Amongst the corn, tobacco, and soy fields that line the roads in Central Pennsylvania lie a number of small, family-run wineries just waiting to show off their distinctive wine styles. The fresh air of autumn offers a beautiful opportunity to visit these vineyards and taste wine grown in the unique terroir of Pennsylvania. It’s a colorful, romantic time to taste, learn, and understand how grapes become an alluring beverage. Wondering where to start? Here’s some information on local wineries to visit, as well as a little “Wine Tasting 101” to get you motivated this fall.
Tasting wines starts with the first sense we use when we open our eyes in the morning—our sight. Look at the color of the wine. Is the wine red, white, orange, or pink? Is the wine clear or opaque, sparkling or still? This can tell you information about the wine such as the probable grape variety or if there was secondary fermentation, the “traditional method” used to make champagne and other quality sparkling wines.
Next, place your nose in the glass and gently start to smell the four corners of it. There are two types of smells, aromas and bouquets. The primary aromas you smell will give you a clue about the variety of grapes that were used in making the wine. For example, the merlot grape variety offers fruit characteristics such as plum, black cherry, and red currants. Floral and herbal aromas will also offer clues about grape variety. For example, in addition to red currant fruit aromas, the cabernet sauvignon variety offers mint, eucalyptus, and violet aromas. Aromas such as yeast, spice, or nuts are considered secondary or tertiary, derived from fermentation and aging. These aromas are called the bouquet and can smell like butter, mushroom, sourdough, brewer’s yeast, or aged cheese, reflective of the fermentation process. Aromas such as brioche, caramelized sugar, or baking spices are often smelled as the result of oak aging.
Take a sip of the wine, and swirl the liquid around your mouth, swishing it like mouthwash. The taste of a wine appears as sweet, salty, bitter, or sour in your mouth. Mouthfeel focuses on the overall texture you feel from the wine. This could feel like the difference between skim milk and cream, which is called the weight, or a drying sensation that indicates the presence of tannins—the same sense you get when you drink down to the teabag in a cup of tea. Mouthfeel could also present itself in an angular sense, like a ping-pong ball bouncing from each side of your mouth, reflecting acidity in the wine.
Finally, assess the overall flavor of the wine. Flavor is the combination of aroma, bouquet, taste, and mouthfeel. It’s the overall impression that you get about the wine. Keep in mind, you are the only one who can tell you if you enjoy a wine. No one else can tell. Your palate is unique, special, and correct for you.
For a fun way to experience wine flavors and enjoy the fall, you don’t need to look further than your home state. Check out the local wineries that offer amazing fall wine tasting opportunities
Manhiem, PA
Waltz Vineyards is owned and operated by Jan Waltz, a sixth-generation Lancaster County farmer, and his wife, Kimberly, with the intent of producing world-class wines. They grow 34 acres of only Vitis vinifera in the Lancaster Valley AVA, both in the valley itself and on the Lancaster valley bench, 620 feet above sea level.
Waltz’s focus is on estate wines—grown and bottled on the property—that are made with purpose and based on varietal character, the expression of terroir, and having a sense of place. Their goal is to change people’s minds about Pennsylvania wines, and vinifera being not only grown but also having the capacity to fully ripen and make world-class wines in the Keystone State. Their desire is for consumers to be able to taste their wines and know they are from Waltz Vineyards. Waltz has such high standards that if it rains too much, as it did in 2018, and the grapes don’t ripen or get waterlogged, they won’t make the wine. This is the same mentality as in Champagne!
With three tasting rooms in the area, you can visit any of them to enjoy a European sensibility. Enjoy local artwork and artisan cheeses, crackers, and chocolates while you sip estate wines in the tasting room or on the picturesque lawn overlooking the vineyards and rolling hills at the Manheim winery. Or visit their beautiful tasting bar, secluded loft, or outdoor patio at the Kitchen Kettle Tasting Room in Gordonville, or the Waltz Wine Room at the Market at the Wilbur in Lititz.
Hours vary at each location. Call to make reservations.
