The Wine Road - Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has a huge number of wineries, and that number keeps growing. I was only able to visit a few, and only in two out of the seven general regions. Therefore, I can't speak for the rest of the State, but those wines I did get a chance to taste, were impressive.

I just happen to be out here, appraising a wine cellar, and like any good wine writer, I couldn't pass up the chance to visit the nearby wineries. I am glad I made the effort, because the wines that I tasted, with few exceptions, exceeded my expectations.

This is no easy task. Those of you that have been following my Wine Road series know that I have been concentrating less on the quality of the wines, and more on the wine touring experience as a whole. In part, this has been in response to a flurry of disappointing wines, as well as to my desire to convince the world that visiting wineries is just plain fun.

In particular there have been three wineries, each quite different from the others in appearance, but similar in approach, that have caught my attention. It is the desire to improve, the willingness to experiment and the passion for their craft that make these producers stand out.

The first, in order I visited rather than any indication of ranking, was Chaddsford Winery. Situated in the Philadelphia Countryside region (according to the Pennsylvania Wines Guide), Chaddsford makes a huge variety of wines. The staff is not only knowledgeable, they are passionate about their wine education. The winery encourages this, going so far as to assist them in the economic side of learning about wines. I have rarely seen any winery, anywhere with such a highly trained staff. All of their wines are worth trying, but I was particularly impressed with their Pinot Noirs.

The next two wineries are in the Lehigh Valley region, just west of Allentown. It was there that I had the pleasure of visiting Vynecrest Vineyards and Winery. Vynecrest has been growing grapes for years. Carefully assessing the success of the varieties they grow, and showing a laudable willingness to experiment with new and even untried grape varieties. There is no question that they are are performing an invaluable service for the neighboring wineries, as well as for those throughout the rest of the State. I have asserted before that matching grape varieties to specific regions is one of the most important keys to quality, and Vynecrest is leading the way.

Also in the Lehigh Valley is the Clover Hills Winery and Vineyard. At first I was somewhat dubious as I approached the winery. The tasting room was a massive structure, with plenty of parking for busses, all too often a sign that the winery is less interested in promoting quality than they are in making a buck.

I could not have been more wrong. Clover Hills was not a new winery, as the impressive edifice had led me to believe, rather it was one that had grown due to its success, and now offers a place for corporations and other groups to come and learn about wines. The tasting room was spacious, scrupulously clean, and above all, as if to please just me, bright with plenty of white surfaces to inspect the color of their wines.

All three wineries produce high quality wines that would not be out of place anywhere in the world, but are particularly impressive for a wine region that most people don't even know exists. Time will tell if Pennsylvania is about to become one of the few commercially viable wine producing states, along with California, Washington, Oregon and New York, but it is certainly well on its way.

If you live in the Mid-Atlantic States and have not visited these, and their neighboring wineries, it is time to take a trip. If you have not visited recently, it is time to go back. If you can't get out to this part of the world, remember, there are almost certainly wineries near you that you can visit, and while they may or may not be of this quality, chances are you will still have a great time.