There’s A New Red in Town

As an innkeeper, I try to keep up to date with everything that is going on in Lancaster County.  Especially the fun stuff.  I feel that It’s my duty to tell guests about great places to experience, whether it’s a new show, restaurant or attraction.

And so I attended the opening of Thorn Hill Vineyards Tasting Room.  It's only about half an hour from The Artist's Inn.  As I entered, I quickly found some innkeeper friends and a “girls night out” was born.   

The owners – Jack and Amy Thorn – are Pennsylvania residents that own vineyards in California. 

They offer 11 different varietals – including one of my favorite reds – Petite Sirah. 

 We chatted with Amy, munched on wonderful cheeses and enjoyed this upscale tasting room.  And, of course, we joined the Wine Club.

If you are in need of a girl’s night out, this is the place for you!  The schedule includes music on Friday nights, trivia nights and...special nights for girls only.  YAY!  Here’s a link to their schedule.

Don’t be surprised to find me there - strictly for research, you know.  I may even take Bruce sometime! 

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my job?

Enjoying the Red, White and Green of Lancaster County

Lancaster County wineries sure know how to throw a party.  Whether it’s jazz in the evening, picnics on the lawn or tasting new wines while enjoying the view, you are guaranteed to have a good time.

Recent rains have turned the county green once again and views from many of the wineries are relaxing and reminiscent of Napa or Sonoma. – and you don’t need to buy a plane ticket!  Harvest season is just a few short weeks away, and fall colors always go better with a glass of wine.

Here’s a listing of events that are just a short drive from The Artist’s Inn.  Then again, a day of tasting followed by a night on the porch provides some spectacular views as well.

Moon Dancer Winery - Live music Friday nights, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Mt. Hope Winery - Mt. Hope winery has the biggest party of them all – the PA Renaissance Faire...every weekend until October 30.

Nissley Winery - Lawn concerts every Saturday night until Labor Day

Tamanend Winery - Offering winemaker dinners

 

Twin Brook Winery - Enjoy their gazebo concerts on Friday evenings.

Waltz Vineyards – Here are some pictures from one of their lawn events.

 

 

Don’t let summer slip away before you enjoy the red, white and green of Lancaster County.

The Wizard of Wine

In our never-ending quest to discover the culinary treasures of Lancaster County, Carl and I visited the new tasting room at Tamanend Winery. This winery is named in honor of the Chief of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, who signed a treaty with William Penn for land that became Penn's Woods, or Pennsylvania.

Never judge a book by its cover: Although the setting of the winery is based across the street from a Mercedes dealer, the tasting room inside, with Kate Albert as our guide, soon made you forget those cars!

We learned about their Wild Wines first. Named after Pennsylvania wildflowers, these have labels that picture scenes photographed by the owners – some in their own backyard. These wines are sold in a bag-in-box, a method becoming more popular –because it limits the amount of wine that is exposed to oxygen, thereby extending the “life” of the wine.
The premium wine labels are beautiful too – and truly works of art. They are taken from original paintings by Suk Shuglie. All the wines are made from Pennsylvania grapes – with the exception of their Torosa Zinfandel and the Trop, a dessert wine made from the same California zinfandel grapes. Ironically, these were my two favorites - what can I say, I’m a California red girl at heart. All their wines tended to be more on the dry side (yeah!) with a nice clean finish. Yummy.

It was about that time that we met Dr. Richard Carey. He owns the winery with his wife, Linda Jones McKee, and also runs the Vitis Wine Center that services the mid-Atlantic region. Say you own a vineyard and something goes wrong along the way….perhaps your wine has too much alcohol, or you just can’t figure out what went awry. This Wine Wizard helps you figure out the problem – and correct it. He says, “Wine is half science and half art and the trouble is that we don’t know which is which!” We think his love of both science and art are apparent in his wines…Here’s a picture of him in his lab.
We got a peek at a machine that helps him – it looked to be right out of the Wizard of Oz – full of dials and controls…I thought I heard a faint voice in the background saying “don’t touch those dials” ….but maybe that was the wine talking.

There's a new research project that he’s trying – storing wine in big white plastic “tubs” instead of the traditional French or American oak barrels. The plastic allows the same amount of oxygen exchange as the oak, but lasts 20 years, instead of 3. (Wow, very green indeed.) It also provides a better barrier for temperature fluctuations. I never knew I liked science so much!

We hope to have Tamenand on one of our Lancaster County Tours later this year, so stay tuned for details.