About Navinnus Forty
Two Cellars
Where curiosity meets connection—and becomes wine.
Navinnus Forty Two Cellars is a small, place-driven winery rooted in the cool-climate hills of New York’s Finger Lakes. What began with a sailboat-turned-bar on Cayuga Lake grew into something more—a space for reinvention, celebration, and craft.
Our wines are a reflection of who we are: curious by nature, driven by connection, and shaped by change.
Our Name
Navinnus 42 traces back to that first season on the lake in 2020. The sailboat bar that came with our Cayuga Lake house inspired the direction of our name and the spirit behind it. Navis is the Latin word for ship, vin comes from vinum, the Latin root for wine, and innus hints at the boat bar, which, like an inn, is a simple and welcoming place where people can gather, just as they do around wine in the Finger Lakes. Forty Two reflects our home just north of the 42nd parallel, grounding the brand in the Finger Lakes region that inspires it.
The Founders’ Story
Scott – The Heart & Craft
Scott brings a calm, methodical energy to everything he does, shaped by years as an ICU nurse. That mindset carried into winemaking, where hands-on apprenticeships at Boundary Breaks and Silver Thread gave him the space to explore the craft one careful step at a time. He’s drawn to the process, the science, and the satisfaction of building something from the ground up.
Niki – The Vision & Strategy
Connection has always been central to Niki’s work, whether practicing law or supporting legal professionals navigating technology. With years of writing, marketing, and strategy behind her, she approaches wine the way she approaches everything else: by asking questions, following curiosity, and digging deeper. Now studying for the WSET Level 3, she continues to expand her understanding of wine and the Finger Lakes region.
A Project Built with Purpose
We’re both still working full-time, and Navinnus 42 is a side project we’re building slowly and deliberately on evenings, weekends, and with every vintage. It’s fueled by passion, shaped by purpose, and rooted in the kind of change that happens when you follow what moves you.
The pandemic brought us to the Finger Lakes, and it was here that our shared love of wine became something more. What began as an interest became a purpose: a way to create something meaningful together and share it, one bottle at a time.
Our Winemaking Philosophy
At Navinnus 42, we use modern winemaking techniques to bring out the best of the Finger Lakes. We work with intention, crafting wines that reflect balance, expression, and place. Each vintage is an invitation to slow down, raise a glass, and connect.