Write a commentShannon and Bill Davis have been dreaming of this day for many years.
“I’ve been growing grapes and making wine for 28 years,” Bill told iHeart Oswego. Up until now, he has primarily focused on selling grapes to local wineries—in between running the family-owned butcher shop, Davis Bros., that is.
But after many years of growing, renovating, and dreaming, the Davises have opened their own public tasting room, Sterling Valley Vineyard. In addition to selling their wines, the vineyard stocks local alcohols like craft beer from Junco Brewery and Talking Cursive, as well as locally brewed apple cider. The Davises grow 11 different varieties of grapes, so there’s something for everyone behind the counter… including several flavors of house-made sangria. The vineyard offers weekly specials that rotate throughout the year, but Sangria Sunday is popular enough to remain a permanent fixture.
“We will always have gluten-free snacks on hand as well,” Shannon emphasized, “because I’m gluten-free and I know what a struggle that is.” Davis is also looking into hosting food trucks to provide more substantial offerings than their kitchen can provide.
The tasting room is a small space (with a capacity of 112) but it is highly curated to feel cozy, intimate, and warm, with a mix of armchair and table seating to suit individual preferences. “It definitely has a woman’s touch,” Shannon noted with a laugh. “Our goal was to create a space where you can come, have a drink, and relax for a few hours—we want our guests to feel comfortable.”
Speaking of guests, the owners are incredibly dog-friendly and encourage customers to bring along their well-behaved dogs… so long as they can get along with each other. Davis’s service dog, Kingston, greets and delights customers on a regular basis.
At one end of the tasting room there is a setup for live music, which the vineyard has had plenty of. Upcoming concerts include Dave Wolever this Saturday (8/9) and Cam Caruso on August 29, but the couple has bigger plans for later in the year. “We haven’t confirmed the date, but we’re looking to have an intimate evening with Frostbit Blue in October.” Due to expected demand and the venue’s capacity limits, the Frostbit Blue concert will be a ticketed event.
Other events being planned and hosted at Sterling Valley Vineyards include several paint and sip nights through Pink Lemonade (August 21 and October 11), as well as readings from psychic Rhonda Lilly planned for October 9.
Over the winter, the Davises are happy to book holiday parties for small businesses (or big families) as well as maintain a smaller events schedule.
Sterling Valley Vineyard’s summer hours are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday noon to 8pm and Sundays noon to 5pm. The tasting room is located at 2128 NY-104A, Sterling, near the intersection of 104A and County Route 122. So stop in, grab a drink, and enjoy an afternoon with friends! You can also keep up with the vineyard by following their Facebook page.
