Food & Drink
Pennsylvania Wine Trail Tasting Notes
Top wines at wineries along the Pennsylvania wine trails
Wine coverage sponsored by Pennsylvania Winery Association
Allegro Winery
3475 Sechrist Rd
Brogue, PA 17309
Phone: 717-927-9148 [email protected]
http://www.allegrowines.com
Cadenza and Bridge
The Cadenza and Bridge are both blends of Bordeaux varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc). They usually spend two years in French oak barrels and are bottled unfiltered and unfined. These are wines meant for cellaring, so over twenty years’ time they develop aromas from raspberries, cocoa and vanillin to dried cherries, leather and earth notes. The spectrum of flavors mimics the aromas in a complex blend of fruit and savory spice.
Chardonnay
Chardonnays are based on barrel-fermented fruit that exhibits primary Chardonnay fruit characteristics, balanced by hints of oak and luscious mouth-feel.
Cassel Vineyards of Hershey
53 Shetland Dr.
Hummelstown, PA 17036
Phone: 717-533-2008 [email protected]
http://casselvineyards.com
Run for the Roses Sparkling Chambourcin
A Dry, sparkling Estate wine from French-American grapes with a deep ruby red color, fruity aromas and tastes of cherry and black pepper which effervesces in your mouth to give you a unique tasting experience.
Red Silks Rose’
This semi-sweet blend of Estate grown Vidal Blanc and Concord is bursting with fruit on the nose and has a sweet/tart taste of citrus and pineapple. Served chilled on a hot day it refreshes with a clean finish.
Chocolate Ruby Royal Port
This Sweet Ruby port dessert wine is a blend of Estate grown grapes and fortified with PA produced brandy. The subtle chocolate aroma gives way to a complex cherry, black currant and raspberry taste and a subtle, chocolate finish. Pairs well with cheesecake.
Cullari Vineyard & Winery 
1251 East Chocolate Ave
Hershey, PA 17033
Phone: 717-533-8985
http://www.cullarivineyards.com
[email protected]
Coco Nostra
Coco Nostra is our overall best selling and gold medal winner chocolate wine. Serve it at room temperature or chilled. Pair it with bitter-sweet or dark chocolate.
White on White
White on White is our besting selling white wine. This one sold out in a month when first released. It’s semi-sweet with a one of a kind flavor.
Spectacullari
Spectacullari is our best selling dry red wine. The first sip is very fruity and then it ends dry. Try it with pasta, red meat or pizza
Hauser Estate Winery 
410 Cashtown Rd
Biglerville, PA 17325
Phone: 717-334-4888
[email protected]
Jack’s Hard Cider – Original
Made from 100% local apples, this semi-sweet cider was cold fermented with minimal handling to produce a cider lush with the flavors of fresh, ripe apples, and honey. A sweet treat with a clean finish and a dash of carbonation.
Jack’s Hard Cider – Helen’s
The only way to have more apple taste is to eat an apple, but drinking a Helen’s is way more fun! Sweet and fruity, this cider is nice and crisp with a kick.
Jennie Wade White
Named for the first local civilian killed during the Battle of Gettysburg, this approachable table wine is pure Vidal. With flavors of honeysuckle, melons and pears this wine has a hint of sweetness and a crisp, clean finish.
Devils Den Red
This luscious, fruity red is named for the outcropping of massive boulders where Union soldiers fell under Confederate Sharpshooters attack during the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Smooth as silk, with a touch of sweetness, it combines cherries and currants with a finish that is reminiscent of strawberries.
Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery 
1282 Klines Run Rd.
Wrightsville, PA 17368
Phone: 717-252-WINE
http://www.moondancerwinery.com
[email protected]
Shiraz
The Shiraz is noted as being full and rich with mixed berries, a hint of caramel, black pepper and soft tannins.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay has a delicate toasty aroma with a touch of melon and citrus with a bit of spice and coconut on the finish.
Alyas White
For the sweet wine lovers. our Alyas White is sweet, grapey wine which tastes like it was just picked off the vine
Mount Hope Estate & Winery
2775 Lebanon Rd
Manheim, PA 17545
Phone: 717-665-7021
http://www.parenfaire.com
[email protected]
Pink Catawba
2011 Vintage Bronze Winner at the PA Wine Association Competition. A Mount Hope favorite, Pink Catawba is a sweet wine with a fruity grape flavor. Beautifully paired with rich desserts.
