About Usonia
About Usonia
Frank Lloyd Wright coined the term "Usonia" to refer to his vision of a fully democratic American landscape, unbound by Old World conventions.
In that spirit, we seek to explore and expand the diverse possibilities for winemaking in New York State. 
Nothing’s off the table here at Usonia – we make minimal intervention wines from classic European grape varieties and new American ones. We work with fruit from both our own vineyard on Cayuga Lake and from likeminded growers, aiming to make vibrant and honest wines true to the place they come from.About The WineMakers
About The WineMakers
We’re Julia & Alex Alvarez-Perez.
We met in 2012 while working in New York City restaurants. We spent many years as sommeliers and restaurant managers before transitioning to winemaking. After working at wineries in Austria’s Burgenland and Australia’s Adelaide Hills, we moved back to our native East Coast and settled in the Finger Lakes. We started Usonia in 2019, and in 2021 we began farming our own vineyard, currently planted to Riesling and Cabernet Franc.photo: Valerie Kathawala
About the Farm
About the Farm
We grow a mix of vinifera and hybrid grape varieties at our small farm on the west side of Cayuga Lake.
Cabernet Franc and Riesling were planted in 2005 and 2017, and in 2023 we planted NY-81, Marquette, and Noiret. In coming years, we’ll plant more hybrid grapes as well as cider apples and other fruits. Since we took over the farm we’ve eliminated the use of herbicides and insecticides, and we intend to transition to fully organic practices by 2025. While our tasting space is not yet open, we’d love to host you on our porch. Feel free to e-mail us if you’re in the neighborhood!Fellow Farmers, Friends & An Enemy who Inspire Us
Fellow Farmers, Friends & An Enemy who Inspire Us