Owera Vineyards

We were excited to try some wine here. It’s a beautiful facility. Unfortunately, as soon as we walked in, we were given a snooty look by the miserable hostess. She basically told us that there was a line, told us we needed to pay first before doing any tastings, and shooed us away. We took our business to Critz farm Harvest Moon Cidery instead and were greeted by much friendlier staff.

Lovely view from grounds that have obviously had a lot of money put into them.
Beyond that, this place is an elaborate tax avoidance scheme, right?
The wine we sampled was mediocre, but what was memorable was the uninformed staff — they couldn’t answer basic questions (varietal vs. blend, for instance) and implied that Owera is mainly in the business of selling wine made of other vineyards’ grapes at other wineries. I don’t really care about all that, but their defensive tone was over the top — seems like they know they’re putting one over on the customers and they’re tired of answering questions about it.
Pizzas were fine, doesn’t look like they’re trying to obscure the provenance of those ingredients.

The food is served small plates often matched to a wine. Taste is always excellent. Great soups including French onion.
They also have a brick oven making excellent thin crust pizzas. Try the smoke and fire pizza artichokes. Sauteed onions
Share a bottle of wine.
Good music and a great friendly staff.

My mother and I took a trip to Owera for my first wine tasting after turning 21. We sampled the white wine flight, and it was delicious! The food was also incredible. The décor was gorgeous, and created a very well-​crafted rustic atmosphere. Our only complaint was the service we received, or lack thereof. We noticed right away that our server (I believe the receipt said his name was Mario, but I can’t be sure, as he did not introduce himself) was rather standoff-​ish, and we felt rushed to make our dining decisions. There was minimal interaction throughout our visit. About half way through our meal, two girls who appeared to be in their mid-​twenties sat at the bar to the left of us. A different waitress greeted them, but Mario seemed to take over the interaction right away. Immediately, I noticed he was more chatty, smiley, and helpful while serving them than he had been while serving us. I pointed this out to my mother, and we watched as he offered them a complimentary sample (he did not offer us one), asked them what kinds of wines they typically enjoyed (he did not ask us), and helped them decide what to try (he did not offer us any advice). This irked both me and my mother. We finished our meal and sat relatively patiently as he chatted with the girls, kindly seated another young couple, and walked by us without so much as a glance. He made no attempts to provide excellent customer service to us, and we found this extremely unfair and unprofessional. Frankly, I am very displeased with his actions, and honestly believe they diminished the experience of Owera.

The food is pretty good here. I am a vegetarian and I was able to find selections that were good. I ordered the cheese platter and dessert platter, to share with my date. I was not disappointed.
The atmosphere is great. The bar is beautiful. A wooden slab with a raw wood edge. There are cozy tables you can sit at, as well as larger tables that would accommodate groups. You could also sit at the bar. I believe there is a side room for intimate meals. Overall, if you’re looking for a romantic place to eat. this fits the bill. The wine was good too. I had a reisling, that was delicious. I thought it was very affordable too

We’ve given this place several tries but it always falls short! The first time they closed early and turned us away. We tried to give them another chance tonight but everything was «no». First it took forever for their server to notice us at the bar… We’re only talking 2 other couples in the whole place! Then we ordered beer (yes I know it’s a winery) which they have 4 taps and pint glasses lined up on the bar. We were told «no“we couldn’t order beer. So I tried to order a tasting of 3 wines which is an option on the menu. Again I was told «no». I could only order their red or white flight which they choose the wines. Plus the sever wasn’t very nice about it, more like he actually liked to say «no». So we cancelled our food order and left.
It’s just not worth another trip there!

Great local winery! Owera is one of my favorite local vineyards. They have an great selection of a variety of wines. One of my favorites is their Chardonnay which is made half in oak and half in stainless steel. I prefer it served chilled since I enjoy less oak taste. Their wood-​fired pizzas are amazing! Made to order, fresh and local ingredients. I recommend sitting outside and enjoy the view! It’s a perfect spot to enjoy a bottle of wine and pizza for two!

I finally made it out to Owera with some friends and I must say, I was not let down! It sits back in its own little book of Cazenovia with a gorgeous view. The interior is equally stunning! You instantly get a warm, cozy feeling when you walk in. I can’t wait to visit in the winter.
We tried a few items from the food menu and everything was delicious. As for the wine? I was admittedly surprised. They have a good variety of dry options which isn’t always easy to find. We got to enjoy some of the last glasses of the 2012 Cab Franc they had in the tasting room; by far my favorite of their offerings.
This could easily be a dream wedding destination in the backyards of anyone calling CNY their home.