Honey Mead
2010 Vintage Gold and 2011 Vintage Bronze Winner at the PA Wine Association Competition. Mount Hope’s Honey Mead is a sweet honey wine, made from 100% Lancaster County honey. Our Honey Mead can even be mixed with other fruit wines to add fruity notes. Perfectly paired with desserts, roasted poultry and blue cheese.
Mount Nittany Vineyard & Winery 
300 Houser Rd.
Centre Hall, PA 16828
Phone: 814-466-6373
http://www.mtnittanywinery.com
[email protected]
Nittany Mountain White
Semi-dry and fruity blend. Our most popular white accompanies a variety of entrees.
Tailgate Red
A light, semi-dry blend of French hybrid grape varieties. Best served slightly chilled.
Naylor Wine Cellars
4069 Vineyard Rd.
Stewartstown, PA 17363-8478
Phone: 800-292-3370
http://www.naylorwine.com
[email protected]
Cabernet Franc
A feisty deep violet skinned grape once considered too temperamental to grow in this region has defied the odds and become an award winning varietal here at Naylors. The grapes are fermented with their skins on, leaving us with an elegant red hue, followed by a smooth oaky nose, leading to the taste of soft tannins and a quaint stone fruit flavor. A lingering finish and thoughtful aftertaste allows for a quality wine sipping experience.
Riesling
The pale goal hue with a subtle hint of soft green entices the eyes as the crisp and light flavor bounces across your taste buds. This wine is clean and friendly to both the novice and wine connoisseur alike. If the feeling of a fresh and bright spring day would be captured and put into a bottle, we believe it would taste like this.
Simply Chardonnay
So let’s say you love the flavor of the chardonnay grape: herbaceous, steely, perhaps notes of fig and butter, but you really don’t like the broad shouldered oaken shell it is often associated with. Good news, we though of you. Our Simply Chardonnay has said no to the oak and yes to the stainless steel tanks. So what do we have? An off dry, tantalizing experience of the Chardonnay grape, and only the Chardonnay grape. So try and enjoy, this wine is for you.
Nissley Vineyards & Winery Estate
140 Vintage Dr.
Bainbridge, PA 17502-9357
Phone: 717-426-3514
http://www.nissleywine.com
[email protected]
Rhapsody in Blue
A semi-dry blend of vidal and cayuga grapes. We named it in honor of our Saturday evening lawn concerts.
Black Raspberry
A sweet wine that recently won a double gold award in the Pennsylvania Wine Competition.
Cabernet Franc
A medium bodied dry wine blended from cabernet franc, merlot and chambourcin grapes.
Reid’s Orchard and Winery
2135 Buchanan Valley Rd.
Orrtanna, PA 17353-9213
Phone: 717-677-7466
http://www.reidsorchardwinery.com/
[email protected]
Zin on Skins
A red Zinfandel crafted with double the skins as a typical zin. A bold, full bodied heavy taste with a hint of raspberries. Pairs well with barbeque and game meats.
Union Blues Blueberry Wine
Made with 100% blueberries, this wine is a favorite for fans of fruit wines and dry red wines alike. Clean refreshing taste, gives the sensation with eating fresh blueberries. Pairs well with chocolate.
Tamanend Winery 
759 Flory Mill Rd.
Lancaster, PA 17601-3251
Phone: 717-560-9463
http://www.tamanendwinery.com
[email protected]
2008 Altissimo
Our 2008 Altissimo represents the best of the classically styled, full-bodied red wines that Tamanend Winery has produced. Altissimo, the name of a red rose, is used to designate a superlative wine crafted for our customers. This Bordeaux-style wine has a deep garnet color, and multiple layers of berry flavors and rich texture are “hidden” in the bottle. To enjoy this wine over the next few years, one should aerate during decanting so that the wine has two hours to develop. You will then be rewarded with these multilevel flavors and aromas that billow out of the glass. Tannins are full, yet smooth as velvet on the palate. Flavors of red currants and dark berries linger in the finish.
