California - Ramona - Hatfield Creek Vineyards and Winery

Hatfield Creek Vineyards and Winery - Thanks to Elaine, the vintner, we had an enjoyable tasting in their living room/dining room tasting room. We were able to taste the available wines. The dry muscat, although dry on the palette and not your typical muscat, it was well balanced. We then had their estate Primitivo blanc, which Elaine says is code for white zinfandel. This would make a great afternoon drink. Elaine explained she like the vintage after opening it and allowing to age a bit more. We moved to reds and had the estate zinfandel and estate petit sirah. The petit sirah, with full body, was intense and wonderful. We finished off with the orange muscat; it would make a wonderful sangria, with its subtle but sweet bouquet. Elaine made this even better and gave us a sampling of her white sangria; it was one of the best we've had with fresh fruit, but not as chunky as some. We got to meet Norm, the owner. Stop by their living room/dining room tasting room.

When we got back to PA, my wife decided to enjoy the  orange muscat without allowing any of our friends try it - their loss.

California - Ramona - Salerno Winery

Salerno Winery - We pulled in their parking lot and realized this was one of the more popular wineries in the area. Today, they had live entertainment, a duo performing Italian songs. The patio area was crowded, but we were able to find a spot off to the side to enjoy the wine and music. The majority of their wines are estate wines - we know we are going to see the love put into these wines. We also ordered a soppresata and parmesan cheese plate to go with our wines. Their entire wine list was available for tasting. We both started off with the bianco tosto, a chardonnay, chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc blend. It is the only white available for tasting - pleasing to the palette, you could taste the hint of apple. We moved to the reds and I chose the malbec while my wife had the estate syrah. The malbec grapes are grown next door to Salerno. The syrah was better; we even tasted the pepper finish. We moved on to the duet, a blend of syrah and petiti sirah, and the ruby cabernet. Both of these wines have similar flavors, but the duet won hands down. Moving on to the next wine, we again did a split where I went for the petit sirah and my wife went for the Francly Ruby, a blend of ruby cabernet and cabernet franc. The petit sirah had exactly what they said, a hint of the 2007 Witch Creek fire; it is the smoke scent that made it a very unique wine (a way of having a barbeque without having the grill). Our last tastings were the Serenade, their blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit syrah, and the Temptation, their port. My wife does not like "oak" in her wine, but ejoyed the port. While we enjoyed our wines and meat and cheese plate, we were listened to Italian songs. Herman and Rosaria each sang a song for us. As we were leaving, Herman noticed my wife taking a picture and asked her why she did not take one of a particular sign. When he translated the Italian for us, it all made sense - Friends and wine get better with time.

California - Ramona - Highland Hills Winery

Highland Hills Winery - When we pulled up to the gate, we weren't sure what to expect, but once inside the vineyard, we were treated to mountain views and pleasant wines. We were greeted and allowed to decide where we would like our tasting. We decided on the patio overlooking the vineyard and the mountains surrounding Ramona. My wife saw some ant sculptures on the railing and took a picture with the wine glass. The tasting was pre-determined list. Our first wine was Chloe, a muscat and viognier blend; light a fruity. The other white we tried was the grenache blanc (another varietal we had not tasted back east). We both decided this would be a good sipping wine on a hot afternoon. We then switched to the reds. First up was their merlot. I enjoyed it, but my wife, who prefers the sweets, did not like it. We tried Lola, a merlot and barbera blend. My wife like this one better as it was more pleasing to the palette. But it was the Ramona, a grenache, petit sirah and mouvedre blend, that both agreed was a definite winner. The last two wines tasted were the barbera and the barbera reserve. Overall the traditional barbera was better. While we were there, we were treated to a tour of the winery. Not more than the space of a three car garage, they pack a lot of work into this space and not much is wasted. We were surprised to hear that some of the oak barrels come from Pennsylvania.

California - Ramona - Pamo Valley Vineyards

Pamo Valley Vineyards - We went to the tasting room in Ramona and were served by Jennifer's daughter. We were pleased to learn the history of the vineyards and why they have kept their vineyard property private (for now). There were five wines to choose from. We started our tasting with the sangiovese; a dry wine, my wife liked the flavor. We then tried the Gravity Hill BCR (Black Canyon Road is where the vineyard is located). This merlot and cabernet sauvignon blend had the taste of cherries with a hint of mocha. The merlot blend, from their 2011 and 2012 vintages, was very good. We were surprised with the 3 Jenerations, named for the three women instrumental in the vineyard and winery. Although the grandmother has passed on, it is a fitting tribute to her. The blend of merlot, syrah and cabernet franc was pleasing to the palette. There was an earthy finish and that is when we learned that it was the hint of tobacco. Our last taste was of the white sangria, a viognier and orange muscat blend. This would be a great wine to serve at a backyard picnic with family and friends. While we were there, we learned about the local area and what it has to offer.

