Kog Hill Winery began in 2002, when three friends started making wine in a garage. What began as a hobby became a licensed winery — built steadily and without shortcuts.
In 2022, Julie and Bob were preparing to open their own winery from scratch. The vision was clear: a small, urban-style winery focused on distinctive, small-batch wines. Then Kog Hill became available for sale.
Buying an established winery was not the original plan, but it was the smarter one. It offered a faster and more practical path forward. Instead of starting at zero, they inherited a foundation worth building on.
They kept what worked. Wines customers already loved remained in the lineup. The foundation built by the original owners mattered. At the same time, operations were modernized, systems were upgraded, and the philosophy sharpened.
As a small producer, Kog Hill does not compete with national brands on scale or price. That is not the goal. The focus is on unique wines you do not typically find elsewhere — small runs, distinctive blends, and products larger producers would never attempt.
In 2025, another strategic decision was made. The tasting room, though meaningful, no longer made financial sense. It was small and could not generate the volume required to support fixed overhead. The location sat on a busy road, but most drivers were headed somewhere else.
Closing the tasting room was not emotional. It was disciplined. Emotion does not pay bills. At a time when many wineries and breweries are shutting down entirely, Kog Hill chose a different path.
The winery went lean.
Overhead was reduced. Focus sharpened. Kog Hill continued pouring at farmers markets, festivals, expos, and special events throughout Pennsylvania while keeping wine available online.
What came next was chosen, not stumbled into: a new home for Kog Hill at 310 Vine Cellar, 45 S 4th Street in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. Here, visitors can discover Kog Hill wines in a welcoming downtown tasting room.
Vicki Waters is a vital reason Kog Hill can call Hamburg home. Through Vicki and the team at 310 Vine Cellar, Kog Hill found the right place to welcome guests, pour wine, and grow alongside other local businesses. Vicki was named Hamburg's Best of the Best Entrepreneur of the Year—a recognition she shared with the people, businesses, customers, and community that help small businesses grow.
Julie and Bob remain at the heart of Kog Hill. They carry forward the winery's wines, its character, and the hands-on work of building something distinctive—now with a welcoming Hamburg home where more people can discover it.
The brand is not shrinking. It is strengthening. Kog Hill Winery is still here — crafting memories, one sip at a time.