Just because grapes are crushed to make wine doesn’t mean they should be harshly handled during harvest. At Penns Woods Winery, not breaking grapes during harvest is our number one priority.

Our president and winemaker Gino Razzi is passionate about every winemaking step and speaks with reverence about hand harvesting. He says it’s the only way to ensure that we preserve the integrity of the grape from the time it leaves the vine until we choose to crush it—scant hours later.

"When you machine harvest, there’s a good chance you’ll break the grape,” Gino explains. “As soon as that happens, wild yeast and bacteria mingle with the sugar, and that starts fermentation. That’s a deviation from standard, controlled fermentation, and the results are undesirable for us.”

And although Penns Woods picks roughly five tons a day during harvest, we only use 15-pound lugs (containers) to hold and transport our precious cargo to further prevent breakage. This, too, differs from machine harvested grapes, which are often piled into large containers that put the squeeze on delicate grapes, particularly those on the bottom of the pile.

Harvest at Penns Woods starts in September when the grapes are ready—when they are ripe and rich with juice. We don’t rush them; we harvest according to their schedule. Gino notes that our grapes ripened quickly this year and is more than happy with the sampling he’s done: he’s deemed the quality “excellent.”

We hire a skilled crew to hand harvest our grapes, but we also rely on volunteers, friends of the winery who love our grapes (and our wine!) as much as we do. We start lovingly picking grapes very early in the morning until around 6 a.m. Then they’re immediately transported to the winery, where they’re crushed by 8 p.m. By 12 a.m. they’re inoculated with the exact yeast Gino specifies to start fermentation.

“Great wines are made by shortening the time from harvest to crush to inoculation,” Gino adds. “It’s very important. There’s wild yeast in the air, but that’s not what you want for great wine—there are different yeasts to start fermentation for different grapes. We choose the right yeast for the right grape and do it the same day, within hours of harvest.”

And not to brag—but we can’t help ourselves—we seem to be doing something right. Gino’s careful attention to every step of the process has made some mighty fine award-winning wines.

If it’s September (and even through to mid October—remember, we harvest when the grapes say so), give us a call to see if we’re picking grapes and how you might help. Missed hand harvesting this year? Come visit us and taste the Penns Woods difference. Better yet, join our Wine Club and enjoy a tour of the vineyard with Gino (Estate Club) or the winery and vineyard (Grand Cru Club), just one of the many great reasons to be Penns Woods Winery members. 

Penns Woods Winery is a family-run Pennsylvania winery. With more than 40 years of experience in the wine business, winemaker Gino Razzi and his daughter, Carley Mack, produce award-winning wines from Pennsylvania-grown grapes. Penns Woods wines can be found in restaurants throughout Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs. Stop in to your local state store and pick from a limited selection of wines, or visit our tasting room for the full offering. The tasting room in Chadds Ford provides an all-around vineyard experience and hosts live music, food and wine pairings and other exciting events each weekend. Score Penns Woods winery news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter today!

--Nina Malone

Photography by Alexandra Whitney Photography.

Helpful hints:

• The olfactory sense is important in wine tasting, so avoid wearing strong fragrances (or any fragrance at all), which helps you and your fellow wine tasters.
• Drink plenty of water, but don’t rinse the glass with water. The tasting room staff will manage your tasting experience and can pour water in a separate glass or offer you water bottles for purchase.
• Take advantage of crackers and other comped bar bites. These are for palate cleansing, not chowing down, so be courteous to your fellow wine tasters.
• We offer cheeses, chocolates, crackers and other goodies for sale. Consider doing an impromptu pairing; ask us what goes best with your nibbles.
• There are small tasting fees, plus other items for purchase in the tasting room. We also stock cool and kitschy gift items. Last but most certainly not least, you can buy your favorite wines, too.

That’s it! All you really need is an open mind and a curious palate. Your friendly Penns Woods Winery tasting room staff will do the rest! Check our hours and come visit us soon.