(Feb 2015) - When our friends came over to try the wines we purchased in CA, they really enjoyed the 3Jenerations. Unfortunately for us, there was none left at the end of the evening.

California - Ramona - Lenora Winery

Lenora Winery - We met the owner, Eric Metz, who would serve us our tasting. We were presented with a list of wines to choose from, but we told of other options. We started off with the estate sauvignon blanc; a good light wine. We then tried the White Cat, a chardonnay and sauvignon blanc blend. This blend was better on the palette than the straight sauvignon blanc. Before going to the reds, we tried the zinfandel blush, a semi-dry wine with a berry finish. This was a refreshing wine on the already hot day. Our first red was a grenache. This is a new grape to us even though it is one of the most produced grapes. Mostly used in blends, this was a pure grenache wine. Not being able to compare this to another grenache wine, it was pleasing to the palette with hints of berries and vanilla. My wife then chose the Red Dog while I chose the Red Coyote. These two reds are similar cabernet sauvignon and merlot blends, but the Red Dog has grenache blended in. Between the two, the Red Dog was the winner. We followed this with the cabernet sauvignon, but the petit sirah, a desset wine, was better without the chocolate.

California - Julian Area - Witch Creek Winery

Witch Creek Winery - While we were driving through Julian, we stopped at the tasting room (winery in Carlsbad) and were introduced to the "Good Witch!" (the Bad Witch retired a few years back and there is a long story behind that one). We were able to taste several wines on the list, some of which were endangered (of being sold out). I did reds while my wife did the whites and sweets. I did try one white, the chenin blanc, which with its light finish pleased me. I enjoyed the sangiovese (a new grape type for me) and the barbera. The syrah, similar in taste to the barbera, was heavier on the earthyness. Although Dave's Pretty Good Red is a popular seller, I liked the full-bodied barbera over it. I concluded my tasting with the petit verdot. When comparing this full-bodied wine to the barbera, it was a close call. My wife also had the chenin blanc but went straight for the sweeter wines - the muscato, Honeywood pomegrante white, basically white wine with pomegrante juice, their hard apple cider and the Blackjack, the hard cider with blackberry. She enjoyed the Blackjack better as the apple flavor was subdued. She ended her tasting with the  Catatonic Vintage Port; its was as described - eating a chocolate covered raisin.

Pennsylvania - Chester Coounty - Taste (Sand Castle Winery)

Sand Castle Winery (aka Taste)  - (Mar 2015) - My wife and I enjoyed a food pairing at their tasting room Taste in Phoenixville awhile back and when a colleague was leaving our group, since they enjoy wine, we decided to go back to Taste for a tasting (also close to work).  I only tried one red on their menu, the Santo Rouge (a dry red house blend) since the whites seemed more appealing. I compared the private reserve and classic Chardonnay; the classic was better and I'd have to say it was the oak that did it (the private reserve is fermented in stainless steel). I also compared the dry and the semi-sweet Reislings. I enjoyed the dry better, but as an added treat, I also got to try the late harvest Reisling. Although more like a dessert wine, out of the three, this one was the best overall.

Pennsylvania - Chester County - Harvest Seasonal Grill

Harvest Seasonal Grill  - (Jan 2015) We stopped here for lunch while we were on our tasting trip to the lower Chester County area. While we enjoyed our meals, we each had a flight of wine. We got to choose three wines they serve by the glass. Funny thing was one had all red, one all while, one two reds and a white and the other two whites and a red - lots of glasses on the table.

Pennsylvania - Chester County - Va La Vineyards

Va La Vineyards - (Jan 2015) When we were on our way to Paradocx, we saw the sign for Va La and thought maybe we could squeeze it in. We did on the way to Ten Gallon Hat. Their tasting comes with cheese pairings and two in our party are not really into dry wines. All their wines are blends and estate grown and bottled. While we were there, I asked what they meant by tenth vintage - it means that this is the tenth leaf (year). We purchased Silk and La Prima Donna to do our own tasting.

