Kim and Vinny Aliperti, the founders of Billsboro Winery, are getting their just desserts.
“Vinny’s palate runs dry, so his late harvest dessert wine is actually incredibly balanced, age-worthy, and refreshing, which isn’t typical of a dessert wine,” says Kim, who runs Billsboro Winery alongside her winemaking husband, Vinny. “The Vignoles grape is naturally high in acidity, providing the 9% of residual sugar with enough mouthwatering backbone. We expect the 2023 Après Late Harvest to age beautifully, delivering dried tropical fruits wrapped in a honeyed, nutty finish.”
Clearly, the judges of The New York Wine Classic agreed, delivering Billsboro the Best Dessert Wine for its 2023 Après Late Harvest, made from Vignoles sourced from Hunt Country Vineyards on Keuka Lake, which Kim describes as one of the “original pioneers of sustainability.”
The Aliperti’s are dedicated to holistic sustainability in all of its forms. The pair met and fell in love on the road working for the Peace Corps in Tunisia, and when they returned to the U.S., they got married and honeymooned in California’s wine country.
“We were both already wine people, and Vinny actually grew up in an Italian family in Queens making wine at home,” she says. “Not that it was very good! But in the Russian River Valley, we just really fell in love with the lifestyle.”
The pair already knew that corporate life wasn’t for them, and their honeymoon, Kim says, sealed the deal.
Soft-Launching Into the Wine World
“My background was in education, so my career was flexible, and I could really go anywhere,” she says. “And Vinny knew enough people to get him an introduction at Wölffer Estate Vineyard when he learned they were looking for a cellar rat. He didn’t have formal experience, but I think they loved his passion for wine, and the fact that he did have experience making wine at home helped too.”
Vinny’s role as an apprentice built on itself, and as they both became more serious about wine, they considered the possibility of acquiring a winery themselves.
“But it seemed so out of reach, especially in Long Island, where we were completely priced out,” Kim recalls. “We thought about the Hudson Valley, but then Vinny got an opportunity at Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard & Winery, so we landed in the Finger Lakes, which ended up being a great fit.”
Vinny went on to make wine for Atwater Vineyards and climbed the ladder to full-time winemaker quickly. In 2007, the pair got the opportunity to buy Billsboro Winery, but once again, it felt out of reach.
“It felt like it was going to be too much, but we knew that an opportunity like this wouldn’t come around again soon, if ever,” Kim says. “So we went for it. And the team at Atwater was incredible. Vinny was loyal to them, and they were loyal to us.”
For 15 years, Vinny made wines at Atwater and for Billsboro.
All In, After a Slow and Steady Climb
“It helped that we didn’t have estate vineyards, so we could scale up slowly,” Kim recalls. “He was really dedicated to Atwater, but they were sold in 2022, and we knew it was time to go.”
After 15 years of gradual growth, Kim and Vinny were all in. At this point, they produce around 4,000 cases of wine made with grapes from long-term partners like Sawmill Creek Vineyards, Nutt Road Vineyards, and Buttonwood Grove Vineyards, all of which are certified sustainable.
While most of their wines are dry, and their Pinot Gris, Saluti, and Riesling garnered Gold Medals at the classic, Kim holds a special place in her heart for the Après wine.
“It’s such a special dessert wine,” she says. “We just recently had it at a pairing dinner with curried fish, which definitely isn’t what most people would think to pair with a dessert wine, and it worked beautifully. I also loved it at this time of the year with fresh apricots, and always with cheese. I particularly love it with the Cayuga Blue Cheese from Lively Run.”
While Kim says there are still bottles available, only 158 cases of the 2023 were made.
“It was super popular even before this win, so Vinny actually almost doubled the production for 2024, which is coming out soon,” she says.
The New York Wine Classic was created and is annually hosted by The New York Wine & Grape Foundation. The contest is open to all Empire State wineries, with categories spanning vinifera, hybrid, labrusca, fruit and honey wines. This year, wine writer and expert Wanda Mann hosted a Virtual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, July 17, with top winners announced.
Best of Category awards are given for the highest-scoring red, white, pink, sparkling, and dessert wines. The Governor’s Cup recognized the “Best of Show” in the Classic, and “Winery of the Year” is given to the winery with the highest scores for seven grape-based wines, with additional points available from other categories. Winners are selected by the Beverage Tasting Institute, in an evaluation method developed in 1981 with Cornell University. After decades of refinement, it is now considered one of the fairest and most consistent alcohol beverage rating systems in the industry.
Stay tuned for other profiles of winners in the weeks to come. In the meantime, let’s raise a glass to the sweet life and the Alipertis!