Penns Woods Winery is a family-run Pennsylvania winery. With more than 40 years of experience in the wine business, winemaker Gino Razzi and his daughter, Carley Mack, produce award-winning wines from Pennsylvania-grown grapes. Penns Woods wines can be found in restaurants throughout Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs. Stop in to your local state store and pick from a limited selection of wines, or visit our tasting room for the full offering. The tasting room in Chadds Ford provides an all-around vineyard experience and hosts live music, food and wine pairings and other exciting events each weekend. Score Penns Woods Winery news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter today!

--Nina Malone 

The weather outside is still delightful if you like warm, sunny days and comfy, mild evenings. And who doesn’t? It’s still summer, so celebrate with something unexpected: red wine.

That’s right, step away from the white wine—temporarily—and consider three reds that will have you late summer night’s dreaming: Bancroft Field Blend Red, Chambourcin and Pinot Noir. Our marketing manager Carley Razzi Mack grew up around wine thanks to her winemaking father and winery president Gino Razzi. Drink in her top three tips for savoring summer reds.


1. It’s OK to chill.

Go ahead: break convention. If you want to pair a red with your dinner and it’s hot outside, cool it down a bit! We always chill our Field Blend Red to the same temp as white wines (around 50–53 degrees). Pinots and Chambourcins are usually served around 62 degrees, but in my opinion, you’re going to enjoy the wine more if it is a varietal you like at the temp that suits the moment. I would suggest starting at 55 degrees; once in the glass, the wine will begin to open and warm just a bit. A great temp to drink the Pinots and Chambourcins is 57–59 on a hot day. Trust me, you'll enjoy it more.

2. Make friends with lighter bodied reds in warm weather.

It's a misconception that reds are for cold weather only. Here are three of my favorite wines to sip when the days are long:

• Bancroft Field Blend Red is perfect because it’s a light-bodied red that we always serve chilled. It is aged in stainless steel rather than the typical French oak that our reds typically age in, and that gives it a very approachable, easy-drinking taste.
  
  
• Our award-winning Chambourcin is amazing because it’s a local varietal that Penns Woods Winery is known for and is quite similar in structure to a Pinot Noir. It’s got a bit more earth and a pronounced black pepper finish yet with soft, light tannins, which make it great when served chilled.
  
  
• Pinot Noir is great because although we don’t make it—yet—it’s lighter in body and easy to find in wine and spirits stores. Like Chambourcin, it’s a surprise when chilled.

3. They’re great for grilling.

• Bancroft Field Blend Red is great with anything spicy as the tannins are barely present. It’s a fruit-forward wine, a mysterious blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The soft structure notes in the wine soothe the palate when paired with heat.
  
  
• Chambourcin is amazing with grilled meats, and we love it with lamb or bison burgers. These nice, flavorful meats bring complexity to the wine and complement its earthy characteristics.
  
  
• Pinot Noir is wonderful with grilled fish—specifically salmon. The soft fruit tones and soft tannic finish—you’ll often get a hint of black pepper—pair beautifully with it. The smoke from the grill and notes of black pepper are on point.

Visit the friendly and knowledgeable tasting room staff to sample Bancroft Field Blend Red and Chambourcin plus whatever else is currently pouring. Your taste buds will thank you, as will everyone at your Labor Day and late summer barbecues. Cheers!

Penns Woods Winery is a family-run Pennsylvania winery. With more than 40 years of experience in the wine business, winemaker Gino Razzi and his daughter, Carley Mack, produce award-winning wines from Pennsylvania-grown grapes. Penns Woods wines can be found in restaurants throughout Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs. Stop in to your local state store and pick from a limited selection of wines, or visit our tasting room for the full offering. The tasting room in Chadds Ford provides an all-around vineyard experience and hosts live music, food and wine pairings and other exciting events each weekend. Score Penns Woods Winery news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter today!

--Nina Malone

Photography credited to Nina Lea Photography.