Pennsylvania - Chester County - Penns Woods Winery

Penns Woods Winery - (Jan 2015) We had been here about three years ago and have talked about going back. This was the reason for our recent tasting trip with two good friends who have been learning to love wine with us. They have two tastings available; their regular wines and their reserves. We did two of each. Our group enjoyed the following: Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Pennsylvania - Chester County - Stone Barn Cellars

Stone Barn Cellars - (Dec 2014) My wife attended one of their "Ladies Night Out" where they served a buffet-style dinner while patrons can purchase glasses or bottles to drink with the food selections. I decided to go check it out to see if it could be a potential stop on one of our upcoming TVCEF tasting tours. I started with the pinot grigio; it has a clean, crisp finish. Their Night Owl, a catawba vidal blanc blend, surprised me; I was expecting more sweet and I enjoyed the dryness with hint of sweet. I finished the whites with their Niagara (so I'd at least have something for my wife); no as sweet as typical Niagaras. For the reds, I started with the Wild Man Red, made from Lemberger, which I had not heard of until today. It has a hint of oak; not heavy and enjoyable. Their Hat Trick is a blend of Corot Noir, Baco Noir and Noiret; two more grapes I learned a bit about today. This one has a bite to it - very enjoyable. I finished off my tasting with the Bonfire - 100% Noiret. We'll definitely be back!!!

Pennsylvania - Lancaster County - Mount Hope Estate and Winery

Mount Hope Estate and Winery - (April 2014) In preparation for an upcoming TVCEF tasting tour, we visited the winery in Manheim to look at logistics. There wines are based on series (dry to sweet) and each has at least one read and one white. My wife enjoyed the Gewurztraminer while I enjoyed the merlot from their Royal Series. I tried the Knight's Reward (a grape blend) while my wife tried the Moonlight Encounter from their Fantasy Series. The Moonlight Encounter is well worth the name. My wife tried the vignoles from the Euro Hybrid Series while I tried the Harvest Red.from the Intercourse Series. My wife liked the Harvest Red better. We both finished our tasting with the cream sherry - brought back memories of grandparents.

(Oct 2014) - We returned as part of the TVCEF tasting tour and was greeted by a gypsy. She led us to our tasting and as we tasted, we were entertained by our host. Although we could taste all on the menu, we limited ourselves. We ending up buying a case with our friends.

Pennsylvania - Lancaster County - Tamanend Winery

Tamanend Winery - The tasting room has been closed and was purchased by Mount Hope Estate and Winery.


Oct 2014 - We returned as part of the TVCEF tasting tour and I stayed with the reds while my wife did the sweets. We talked about the lime margarita so much that we asked everyone to try it. Most of our group enjoyed it.


June 2014 - Named after a Native American Indian chief, this is not your typical winery; it is more like a science laboratory for wine (see the website). There are a few vines on the property, but the majority of their grapes are grown elsewhere. Their dry wines are named after roses and the sweets after PA wildflowers. My wife immediately skipped the dry wines and went to the Ladyslipper, a semi-sweet blush followed by the Bleeding Heart, the sweeter of the blush wines. She enjoyed the Ladyslipper better as the sweetness was more balanced. After that, my wife went to the Shooting Star, their concord grape wine, which could replace any boring Church wine. She then took a turn to two of their specialty wines, the Lime Margarita, which is definitely a margarita in a bottle, and the Patroit, a blend of raspberry, white kiwi and blueberries. The Patriot would go great over vanilla ice cream (which we suggested since they also have a tasting room in Strasburg, PA right next to an ice cream parlor). I on the other hand had to try the Irresistible, their riesling. I chose this over the chardonnay because I'm looking for something different. This medium dry wine was well-balanced. I then chose from their reds. I started with the Red Bouquet to try one of their blends (merlot and chambourcin) followed by American Beauty, made from cabernet franc. Ever since going to Sand Castle's tasting room, I am embracing this grape more than ever. I think we'll need to buy a bottle of this one. I ended my tasting with their Honeysuckle, a niagara and apple blend. I could sit out on a hot day and use this to cool off. Our tasting host this day was very informative and explained to us the purpose of Tamanend; who knew you could "fix" wine.

