Rooted in History

A man is standing at a manual grape press, smiling, with a brown cloth on the top surface. The press has a stone base and is surrounded by a rustic wooden frame, with wood and tools nearby.
Two men in a vineyard holding bunches of grapes with a clear sky in the background.
A triptych of photographs: the first shows a person sitting in a chair outdoors near a rustic setting, the second features a person working at a woodworking or crafting station outdoors, the third depicts two people standing together in a snow-covered landscape with leafless trees and fallen branches.

Robert Collyer Hosmer and grandson Cameron Hosmer look out from the back deck in the summer of 1955 on the property that had been in the family for nearly 30 years. Almost 20 years later, Cameron Hosmer and his wife, Maren Hosmer, planted 5 acres of vines in that exact plot of land. Now, Cameron and his son, Timothy Hosmer, tend to those same vines that rest in the middle of the 70 acres of grapes that now thrive on the Hosmer farm.

Cameron Hosmer’s father, a Syracuse textile manufacturer, envisioned growing grapes on the gentle slopes of Cayuga Lake at the family’s summer home. Although Cameron’s father didn’t get to see the full fruition of this dream, we don’t think he could have ever imagined just how successful it would be.

After fifteen years of selling their grapes to others, Cameron and Maren had a vision of their own — making and selling their own wine — and founded Hosmer Winery in 1985 on the principle that great wine starts in the vineyard. With a degree in Pomology from Cornell University and a semester at California State University, Fresno (renowned for its world-class programs in viticulture and enology), Cameron had both the background and experience to get started in the budding wine industry. And so, Cameron and Maren opened up their first tasting room in the garage of the estate home in the summer of 1986.

In 1990, with increased production and growing recognition, the decision was made to renovate the 200-year-old barn across the street, to move traffic away from their home and vineyard operations, and inaugurate a new tasting and retail facility.

Hosmer wines include a wide variety of styles made from traditional vinifera, as well as French-American hybrid varieties. Today, Hosmer produces 20-thousand gallons of wine annually. At this boutique level, we are able to assure the excellence of the entire process, from the basic fruit to the finished wine. He works closely with Winemaker Julia Hoyle to produce consistent quality wines in the European tradition.

Hosmer wines have been consistently recognized over the years at regional and international competitions, as well as by highly respected publications including the Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits, USA Today, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.