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Waltz Vineyards Estate Winery
1599 Old Line Rd, Manheim
Bainbridge, PA
With three generations of vineyard production and winemaking, Nissley Vineyards is truly a family winery. The vines were planted back in the 1970s in the rich limestone soils of the Lancaster Valley by the first two generations, J. Richard “Dick” Nissley and his son, John. Dick and his wife, Anna, started making wine as somewhat of an experiment during a time when only France and California were being touted as making desirable wines and only very few wineries existed in Pennsylvania. After helping to create the Pennsylvania Winery Association, the couple persevered in the face of skepticism, and with the help of a new winemaker and their four adult children using their individual skills, they solidified the future of the winery.
With hard work and a vision to make wine reflective of the land, Nissley Vineyards wines have won many awards over the years. The family name consequently has become synonymous with top-tier Pennsylvania wine. It is with this rich family history that a new series of wine was launched this year by third-generation vintner and winery general manager Jonas Nissley. In April, Jonas launched the Heritage Series wines in honor of the legacy his grandfather built for the family. It features four separate wines: cabernet franc, chardonnay, chambourcin and a cabernet/merlot blend.
Visitors are welcome to bring a carry-in picnic to enjoy with a bottle of Nissley wine on the spacious green lawn, the shaded patios, or the hilly banks of the Conoy Creek. Canine friends are welcomed outdoors provided they are on leash.
See Nissley Vineyards' website for a full calendar of fall events.
Nissley Vineyards
140 Vintage Dr, Bainbridge
Hershey, PA
Horse and wine lovers unite at Cassel Vineyards! Located just minutes from downtown Hershey, Cassel offers a selection of award-winning estate-grown wines and handcrafted ciders. Since 1903, the land has been cultivated by the Cassel Family, with Craig and Chris Cassel now growing and harvesting the fifth generation of bounty but this time turning it into wine. The vines are planted on a picturesque hilltop
with horses grazing on the hillside and peacocks and guineas roaming the property.
A multitude of wines are made, from dry styles to sweet bubbles, labrusca wines, vinifera wines, blended, vintage, and everything in between. Being so close to downtown Hershey, naturally, Cassel Vineyards is making a chocolate port-style wine. This closely guarded recipe is made from a blend of chambourcin and cabernet franc grapes; the rest is secret. Enjoy it as a digestif, over ice cream, or mixed with cola for a special chocolate treat! Stop by to sit on the deck while you taste a variety of Winner's Circle wines. In addition, food trucks such as Smoking Aces BBQ and Wich Way Sandwiches are often on-site.
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Cassel Vineyards
80 Shetland Dr, Hummelstown
Orrtanna, PA
Over the hills and through the apple orchards to Halbrendt Vineyard we go! Retired botanist and world-renowned nematologist John Halbrendt and his wife, Noemi, a retired plant virologist, run the family winery nestled on top of 35 acres, offering a beautiful overlook of their vineyards. With a “let Mother Nature do her thing” hands-off approach, John creates dry wines with layers of flavor complexity, while Noemi offers amazing hospitality in their small, cozy tasting room.
John and Noemi, who met in a science lab in the Philippines, planted vineyards in 2001 and sold the grapes before becoming hobbyist vintners. Once retired, the couple created their small winery and increased production. They also added apiaries to their land and have started to create a dry-style mead. Bring your walking shoes, taste some savory, dry wines, and bask in the crisp autumn air on a picnic table overlooking the vines!
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Halbrendt Vineyard & winery
1150 Evergreen Way, Orrtanna
Mount Joy, PA
Grandview Vineyards, a family-owned winery run by Scott and Sarah Haines, began when Sarah’s dad started making wine in the kitchen following inspiration from his father, who had made wine from elderberries for home consumption. Her dad’s original vision for the winery was to produce premium dry wines that would showcase the best that Lancaster could produce and raise the reputation of the area as a top winemaking region.
After a tremendous amount of research on which grape varieties would grow best on their property on the Lancaster Valley bench, Grandview makes both dry and sweeter styles of award-winning wine from labrusca and vinifera grapes, both red and white as single varietal and blends. Side by side tastings are the best way to learn the differences in variety and style. Try the albarino/chardonnay blend vs the 100% albarino or cabernet franc versus the merlot. The winery boasts beautiful views of their vineyards and the surrounding area and energizes the community with amazing hospitality, live music, tasty snacks, and fun events for the whole family. You will always feel welcome at Grandview Vineyards!
Check their website or socials for live music and events.
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Grandview Vineyard
1489 Grandview Rd, Mount Joy
