Our permanent residents
Doobie & Sven
Doobie is the most famous donkey in the Finger Lakes! He lives here at Swedish Hill Winery, with his brother Sven, our miniature horse. When you stop in at our tasting room, be sure to take a stroll out back to visit them, they love visitors!
meet doobie
Doobie Inspires Winemaking
Our founder, Dick Peterson, adopted a young Doobie and brought him home to live on the farm in 1987, a year after the winery opened. Doobie’s sweet and spunky personality has been an inspiration to the winemakers here at Swedish Hill for decades.
Jack Ass Red, Jack Ass White and Doobie Blues are some of our most demanded wines, and just as loveable as Doobie himself! And as he’s aged, his taste for wine, along with his sense of humor, has become drier, which inspired Smart Ass Red.
We think Doobie is between 35-40 years old! He still loves to visit with new friends at the winery but don’t expect to see him outside the barn if it’s raining or snowing, he won’t step out if there’s any chance of precipitation!
meet sven
Sven's Story
Sven is a cross between a miniature horse and a pony. He was born in 2016 and came to Swedish Hill when he was just a year old. He was named after the reindeer in the Disney movie Frozen by his first owner, but it is very fitting (and ironic) that he would be adopted by us at Swedish Hill.
Sven is a common Swedish name, and we have 3 “Svenska” wines that we have produced for 30+ years with a horse on the label. Sven is curious and mischievous, but he loves to make new friends, humans and animal alike!
While he is generally friendly and gentle, as with any animals, please use caution when you interact with him. If he smells food on your hands or thinks you may have a treat, he may nip your fingers if you put them near his mouth.
