Former Owera Vineyard in Cazenovia set to reopen with pub inside

The former Owera Vineyard in Cazenovia is reopening this summer with a pub inside, after the Zazzara family bought the 57-acre estate overlooking Cazenovia Lake and renamed it The Villa Estate Vineyards. The move gives one of the village’s most familiar properties a new business model, mixing winery space with restaurant service under a name already known in Syracuse.

The family’s connection to local dining runs deep. The Zazzara name is tied to the long-closed Villa Restaurant, and JR Zazzara has kept that brand visible through the Villa Restaurant food truck and Villa Pizze Fritte at the New York State Fair. That built-in recognition matters in a market where a destination spot has to win both casual diners and weekend visitors quickly.

Owera has been through a long stretch of uncertainty. In December 2023, the winery closed its tasting room and canceled all hosted events for 2024, and Peter Muserlian said then that the business was committed to finding replacement venues for affected couples and guests. By June 2024, the tasting room had reopened, even as the winery continued to seek approval for a new year-round event venue.

The property itself has long been more than a simple vineyard. Owera opened its tasting room in June 2013 as Madison County’s first winery, and the 7,200-square-foot tasting room and winery facility became known for weddings, events and lake views. The site was also drawn into a 2014 dispute with the town over weddings and events, a reminder that the operation has always carried land-use as well as business weight.

For Cazenovia, the reopening adds another layer to a village economy built around lake traffic, dining and weekend trips. The pub concept broadens the site beyond the traditional winery crowd and gives the property a stronger chance to become an all-day stop rather than just a tasting-room visit.

The question now is whether the Zazzara family can turn that local name recognition into steady foot traffic at a familiar address on Cazenovia Lake. The answer will help show whether hospitality outside downtown Syracuse can keep finding room to grow.