SCOUT

We are a family owned and operated farm winery. We believe wine is made in the vineyard. Our job as winemakers is to guide what the vineyard has given us to the wine it is meant to be. We are modern-traditionalists; utilizing techniques that are centuries old with modern technology we produce wines that are minimally influenced, sustainably sourced, and reflective of terroir.

We believe that there is an adventurer in all of us, that it is about the journey and not the destination, and that through exploration we learn and grow.

Lastly we believe in collaboration and community. The Finger Lakes is a community of makers and doers, through collaborations and connections with our neighbors, we learn new skills everyday.

Scout. To explore, observe, wonder, and search.

Our first jobs in the wine industry were as vineyard scouts. Our name is a tribute to our dedication to continuous exploration and curiosity.

We are a family owned and operated farm winery located on the western shore of Seneca Lake. Scout Vineyards was established in 2017 by the Budmen and Todd families. In 2018 we purchased a 16-acre organic farm. Today our land is farmed organically as we prepare the land for a vineyard in the future. Our focus is on Chardonnay, a varietal we find to complement a wide diversity of cuisine and to be most reflective of the place it is grown.

After graduating from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in the Spring of 2015 we set a goal to travel. Our travels first brought us on a cross country road trip to Napa Valley, California where we both worked in the wine industry. Daniel picked up where he left off the previous summer in the vineyard, and Olivia began working in hospitality and sales. Before we knew it we booked our flights to Blenheim, New Zealand, the heart of Marlborough's wine country. Olivia worked in the winery, managing fruit intake during harvest while Daniel was responsible for growing operations. Together, we explored much of New Zealand's South Island, making a point to fill each weekend with a new adventure. Our next flight together took us home to New York where we once again landed in the Finger Lakes and jumped into the 2016 harvest! Close to family and friends we knew that the Finger Lakes was the place we would call "home". Together, Daniel and Olivia operate Scout Vineyards with the help of their families.