Pennsylvania - Berks County - Manatawny Creek Winery

Manatawny Creek Winery - October 2019 - I met a few friends here before heading out for dinner. The Riesling had light peach aroma with a sweet ending, Indigo, made from Vidal Blanc, with orange aromas was not as sweet on the palette, the 2016 Pinot Noir Reserve had mild fruit flavors and a hint of tea, the 2015 Merlot was dark purple in color with a good tannin ending, the 2016 Cabernet Franc was weak in color but had a good cherry flavor, the 2016 Meritage, their Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, was dark like the Merlot, fruity and nice tannins, the 2015 Trio tasted old (I'm glad I drank the bottle I purchased.) and the 2015 port lived up to fruity expectations.

Jan 2018 - We found the port purchased back in 2015 right before Christmas and decided to share it with friends. Needless to say, its gone and we went to see what was new.

I tried Kobi's Koncoction (the new name for Cooper's Conundrum); it was a nice blend of Viognier, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Muscat, but  preferred the Soleil my wife tried. In true fashion, I stuck to the reds. The 2015 Pinot Noir has light notes of cherry while the 2015 was bursting with blackberries and currants and a nice lingering oakey finish. The 2013 Syrah had a deep purple color with aromas of tobacco and smoke and the 2013 Cabernet Franc had dark cherry notes with a nice vanilla finish. The Meritage of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot had too much going on fruit-wise that it was hard to pick any one aroma or flavor, but the oak finish was smooth. Manatawny has created Trio, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot with Allegro and Pinnacle Ridge. I did not try it as I wanted to taste the 2015 port, which was well balanced with the alcohol and oak. We'll leave this one sit for awhile too before drinking.

My wife tried Soleil, their blend of Cayuga and Seyval Blanc, balanced just right with sweet and acid. Their Riesling was bursting with grape flavor and had the right amount of sugar. The Gewurztraminer was a bit too sweet, while Golden, made from Niagara, was palatable. She ended her tasting with the Rose and Happiness, a blueberry wine

Mar 2015 - On this trip, I stayed strictly with the reds while my wife did the whites. After I tried the cabernet franc against the meritage, I enjoyed the previous more, based on smoothness. Cooper's Conundrum is being renamed, once this vintage is gone, since Cooper the cat passed away. My wife like that as well as the Soleil. We always end our tasting here with the port. We feel it is one of the better ports as it is not heavy on the brandy, which brings out the beauty of the cabernet franc wine.

Dec 2014 - Although I've been here many times before, this is the first time I'm writing about this winery; they still live up to the expectation. I was in the area and decided to pick up something special for the holidays.I enjoyed the chardonnay over the pinot grigio. The soleil (cayuga and seyval blanc blend was sweet, but Coopers Conundrum (a white blend which I have not tried before) was sweet and smooth. I enjoyed the syrah and meritage (blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec and petit verdot.

Pennsylvania - Lancaster County - Nissley Vineyards

Nissley Winery - (Jun 2014) We visited the winery as a birthday celebration. We drove through the vineyards to get to the family owned and operated winery which is housed in a old stone barn. As part of the visit, we participated in the self-guided tour, learned about Nissley's history and got to see some wine being bottled. The tasting allows you to choose from whites, reds and fruit wines. Most of the wines are blends with traditional grape varieties as well as hybrids. I started off with the seyval blanc, similar to a sauvignon blanc, and my wife the Whisper White, a semi-sweet with pear (maybe too much). I then tried the Classical White, a cayuga, vidal blanc and vignoles blend; it was smooth for a semi-dry and better on the palette than the Whisper White, while my wife went for the Grapeful White. My wife loves the sweet ones, but this one was too sweet for her. My wife went into the rose wines with the Bainbridge Rose and Fantasy. The Bainbridge had hints of oak and the Fantasy was on the sweeter side (probably due to the concord grapes used). I opted to right into reds with the cabernet franc. For some reason, this grape has drawn me to it and I'm liking what is being produced. Although their wine also has some merlot and chambourcin blended in, the balance of the wine was just right. I proceeded to their middle of the road to try to the off-dry Valley Red. Not having heard the term off-dry before, it was balanced. I then tried the Naughty Marietta, a semi-dry, and the Bainbridge Red, a semi-sweet. Although both are different blends, I would have expected the Bainbridge Red to be sweeter than what it was and almost thought the terms should have been switched. The Naughty Marietta was more pleasing to the palette. My wife did choose one red, the Grapeful Red, which reminded me of Church wine. She closed her tasting with the Montmorency Cherry wine. We love these cherries by themselves and this wines proved that cherry pie in a bottle is a possibility.

