California - San Diego Zoo and Safari - Orfila Winery

July 2014 - Although the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park do not have a winery, they do have a partnership with Orfila Winery in which they produce specially designed wine labels for the zoo and safari park. There is no tasting room at either location, but we did choose the dry muscat, in support of the work they do, to try. Stay tuned for its reviews.

(Feb 2015) - We finally had our friends over to try the wines we purchased while in CA. The dry muscat was definitely something different. Although my wife likes typical muscat, I ended up finishing this bottle; we enjoyed it, but it was not what she was expecting.

Pennsylvania - Schuylkill County - Long Trout Winery

Long Trout Winery - Apr 2017 - Omnipular, their Cabernet Sauvignon, was fruity and medium-bodied while Granny's Toast was a well-balanced Concrod. The Burnin' Bra, their peach, and Cosmic Charisma, a white blend, were too high in alcohol. Afternoon Delight, Pinot Gris, had a nice acidic finish and the Sensual Innuendo, Muscat Canelli, was balanced, like a light Niagara, while the Vinshield Viper, was a sweet Gewurztraminer.

Oct 2013 - We visited again as part of the TVCEF fall tasting tour. While we were there, we tried Cosmic Carisma (white grape blend), the Family Jewels, Immaculate Hoe (merlot), Freaky Tiki (papaya), Old One Eye (salad in a bottle), Ipanema (mango ginger) and Berried in Chocolate. We had a hard time deciding which to take home.

Aug 2013 - Another winery we visited in preparation for the fall TVCEF tasting tour, we travelled into the coal regions to see what this winery had to offer. We are glad we visited prior to the visit, not for the wine, but logistics (our bus had to pull in the parking lot a from different directions). There are over 60 wines to choose from and these "free birds" know how to make wine. There is no limit to the number you can taste so the sky's the limit. On this particular trip, we enjoyed the Yellow Snow and immediately know that would be used for steaming shrimp, the Morning Wood, with its Asian pear flavor, Sexual Innuendo, a muscat wine, and the Burning Bra, with its fresh peach overtone.

California - Julian area - Menghini Winery

Menghini Winery - Driving along Wynola Road brought back memories of our Hawaii trip only I was doing the driving. We were able to taste all the wines available. We started with the chardonnay. Aged in stainless steel, it would be a good summer sipping wine. We then had the sauvignon blanc, with its hints of green apple, grown on the property, which came in a close second for best overall wine. The syrah was good, but the merlot had a smooth finish and the cabernet rose had a good bite to it. We ended our tasting with the La Nustra Uve (pinot grigio, muscat and sauvignon blanc blend) and the Julian Gold (muscat). The La Nustra Uve won hands-down; it was not a heavy wine and could go with a meal or dessert, although the Gold was not a syrupy as some dessert wines tend to be.

Hawaii - Maui - Tedeschi Winery, Maui Winery Ulupalakua Winery

Maui's Winery - (Jan 2014) A winery with many names, we were able to enjoy this winery twice while we were on the island of Maui. Pu, our Road to Hana tour guide, made this part of our road trip and then we drove the distance back to get another experience. We were limited to what we could taste, but we started off with the Upcountry Gold (viognier, miscat and chardonnay blend), their light refreshing white. My wife went for their Lokelani, their sparkling rose, and the pineapple wines Maui Blanc (semi-dry) and Maui Splash (sweet); the splash won as it was pineapple in a bottle. I finshed off with the Ulupalakua Red, which is a syrah, merlot and malbec blend.

On our second trip to the winery, we were given the history and a tour of the winery. We learned that the pineapple wines are made on a monthly basis so they will not have a vintage and that all their wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel.

We enjoyed the wines so much that when we arrived back in PA, we went to the wine and spirit website and were able to purchase a case of the Upcountry Gold, shipped to our local liquor store.

Pennsylvania - Lehigh County - Amore

Amore Vineyards and Winery - (Feb 2014) -We visited the winery right after the snowstorm and were treated to warmth and hospitality. Or hostess was knowledgeable in the wines and we really enjoyed the Cabernet Amore (like having steak au poivre in a bottle) and the Bella Donna.