It’s such a beautiful place. It’s really sad that’s residents of Caz put limitations to this being a great wedding venue, I probably would have had mine here.
That said, this is definite place to visit. Good wines, local beer on tap, and some delicious food. It can get busy, and feel cramped inside. If you’re lucky enough to go when it’s not busy, it’s a true gem.

It’s been a month since I was here. I wanted to write nice things…
Its a beautiful structure in a beautiful setting.
They have a nice menu.
Did I mention how beautiful the structure is? How about how beautiful the grounds and the area in general?
Sorry, I just did not enjoy myself here. I felt rushed and other than having basic scripted information about the wine and winery, no one really seemed to know very much.
Staff was more concerned about the staff and less about the guest experience,

My husband and I checked out a recent Acoustic Friday event at Owera. This was our second time at the winery. We love many of the wines and have had the brick oven pizzas before, which are awesome. The garlic pizza is a must try. French onion soup was great, full of flavor. The Mediterranean board was very tasty. Hummus, olives, roasted red peppers, and other favorites served with naan bread was a great starter. We enjoy the Cabernet franc which was great for a dry red lover. The highlight was the chocolate board, chocolate treats to end a great night. Service is friendly and attentive. Beautiful grounds and a must see spot for great wine and amazing food.

We visited Owera on a beautiful sunny Wednesday afternoon after a workout. I was impressed by the gorgeous setting and pretty interior. We ordered a wine tasting and 4 small plates (cheese tray, bread, pickle tray, and skewer trio). Unfortunately, we waited 10 – 15 minutes for our first tasting and 5 – 10 minutes in between pours. The service, while undeniably understaffed, was terrible. It’s too bad that lazy service can ruin a beautiful afternoon, decent wine, and mediocre food– but it can. I hope you have a better experience.

The wine tasting and food today was excellent. Kate our wine expert was very knowledgeable and friendly. Nancy the owner was welcoming and gracious. Great afternoon tasting NYS wines.

I’ve been here a few times for wine tasting and most recently for wine tasting, wine by the glass, and some food. I worked at a winery while in grad school in Northern California before moving to Syracuse to start my career, so when wine tasting here in New York I have to readjust my standards. That said, the wines here are pretty good, and I am learning to appreciate some new varietals from the area. The staff are always friendly and willing to answer questions about the wines, and I really like the décor and ambiance, both inside and outside. Plus, nothing beats a nice glass of wine while sitting in the sun with a nice view.
The food is also delicious. We recently got the Margherita Pizza and Steak Crostini made with local beef. Sooo good! I would go back just for the food. We met one of the owners who was very fun to talk to, and we also made conversation with other customers which was enjoyable. One of the things I’ve always loved about wine tasting is meeting new people who appreciate good wine as much as I do.
It is a little pricey, but I find it worth it for the experience. I have added this to my list of fun and relaxing things to do when I need to get out of Syracuse for an afternoon.

Great chef, great food, wonderful white wines, and the most gorgeous view ever. We take all our out of town guests here, and they are wowed. Only suggestion; don’t be stingy with those beet chips! They are delish!

This was our first stop of the Cazenovia tour. Owera is a breathtaking property, with beautiful buildings on an expansive property. The owners gave us a personal tour, possibly a professional perk… I was accompanied by a vintner and a distillery employee. The owners and all of the employees we came in contact with were super nice and very knowledgeable. We all liked different wines, but thought they were all very well made. After our tasting we decided to adjourn to the dining room for lunch. We ordered pizza, kabobs and an order of beet chips. The wood fired pizza was amazing, as were the kabobs. The beet chips were. um. sparse. I kinda wish I lived in the area to take advantage of the fabulous bar and beer selection on a Friday night!

First visit’s wine tasting ended up with a case of assorted wines going home with us. This most recent visit, we narrowed it down to our favorite, the semi-​dry Riesling. Highly recommend for a relaxing afternoon of great food and even better wine! Management here is second to none in customer service. Thanks all!

First time visiting and I was very impressed! Great wine, GREAT pizza, and wonderful service. We will definitely be back soon! The atmosphere is great too — it is beautiful inside.

