Perched above the quiet curve of Keuka Lake, the Hammondsport location of
Living Roots Wine Co. feels less like a destination and more like a homecoming—where land, lineage, and a deep respect for the craft converge in every glass.
The Finger Lakes tasting room and winery are located on the family’s Shale Creek Vineyard, overlooking Keuka Lake, where many of Living Roots’ grapes are grown. From the moment you arrive, the connection to place is unmistakable. Rows of vines trace the shale-rich soil, the lake below mirrors the sky, and the landscape invites you to slow down and stay present.
A Tasting Experience Rooted in Ease
The Hammondsport tasting room is designed with intention—welcoming, unpretentious, and centered on comfort. Tastings at the bar are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, perfect for spontaneous visits and easy conversation. For those who prefer to linger, a more relaxed seated experience allows guests to settle in, sip slowly, and take in the sweeping vineyard and lake views.
Whether stopping in for a quick pour or an unhurried afternoon, the space encourages connection—to the wine, the land, and the story behind both.
Six Generations in the Making
While Living Roots was officially founded in 2016 by Sebastian and Colleen Hardy, its story stretches back six generations.
Sebastian’s winemaking heritage begins with Thomas Hardy, his great-great-great-grandfather, who immigrated to Australia in 1850 at the age of 20. There, Thomas planted the Hardy family’s first grapevines, igniting more than 150 years of winemaking tradition on the other side of the world.
Colleen’s journey to wine followed a different, yet equally rooted path. Raised in Rochester, New York, with time spent throughout the Finger Lakes region, she earned a degree in marketing from Michigan State University and began her career in corporate America in Chicago. Drawn to the creativity, physicality, and soul of wine, she left the office behind and joined the 2014 harvest as a cellar hand at Hardy’s Tintara Winery in McLaren Vale, Australia.
Where Two Stories Converged
It was during that 2014 harvest in McLaren Vale that Sebastian and Colleen first crossed paths—each working in different corners of the wine industry, each carrying their own history. Around the same time, Colleen’s family purchased a vineyard overlooking Keuka Lake with a vision to convert native vines into higher-quality vinifera varieties. They named it Shale Creek Vineyard, a nod to the unmistakable shale-rich soil that defines the site.
By 2016, Living Roots was born.
That same year, the winery began its unique rhythm of splitting time between South Australia and New York, completing two harvests annually. This dual-hemisphere approach allows Living Roots to craft wines that honor both regions—rich whites and sparkling wines in the Finger Lakes, and vibrant reds in South Australia. Grapes are sourced from family vineyards and trusted growers, with some wines returning year after year and others appearing as one-off expressions of a particular season or site.
A Winery Closer to the Land
The opening of the Finger Lakes winery and tasting room in fall 2023 marked a significant milestone. This third location expanded production capabilities while bringing the winemaking process closer to the vineyard itself. Here, on Shale Creek Vineyard, the cycle feels complete—from vine to glass—with Keuka Lake as a constant presence.
Winter at Living Roots: Pinot & Pages
As winter settles in along Keuka Lake, Living Roots invites guests to embrace the season a little more slowly with Pinot & Pages—a cozy, ongoing winter gathering that blends wine, reading, and quiet connection.
Held every Sunday from
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Pinot & Pages turns the Hammondsport tasting room into a welcoming winter nook. Guests are encouraged to bring their own book, get comfortable, and enjoy an unhurried midday escape. There’s no discussion requirement and no pressure—just pages turning, glasses pouring, and the gentle hum of the tasting room overlooking the winter vineyard.
To make the experience even sweeter, guests receive
$2 off glasses and bottles of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, wines that pair beautifully with a good story and a slower pace.
Pinot & Pages is a reflection of everything Living Roots does best—thoughtful, intentional, and rooted in simple pleasures. It’s a reminder that winter in the Finger Lakes isn’t something to rush through, but something to be savored.
Rooted in Story, Rooted in Place
Living Roots Wine Co. in Hammondsport is more than a tasting room. It’s a place where generations of winemaking meet the present moment, where two worlds come together through shared passion, and where the land itself shapes every bottle poured.
Here, overlooking Keuka Lake, the roots run deep—and the stories continue to unfold, one glass (and one page) at a time. 🍷📚🌿
At Keuka Roots, we believe places like this are what give the lake its soul: vineyards shaped by family, seasons honored rather than hurried, and gathering spaces that invite us to slow down and reconnect. Living Roots Wine Co. is a reminder that the Finger Lakes are not just something we visit—they are something we belong to.
Stay Rooted. Stay Keuka. 🌿🍷📚
Living Roots Wine Co
8560 County Road 87
Hammondsport, New York 14840
https://www.livingrootswine.com/