Pennsylvania - Bucks County - Crossings Vineyard

Crossing Vineyards and Winery - (Mar 2015) We were enticed by Living Social for a food and wine pairing at Crossings. We travelled a distance to get there, but it was well worth the drive. We joined approximately thirty other people for this event. Although the wine choices were already pre-determined, it was all about what was paired with it that intrigued us (unfortunately, not all wines were paired with a food item). Prior to the event, we walked around the gardens and vineyard. We started off with their Legacy, a buttery chardonnay, followed by the sauvignon blanc, with hints of grapefruit and a not-so-dry finish. We were presented a plate of quacamole and chips and were pre-warned not to eat them all with the first wine pairing. We ate the quacamole and chips with the Vintner's Select White (blend of reisling, viognier and chardonnay) and then their reisling. The reisling was better with the pairing; the select white was high on the viognier which seemed too sweet. We were enticed with a pulled pork sandwich to go with our blush wine made from early picked cabernet franc. This was the first time I heard of a red grape being picked early for a blush wine; it also was made from a grape I'm starting to go crazy about. The savory and smoke of the pulled pork balanced the sweetness of the blush wine; it was on the dry side versus the sweet side (as expected). We then moved into the reds with their merlot which was paired with pepperoni pizza. The wine was light on the nose and not as dry as the other reds we would taste. We were then presented a plate of soppresata, pepperoni, salami and parmesan cheese to go with the cabernet sauvignon. We lingered over this one as to decide which meat and/or cheese went best; the soppresata was the best pairing. The cabernet franc was paired with a roast beef and horseradish crustini. Although I enjoyed the wine, I felt as though it would be best with a meal and not by itself. We closed in on dessert - the last two wines were served with chocolate cake. The Wild Berry (with raspberries and blueberries) and the Chocolate Cherry Truffle (their port) were good in their own right. We think it was the chocolate cake that did not live up to the test.

Pennsylvania - Chester County - Ten Gallon Hat

Ten Gallon Hat Winery - As of October 2016, they have closed their door.

Jan 2015 - We returned to see the renovated barn and to have a tasting with some friends; we'll need to make a trip and try some of their food pairing/selections. Between the four of us, we tried all the wines on their list. We enjoyed all of the wines especially the merlot, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, pinot grigio (listed as the Sheriff's Daughter) and Moscato (listed as the Farmer's Daughter). As with the previous trip, we ended with the cranberry wine and when tasted with the lime, it did as expected; our guests were amazed!

Oct 2013 - We were going down Route 1 to kill some time and we happened to see a sign about a winery. If familiar with Route 1, we had to turn around, go past the winery and make another go at their entrance. We are happy to say, this was something unexpected. We arrived before they opened, but when we entered their tasting room, we were greeted with hospitality.We ended with the cranberry wine - just the right amount of tartness, but once you add the splash of lime - BAM, it hits you and brings it to another level.



Unfortunately, when visiting the website, I've noticed that they do not do large parties; bummer,

Pennsylvania - Dauphin County - West Hanover Winery

West Hanover Winery - (Mar 2015) We visited the tasting room in St Peter's. They have two tasting options; we opted for the complimentary tasting since we'll be back as part of the TVCEF tasting tour. I tried the white baco noir, cabernet franc and sangiovese chianti. My wife had the niagara, pineapple (to compare to Hawaii) and sour cherry. We bought a bottle of the baco noir (a medal winner). When I tried it, I had a hard time finishing the bottle.

(Apr 2015) - When we returned as part of the TVCEF tour, we were a bit surprised that they only had one person staffing the tasting room. Another guest and I helped them serve the wines. We were able to taste all had to offer. Since I was serving, I only tasted a few of the wines. I thought the chardonnay had a toasted almond taste, but several of my guests did not feel the same way. Some of the wines had an off-taste; maybe they were bottled prematurely.

Pennsylvania - Berks County - Calvaresi

Calvaresi Winery - Shannon continues the Bernville location as well as her Walnutport location Soaked Winery

Jan 2018 - This is the first time we have visited since the winery was sold. We tried the following whites: Chardonnay, with a light butter, slightly creamy, finish, the Pinot Grigio, delicate and slightly acidic, Viognier with caramel (interesting) flavors, Gewurztraminer, with floral aroma and honeysuckle flavor, Cayuga, perfect for that semi-sweet wine. For reds, we tried the Cabernet Sauvignon with a blackberry beginning, plum middle and dark cherry, slightly smokey finish, the Merlot, with overall better body and the Baco Noir. We finished the tasting with the Autumn Rose, a blend of Steuben and Cayuga, OK for a blush, and the port, with figs and raspberries.