Wine by the Season – Patriot
The Wine by the Season brand of Tamanend Winery is composed of a group of wines based on different holiday seasons during the year. Patriot is the one wine produced year round, because any time is a good time to be a Patriot. Composed of red, white and blue berries in an apple base, this sweet wine is delicious either at room temperature or chilled. The first taste is that of blueberries, but once sipped, the red raspberries jump out. Then the tropical flavors of the whitekiwi berries are present on the finish.
Margarita Wine Cocktail
A traditional Margarita is made with fresh lime juice, tequila and other flavors, and our Margarita tastes similar. It’s made with fresh lime juice, Agave wine (the same thing that tequila is made from) and the other flavors of good Margarita. We think this is the true original Margarita, since ancient peoples knew about fermentation before distillation. In any case, our Margarita is complete in the bottle – just pour over ice and put salt on the rim of the glass if you like. It’s not sweet, it’s light and very smooth, and it comes either in a bottle or a three-liter bag-in-box. It’s a party in a box.
The Vineyard at Grandview
1489 Grandview Road
Mount Joy, PA 17552
Phone: 717-653-4825
http://www.thevineyardatgrandview.com
[email protected]
Mom Kennel’s Blackberry Wine
Having lived through the Great Depression, Mom Kennel was a very frugal woman except when it came to cooking and winemaking. In one of her wine recipes, she noted, “Do not use inferior ingredients.” In our Heritage series, we are pleased to offer wines rich with the flavor Mom Kennel would have enjoyed. A sweet Blackberry wine with a tart finish. This wine is rich in flavor.
2012 Merlot
A smooth red wine you’re sure to savor, with hints of oak and dark fruit flavor. Depending on climate, soil and time of harvest, Merlot can be a lighter, more fruit forward wine or a fuller bodied wine with rich tannins. Notes of berries and cherries, green herbs and peppers are often found wines made from Merlot grapes. We use our Merlot in our Bordeaux style blends, but also enjoy it as a varietal. Our 2012 Merlot is a clean wine with flavors of dark cherry, boysenberry, and tar.
Sapphire White
A sweet white wine made from Niagara grapes; For a taste that is sweet, Aromatic and bright, This rock candy gem Is sure to delight. Our sweet Niagara wine is a gem of a wine made from early harvest grapes giving it more of a crisp taste.
The Vineyard at Hershey
598 Schoolhouse Rd.
Middletown, PA 17057
Phone: 7174-944-1569
http://www.vineyardathershey.com
[email protected]
Firefly
This Bordeaux style wine boasts a bold blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. It’s full-bodied nature and French-oak aged complexity will have you saying “wait, this wine is from Pennsylvania?! Wow!”
Cocoa di Vezzetti
By nature of our name, it was only fitting that The Vineyard & Brewery at Hershey produced a wine involving chocolate in some way. We took our time developing the perfect one. Our winemaker’s signature Merlot, aged with real cocoa nibs to create a chocolate essence, and fortified with brandy for the perfect port-style wine. This award winning, unusual wine is a real head-turner.
The DeCider
When your taste buds are in a state of indecision, confusion, and crisis, there is only one unquestioned leader to guide you in the right direction: The DeCider. An all-natural Peanut Butter Caramel apple cider with a layered flavor profile, The DeCider’s charismatic and unapologetic leadership has poll numbers soaring in popularity.
West Hanover Winery 
7646 Jonestown Rd.
Harrisburg, PA 17112-9725
Phone: 717-652-3711
http://westhanoverwineryinc.com/
[email protected]
Sangiovese Sweet
Italy’s most widely planted variety produces medium to full-bodied reds with lively acidity and sour cherry, plum and dried herb flavors.
Chambourcin Dry Red
French American hybrid is a rich dark red grape that produces a dry red wine that tastes of olives up front and cinnamon on the finish. High in acid and a little harsh not blended.
Riesling Late Harvest
A German white wine that can be produced several ways, semi dry, semi sweet, very sweet, or into an ice wine. The Late Harvest style is just for dessert after a heavy meal, and is very refreshing.
Chardonnay Dry
Aged for Two years, This wine has a taste of butterscotch, almonds, and caramel. Goes well served with lobster and sea scallops.