Four Wines at Deer Run, Built by a Kodak Retiree
A sit-down tasting at Deer Run, the family-run winery near the north end of Conesus Lake, with a description of every pour.
George Kuyon took an amateur winemaking class in 1975 while working at Eastman Kodak, and got hooked. When he retired in 1998 he bought twenty acres of farmland on West Lake Road, at the northern end of Conesus Lake. Deer Run Winery opened there on November 23, 2003, and the Kuyon family still runs it.
This tasting is the short way in. You sit inside the tasting room while four wines arrive in three-ounce pours, each paired with a sample of cheese or chocolate. Several reviewers describe a host explaining each pairing at the table. One October 2025 guest found the notes on a printed sheet left beside the glasses instead.
The listing charges USD 20 a person, one rate for everyone, and sells tickets for ages 21 and up only. Afternoon slots run Monday and Thursday through Sunday; the tasting room is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Booking closes an hour before your slot, and confirmation is instant.
Shared Wine, Chocolate and Cheese Tasting in Conesus LakeFour Deer Run wines in three-ounce pours, two with cheese and two with chocolate, at a table in the tasting room. From USD 20.www.viator.comCheese for the White and the Red, Chocolate for the Sweet Pair
The listing calls all four medal winners. Conesus White is semi-dry and grape-forward. Runway Red is a red blend with berry and black pepper. Both come with cheese.
Pebble Beach Blush is a sweet blend with notes of peach and melon. Max Black is a sweet red blend with grape jelly notes, and the listing names it the winery's top seller. Both come with chocolate.
Half the flight is sweet. A September 2024 guest who is not usually a wine drinker liked three of the four, "with the exception being the sweet wine."
From a 1975 Winemaking Class to a Five-Acre Vineyard
Kuyon planted the vineyard in 2001, after working with representatives from Cornell to test the soil. Some of the vines were new hybrids that had no names yet. They became known as Corot Noir and Noiret, planted alongside Traminette, Valvin Muscat, Vidal, Frontenac, Marechal Foch and Riesling.
The five-acre vineyard supplies twenty percent of Deer Run's wine. The winery says the rest of its grapes and juice are bought only from vineyards within the Finger Lakes appellation.
Work on a new production building was underway in 2020. Once the tanks moved in, the old tank room became a commercial kitchen and the Tankroom Cafe, which opens during winery hours.
The Tasting Stays Indoors
The winery's FAQ says tastings are held inside the tasting room, and suggests buying a wine flight for anyone who would rather sip on the front porch or patio.
Expect a small, informal room. An October 2025 guest summed it up: "Felt more like sitting in their kitchen." A September 2024 guest chose to share a table with two other couples. Deer Run sits near the water, but a June 2024 guest put it plainly: "Close to the lake but not a lake view."
Several reviewers mention meeting an owner. Two August 2026 guests credited Scott Kuyon, George and Joan's son, with making their afternoon when he came over to talk.
Groups Over Six Book With the Winery
One booking on the listing takes up to six guests. For a bigger group, the winery asks you to call or email ahead to schedule a group sampling, which uses six pre-selected wines, is paid in advance and depends on availability.
- Cancel at least 24 hours before your slot for a full refund; inside 24 hours nothing is refunded
- Gratuity is not included in the price
- The listing and the winery both say the building is wheelchair accessible, and the winery adds that it has two accessible restrooms
- The listing allows service animals; the winery's own rule is that dogs stay on the front porch, leashed
- The winery does not allow outside food or alcohol on its grounds
- The listing does not recommend the tasting for pregnant travelers or anyone with poor cardiovascular health
- The listing also ticks stroller access, says infants are allowed but have no special seating and sit on laps, and rates the tasting suitable for all physical fitness levels; the winery's site does not address those three
📍 Park in the winery lot at 3772 West Lake Road in Geneseo, go in through the main entrance and tell the tasting room staff you are there for the wine, chocolate and cheese flight.
Lunch is not part of the booking. The Tankroom Cafe inside the winery serves food during winery hours, and several reviewers stayed on to eat after their flight. On Sundays the cafe runs brunch from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, a slow start before an afternoon of wine.