be furnished to her by her sons “ so long as she remained
a widow and no longer”. At that time, Penelope had no guaranteed rights
over her children and no control of her property and wages. We can only wonder what Penelope thought about the women’s rights movement born only
13 miles away in the city of
Seneca Falls in 1848. The southern portion of the property was owned by Simon Ritter. Sometime
around 1833, the stately cobblestone house was built by Julius Bull for
Ritter. Just behind the house is a German fore bay barn made of hand
hewn logs. It was built sometime during the period 1820-1830.
For
most of the 20th century the property was operated as a farm; the house
was used primarily in the summer. The farm was known for its peach
crop, plums, cherries and raspberries. It now features
20 acres of 30 year old wine grapes (Baco Noir, Catawba, DeChaunac, Seyval & Vignoles), 6 acres of 3 year old wine grapes( Riesling, Cabernet Franc & Lemberger),
3 acres of table grapes (Relience, Lakemont and Vanessa), and
5 acres
of sweet and tart cherries. While vineyards have graced the property
for over 60 years, the current owners are the first to make and sell
wine (at least the first to do so legally!).
Today, 196 years after
New York
State gifted the property to Falkinburg, a transformation is in the works. The northern portion of the property showcases Cobblestone Farm’s new tasting room. The
cobblestone house will one day become Cobblestone Farm’s bed and
breakfast. And, the barns will one day become an annex to the bed and
breakfast and a conference center.
You can enjoy our award winning wines while overlooking the vineyard, the cherry orchard and
Cayuga Lake. Sample
jellies, preserves, butters, hot sauces, mustards, and salsas. You are
invited to relax and stay a while on our grounds; linger in our rocking
chairs on our front porch, or picnic on our grounds. In June and July, you may also pick sweet and tart cherries from our orchard.
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Cobblestone
Farm Winery and Vineyard reflects the love and passion of its owners,
Bob Rozzano and Cal Blitman, and their desire to return to a simpler
life, to stay close to their family, and to witness the fruits of their
labor.
Bob is a health care consultant, specializing in Medicare. He has spent many years and hours toiling on projects, sitting on planes, and staying in hotels throughout the nation. Rarely has he seen the final results of his efforts. On
January 11, 2001, following his fiftieth (yes 50th ) birthday party,
Bob sat down with a glass of wine at his computer and started his
winery business plan and his quest to change his life. He saw the potential growth of tourism in the New York Finger Lakes Region and of the wine industry. Despite
his wife’s cries that he was “crazy”, that farming was much tougher
than consulting or any career he could imagine, and that mother nature
was unpredictable, uncontrollable, and cruel at times, Bob persevered (
can you believe it?! He ignored his wife). In 2003, they
found Cobblestone Farm and immediately recognized the beauty of the
Farm, the elegance of the 1833 home, and the ideal location on the
shores of
Cayuga Lake.
In
May 2004, Bob and his partner and winemaker, Cal Blitman, began their
transformation of Cobblestone Farm into a destination in the
Finger Lakes Region. Winemaking began in 2004, wine sales began in July 2005, and a new tasting room was finished in January 2006. Plans are now underway to convert the cobblestone house into a bed and breakfast.
Postscript—Bob is still with his wife. He has won her over and she currently supports his venture, but not without an “I told you so” now and then. Stay tuned!
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SAVE THE DATE
Holiday Shopping
Spree
November 17-18
December 1-2, 2012
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Take home a souvenir wine glass, a grapevine wreath, unique ornaments & holiday recipes
Enjoy complimentary dipping oils, preserves, BBQ sauces, mustards, salsas, fruit butters, herb dips & hot sauces at our country store.
Experience the warmth of the holidays while sampling fine wines and holiday treats at Cobblestone Farm Winery & the other 15 participating wineries. Advance tickets( $35 single & $50 couple)available at Cobblestone Farm Winery & the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail.
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