In these times of pandemic lockdowns when people are staying closer to home and avoiding trips by plane, day outings have become very popular. I've already written about a number of nearby wineries (Southeastern Pennsylvania) which are worth a visit; indeed, my last class focused on PA wineries.
Over the Labor Day holiday, I discovered a few more wineries just a little further afield, but readily accessible within an hour or two from the Philadelphia area. One of them, Nissley Vineyards, is located on a beautiful, expansive estate comprising over 300 acres near the Susquehanna River, above Bainbridge, PA https://nissleywine.com/ ; the other one, Waltz Vineyards, is a very small, boutique winery, located near Manheim, on a hilltop overlooking undulating fields of corn, soybeans and vineyards https://www.waltzvineyards.com/. A family-run business, Waltz has produced its own estate wines since 2000, and before that for a few years, grew grapes for the wine-making market, after transitioning from more traditional crops.
Nissley Vineyards
As I arrived at the winery on a late Saturday afternoon, after following the long, winding and descending lane off a country road, I ran smack dab into a wedding party in the process of taking pictures post-ceremony, and was directed on a detour to a large, open grassy field where visitors were parked. The wedding reception was just starting, but the wine shop was open nonetheless and had received a fair number of imbibers enjoying wine outside adjacent to the tasting room.
It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon, and surely the bride and groom and their guests were delighting in the perfect weather for an outside wedding ceremony and reception. Safety protocols for visitors were followed and included limiting the number of customers in the wine shop, and requiring masks while inside.
The standard tasting ($6) consisted of 6 generous selections from the expansive wine list which included native varietals (mostly sweet), fruit wines, as well as familiar European single, blended or hybrid varietals. Of the 3 dry whites, one rosé, and 2 reds I sampled, the whites were clearly preferable to my tasting.
In the photo above are displayed, from left to right, Seyval Blanc '19 (French hybrid blend); Vidal Blanc '18 (French hybrid blend); Chardonnay Reserve '18; Rosé Select '18 (Vinifera and French hybrid blend); Merlot Reserve '18; and Chambourcin '19 (French hybrid blend). My favorite was the Seyval Blanc, which happened to be the most inexpensive of the six at $14.90, demonstrating once again that price does not necessarily mean a better, preferred or higher quality wine. (In fact, I was quite disappointed by the Merlot, which I found to be overly tannic, woody and not well-balanced; other PA wineries do much better versions, including Waltz - see below.) I took home a bottle of the bright, tangy and citrusy Seyval as pleasant souvenir from my visit and as a token of my support for local business, especially in these trouble economic times.
The Vidal, Chardonnay and Rosé were all appealing, if not particularly distinctive, representations of their varietals or hybrids, but on a lovely late summer afternoon, they served their purpose well enough.
The other red that I tried was the Chambourcin '19 (French hybrid blend). This is a hybrid widely available among PA wineries as it seems to have adapted well to the regional climate and terroir. Unfortunately, this particular Chambourcin left me unimpressed, as I've tasted many other superior renditions at local wineries. Although it is a lighter bodied red, I found Nissley's a bit thin and lacking in structure and flavor. I would have liked to try the Cabernet Reserve and Cabernet Franc Reserve, but they were not available. You can never tell when one of them might shine through.
To sum up, whereas Nissley is not necessarily a go-to destination from Philadelphia, if you are in the Lancaster-Elizabethtown area, it's definitely worth a visit as an idyllic rural setting in which to sit back, relax and enjoy a few sips. (They also serve alcoholic smoothies of different flavors, if that's your thing.)
Waltz Vineyards
Perched on a hilltop off another winding country road outside Manheim, PA, Waltz offers a very cozy and attractive tasting room inside next to the barrel room (where you can also sit for a tasting), and an expansive tree-shaded lawn outside where you can enjoy a picnic lunch accompanied by a glass or bottle of one of their wines.
Waltz features two types of wines - Estate bottled, meaning that the wine is produced solely from grapes grown on the property, and a Cellar brand, whose grapes are acquired from outside the estate (usually California, Washington or New York), but vinified by the Waltz winemakers. A cursory glance at the wine list indicated that these wines were of a higher class and quality than the average PA wine. How can you tell? There is the price factor, of course, although as I pointed at above, it's not necessarily proof of a finer wine. Mostly, however, it's apparent in the description of the wine, the length and type of barrel aging. In addition, the relatively small wine list focused almost exclusively on dry vitis vinifera varietals.
The sample wine tasting consisted of 5 selections of your choice for $12. Although the price may appear a little steep, you may choose from wines that top out at $40-45 per bottle. (More on those price points below.) I selected a mix of Cellar and Estate wines, including the 2019 Cellar Sauvignon Blanc, the 2017 Estate Reserve Chardonnay, the 2019 Cellar 1599 Rosé, the 2018 Cellar 1599 Merlot and the Estate 2016 Crow Woods Cabernet Sauvignon. The samples were served in a novel type of vessel for wine tasting: test tubes! You then pour the test tube fluid into your wine glass. This saves table space and allows you to taste from your glass at your leisure.
Following what I believe is a newly enacted PA regulation due to the pandemic, you are obliged to order a cheese or salami plate with the wine tasting, but this affords the opportunity to partake of more locally produced delights. I chose the Special Reserve Cheddar, made from raw cow's milk, which was so flavorful and rich! (See https://farmfromage.com/ for more about Lancaster County gourmet cheeses.)
The Cellar wines were well produced and featured the typical, pleasing characteristics of these popular varietals: crisp, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc with notes of grapefruit and minerality; plum scented Merlot, nicely balanced with sturdy tannic structure. Nonetheless, I was especially interested in the Estate wines to see what the local terroir could produce.
The Chardonnay exhibited the typical characteristics of such a wine that has been aged 9 months in French oak, with extra aging on the lees: hints of pear, apple, with a slightly buttery texture. While respectable, I would be hard pressed to lay out $38 for a bottle, especially since I'm very particular about Chardonnay. Still, you could do worse for $12 a glass.
The 2016 Crow Woods Cabernet tops out the Estate wines at $45 a bottle so you would expect this to be the "pièce de résistance" of the winery's production, however, I was somewhat disappointed. Aged 24 months in French oak barrels, this Cab exhibits some of the usual notes found in well made versions of the varietal - dark fruit, strong tannic backbone, green pepper. Overall, though, I found the tannins and oak to be a bit overwhelming. Perhaps less aging in oak or simply more bottle aging would soften and mellow these notes to a more velvety palate.
On the other hand, the 2016 Cherry Tree Merlot
hit all the right notes for me - nicely balanced red fruit and spice, fine tannic structure, and a pleasing, plush mouthfeel. It was certainly one of the best PA merlots I've sampled, along with Karamoor's. At $40 a bottle, it's still not too easy on the wallet, but for a well-made local product, it's worth an occasional splurge. The personal touch to the wine-tasting experience and hospitality certainly added to the enjoyment.
There are many other interesting attractions and activities in the Lancaster-Lebanon-Harrisburg area, such as biking, hiking, boating, craft breweries, markets, etc., so do yourself a favor and take a day or two to enjoy the local colors.
P.S. I will be holding wine tasting classes November 10 and 17 for the Mt Airy Learning Tree. They will be small classes (8 maximum) with strict safety protocols. See the link for more info: https://aceweb.mtairylearningtree.org/CourseStatus.awp?&course=20FCK04A
