Pennsylvania is not generally renowned for its wines. This is too bad because the State is home to almost 100 wineries that offer a great variety of delicious wines. A dozen of these wineries are part of the UnCork York wine trail. This trail winds through the Susquehanna Valley of Pennsylvania from Harrisburg and Hershey in the north to Glen Rock and Stewartstown in the south. As you travel along the trail, you'll pass some of Pennsylvania's abundant rolling farm land and get some spectacular views of the beautiful Susquehanna River.

The newest winery on the trail is Hauser Estate Winery in Biglerville. Located part way up a hill, the winery's beautiful deck offers panoramic views of the vineyard above and the valley below. On a clear day you can see the Gettysburg Battlefield from the deck. The deck and tasting room would make a great location for a wedding or any special event. Hauser Estate opened their doors in July, 2008 and offer a variety of traditional and specialty wines. Their most unique wine is a soon to be released sparkling peach. Tasting room manager, Melisa Patrono said that her favorite Hauser Estate wine is the Jennie Wade which is a sweet white wine named after the only civilian to be killed in the Battle of Gettysburg.

Perhaps the most famous winery on the UnCork York Wine Trail is Nissley Vineyards and Winery Estates in Bainbridge, PA. Nissley is a family owned winery that has been producing wine for over 25 years. They offer a self-guided tour that takes you from an old outdoor stone furnace, to the vineyard and into the fermentation and bottling room. Each summer, Nissley offers 'Music in the Vineyards' on Saturday nights. People come from all over with their picnic dinners, enjoy Nissley wines and dance to the music of a variety of local and regional talent. My two favorite Nissley wines are the dry red 2006 Cabernet Franc and the dry white 2007 Seyval Blanc. Nissley Vineyards and Winery Estates has a wine for every taste.

Four Springs Winery in Seven Valleys, PA is located right along the York County Heritage Rail Trail. The trail covers 21 miles from the York County Colonial Courthouse south to the Maryland state line. The winery is a great stop if your bicycling the trail since it's located right at the half way point. Four Springs is home to a beautiful tasting room and sitting area that are available for community and business meetings and events. Four Springs Winery is also the home of my favorite Pennsylvania wine. When I tasted their Cabernet Sauvignon, I couldn't believe it was a Pennsylvania wine. It's rich bold taste and strong legs reminded me of its much more expensive California cousins.

The other wineries on the UnCork York Wine trail are:

Adams County Winery, Orrtanna, PA
Allegro Vineyards, Brogue, PA
Cullari Vineyards and Winery, Hershey, PA
Fox Ridge Vineyard and Winery, York, PA
Moon Dancer Vineyards and Winery, Wrightsville, PA
Naylor Wine Cellars, Stewartstown, PA
Reid's Orchard and Winery, Orrtanna, PA
Seven Valleys Vineyards and Winery, Glen Rock, PA
West Hanover Winery, Harrisburg, PA

Stay tuned for part II of this series when I'll talk about some more of these fine wineries and also discuss some of the events that the UnCork York Wine Trail sponsors each year.

This article was written by Alan Kassirer, The Pennsylvania Wanderer. By day I'm an executive at Youth Advocate Programs in Harrisburg, PA. By evening and weekend I wander around Pennsylvania and the surrounding states visiting interesting places and meeting interesting people.

Please visit Picnic Baskets and More for all your picnic accessories including picnic baskets, picnic backpacks, wine carriers, wine totes and barbecue tools.

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