(January 2018) - Another PA Farm Show winery, we tried the Seyval Blanc, was nicely balanced with acidity and a faint oak finish. The Merlot had plum flavors with a buttery, oaky, vanilla finish.

Pennsylvania - Chester County - Paradox

Paradocx -  (Jan 2015) We had also been here when we previously went to Penns Woods. Our group chose four of their flights so we could try a wide variety of their wines. While we waited for our tasting, we were treated to a mulled wine; it was heavy on the spice. Overall, we tasted sixteen wines and enjoyed the cabernet franc, Leverage and the chardonnay. We participated in singing Happy Birthday to another guest before we made our purchases. The tea wine pouch is an interesting touch; unfortunately, only a few select wines come in their signature paint can.

(January 2018) - While at the PA Farm Show, we decided to taste their wines since we had not been there since the previous post. The Chardonnay was nicely balanced between fruit and oak but the buttery oak finish was a bit too much. I felt the Pinot Grigio was better than the Chardonnay with apple flavors and a lemon, honey finish. The Cabernet Sauvignon was nice but the Barn Red, called a semi-sweet, was nice, not overly sweet, and could possibly be used for a Sangria. But the T-Wine was too sweet (I'm not from the southa dn do not prefer sweet tea).

Pennsylvania - Lehigh County - Blue Mountain Vineyads

Blue Mountain Vineyards - Jan 2020 - The 2015 Chardonnay, with green and yellow apple flavor, ended with a light buttery finish, while the 2016 Chardonnay had higher acidity, which brought out the apple flavors, and a lingering creamed butter finish. The 2014 Shiraz was dark in color, medium bodied with dark cherry flavor and a lingering fruit finish, the 2015 Petite Sirah, was lighter in color, body and fruitness, like an easy drinking red, while the 2014 Cabernet Franc was medium bodied with some green bell pepper and spice aromas, dark cherry flavor, and a short dark cherry, and lingering red cherry finish.

Jan 2018 Since they closed the Coventry Mall store, I haven't had their wines. We were out for our anniversary and decided to make the trip. The Riesling had a nice lemon note to the slight acidic finish. The dry reds were a mixture of vintages with the Merlot being a 2011; nice plum, cherry and earth notes. The 2013 Cabernet Franc.had dark cherry flavor and long (oak) smooth finish that allowed me to savor it. But it was the Cabernet Sauvignon aged in the rye or bourbon barrel that was the teaser. Each one had its unique pleasing aroma, flavor and finish

April 2014 - We were on Living Social and saw an offer to a wine and cheese tasting at Blue Mountain and decided to take them up on a different type of offer. We made our reservation. This time, we travelled to the vineyards near New Tripoli. We arrived to a packed (there was a bus) facility, but were taken to a room off to the side overlooking the vineyards. It was early spring so there wasn't any vine activity. The owner gave us a history of the vineyards and winery and why he is passionate about wine and the making of wine. Before going to the tasting, we were given a tour of the winery and the wine making, processing and bottling process. It is interesting to understand why some wineries still use cork, versus other enclosure measures (they will not go to screw caps for their reds - ever so they continue to age). When it was time for our special tasting, we were presented with a plate of four different cheeses - cheddar, smoked gouda, a nice bleu and a camabert. We would be able to try these cheeses with our wines. My wife started with the vignoles, which she is learning to like, and the Mountain Frost. Although she enjoyed the Frost better from a sweet perspective, the vignoles flavors were better. She then went to Bri's Blush and the Red Horizon. She enjoyed Bri's Blush better. I on the other hand chose the riesling and noticed the citrus as I swirled the glass. I then tried the pinot noir, cabernet franc and the Meritage (cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot blend). I liked the Meritage; this also went well with the bleu cheese.

Dec 2014 - We did a repeat of last year while we were finishing our Christmas shopping. We have become familiar with some of their wines so we tried ones we had have based on vintage or taste. I started off with their just released riesling; it was enjoyable. The best was the warmed cabernet franc. With some mulling spices and brown sugar, it was a different alternative to typical spiced wines. We both enjoyed the white merlot. My wife enjoyed the mountain spice and mountain frost.

Dec 2013 - We were walking around the Coventry Mall Christmas shopping for last minute items and decided to treat ourselves to a tasting