April 2014 - We visited again on our way to the Blue Mountain vineyards and missed the opportunity to try the Apple Jack wine - it has already sold out. Overall, we enjoy coming to Calversi. The wines are ones we can drink by themselves, with food or cook with them.

Oct 2013 - We visited the winery as part of the TVCEF tasting tour. We still could not taste the Apple Jack wine as it was going to be bottled a few weeks after we visited. On this visit we played host/hostess to our guest from TVCEF, but tasted the same wines as our previous visit.

Aug 2013 - In preparation for the fall TVCEF tasting tour, we went to Calvaresi to determine logistics; there is ample parking and space for the school bus. We met Tom Calvaresi, the owner, who welcomed the idea of our group visit. I started off with the chardonnay while my wife tried the reisling. We enjoyed the reisling better (probably because it is aged in stainless steel). I tried the cayuga, a grape I had not heard of before this and my wife tried the niagara. Both were very good wines for their respective semi-dry and sweet variety. I tried the cabernet sauvignon and baco noir (another grape which I'm unfamiliar with) while my wife skipped the reds and went to the Steuben Blush and Autumn Rose. I enjoyed the baco noir and she enjoyed the Autumn Rose (sweeter than the Steuben, but the flavors were more enticing). We finished off our tasting with their port and Marion Blackberry. The port is not heavy on the brandy and the blackberry would be great over a good vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

Pennsylvania - Lancaster County - Waltz

Waltz Vineyards - (June 2014) As we were driving south on Route 72 outside of Manheim, we saw a sign that said winery. Well what is one suppose to do on a day out; we followed the signs to Waltz Vineyards which is nestled in the back country of Lancaster County within the farmland. My wife did their Light and Fruity tasting while I did the Dry and Serious tasting. Unfortunately, we did not take good notes but did find the Muscato and the Baron Red (merlot and cabernet sauvignon blend) to be the best of each tasting. We plan on making a return trip.

Pennsylvania - York County - Moon Dancer Winery

Moon Dancer Winery - (June 2014) After crossing the Susquehanna River, we weaved our way to Moon Dancer which overlooks the river downstream from Harrisburg. My wife didn't even look at a traditional white or red and went for the specialty wines. She was looking for wines that we could use fro desserts. She enjoyed Rocky's Mango, which will be used for a summer party theme, and Alexander's Blackberry, which would go great over a good vanilla ice cream. She also tried Murphy's Blueberry, but felt it needed something. Her last taste was the Blue Moon Port (we are thinking of having a port party), which paired well with the chocolate. One thing we are learning is that the wine and the chocolate, not just any chocolate, have to blend and marry in taste or it does not work well. I on the other hand started off with the pinot grigio, with its citrus aroma, I was expecting a glass of orange juice, but the hint was just right and well balanced. I tried the reisling, which also had citrus in it but was toned down with the hint of fresh peaches. I switched to red to try the shiraz. We do not see that on tastings too much and I was interested to see how it would stand up to some I've tried from larger wineries. My palette was surprised by the well balanced wine; it lingered on the tongue and I savored the flavors. I ended my taste with the Arctic Moon ice wine. Another not so common wine, but well worth the price, does require a want for a good dessert wine; on the sweet side, but I did not find it overpowering.

(Oct 2014) - We visited again with our TVCEF tasting tour. As part of the trip, we were taken to the wine cellar and saw their operations. We enjoyed our tasting, but they were out of some of the wines, which was disappointing.Several of our guests also enjoyed the pizzas and macaroni and cheese.

(January 2018) - We had visited the winery once in between the last post and this one, but I did not write about it because I was disappointed in what they offered. We were at the PA Farm Show and decided to taste what was available. Their naked Chardonnay was exactly that - naked, meaning nothing worth writing about. The Cabernet Franc was fruity, but it was lacking any finish. The port had  nice dried cherry flavor and was not overly fortified. Ayla's White was balanced with fruit and sweetness. Overall, some of the wines have improved.