I’ll be honest; when my mother said «let’s go wine tasting» I was not all that excited. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some wine, but on a cloudy afternoon I was totally content with staying home (and drink wine on the couch, of course!)
Fast forward a few hours– and I’m so glad I made the trip with the rest of the fam out to Owera Vineyards. Here is a little breakdown of what to expect, the good/​bad, etc.
+ The backdrop for Owera is beautiful. The building sits atop one of the rolling hills of Madison County and looks out over the lovely Cazenovia Lake.
+ There is a ton of parking.
+ The building where the tastings are held is stunning. From its shingled exterior to its warm and rich interior, I loved the wood work and materials used throughout.
+ The main bar is huge, gorgeous (made of raw edge wood and stained a delicious golden color) and basically wraps around the room. There are plenty of seats for those who are looking to do some tasting.
+ There are two tasting options: $ ⁵⁄₃ samples or for $ ⁸⁄₅ samples + a souvenir glass. Bonus– all tasters get a sample of the signature ‘Betty’s White’ for free. Sooooo really you’re tasting 4/​$ 5 and 6/​$ 8. I recommend going w/​the $ 8 option. Who wouldn’t want to try more wine?!
— For the most part the staff was friendly. When we arrived and found a spot at the bar one of the gals greeted us and passed out menus for us to look over. Unfortunately she didn’t come back to pour our samples. Our wine-​tasting-​pourer wasn’t super friendly to begin with and even seemed a little annoyed when I asked ‘which wines are made here?’ She lighted up a bit after the first few samples and proved to be very knowledgeable about all the varieties of wine sold at Owera.
+ the majority of the group opted for the $ ⁸⁄₅ sample option… and Owera is serving up a lot of delicious wine! Favorites included: 2012 Semi Dry Riesling (silky smooth wine with hints of apricots, peaches), 2012 Cazenovia Blush (made locally & features the subtle sweetness of fresh strawberries), and the (I’m not a red fan usually… especially a dry red… but this one was smooth like butta and had this dark smoky black cherry thing going on. Yum.)
— After so much wine samplin’ a group can get sortof hungry, no? Owera is serving up brick oven pizzas made fresh. Our group ended up ordering the Teddy: Tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni and prosciutto. I wasn’t part of the ordering process because I imagine if I was I would have pointed out that a pepperoni pizza with prosciutto was a weird combo. Too much salty meat for one pizza. The prosciutto just felt like the pizza was trying to hard to be rustic and fit in with the rest of the vineyard. The pizzas were expensive too… I think the pie was $ 16 and it’s not huge
+ Each wine we sampled was available for purchase– and prices ranged for $ 12-​$ 20. Bonus– if you purchase 4+ bottles they give you a little cloth wine bag.
+ Patio out front overlooking Caz Lake seems as though it would be a perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine on a nice day. Although if its still cloudy out there are plenty of 4-​person high-​top tables inside.
Overall a great afternoon spent sipping delicious wines from Upstate NY. If you haven’t gone yet and happen to be cruising through Cazenovia (or Canastota, or Manlius, or Oneida, etc) then stop by and have a sample or a bottle. Owera doesn’t disappoint.

Owera is a beautiful new winery that has opened its tasting room recently in Cazenovia. While the winery has been making wine for a few years (to my knowledge) they are now able to offer tastings at their facility. The grounds are immaculately kept and looks to be a great spot to host an event or a wedding. It is situated up on a hill off of East Lake Rd., but I was not able to see the lake from the actual winery — bummer.
We had a good experience when we went in for our tasting, but not great. We arrived around 4:30 (they closed at 5), and were rushed through things even though the place was hopping. I understand they can’t stay open for everyone that shows up with a half hour to spare, but I expected a little better with them being new. We were nearly locked in when we tried to leave… that was strange.
The wine is good, but did not blow me away. The drier wines seemed to be where it’s at with Owera, although I will admit those suit my palate much more. We ordered the artisan cheese platter, which was fantastic. The platter consists of a variety of cheeses, some crackers, toasted walnuts/​almonds drizzled in honey, and some prosciutto. The flat bread pizzas on the menu looked excellent and will be tried the next time I am visiting.
I think my review is fair, and may be improved when I visit again. I’d like to arrive a bit earlier in the day and see how this changes the service. If all goes well — Owera is solidly a 4 – 5 star experience. For now, I was just too turned off by the rush.