Penns Woods Winery
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Winemaking 101: Importance of Hand Harvest vs. Machine Harvest

9/29/2015

 
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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.
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"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.
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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.”
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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.

Shh! Don’t Tell Anyone: This Is My First Wine Tasting

9/17/2015

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Relax. Take a deep breath. It’s going to be fine. You’re in good hands with the Penns Woods Winery tasting room staff, and we love curious newbies about as much as we love wine. And we love wine.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, check out these quick tips for a great intro to wine tasting. We can’t wait to see you!

When you arrive:
  • Tell the tasting room staff it’s your first time—we’ll be gentle. Plus that way we can bust out all the info you need for a great experience.
  • Ask lots of questions—not only is it OK, it’s encouraged. It’s cool to ask what you’re seeing when looking at the wine’s color and clarity or what you might taste when you sip. Then, give your opinion. There really is no wrong answer!
  • Let the tasting room staff suggest a few wines for you to try. They may ask you questions about the kind of wines you currently enjoy, as well as beers, other liquors and even foods. Certain flavor profiles give us hints to what you might like—and you might not even know it yet.

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The how-to 411:
  • Wine tastings are always poured from lightest to darkest, so once wines are selected let the tasting room staff line ‘em up.
  • Grasp the glass only by the stem so you don’t change the serving temperature of the wine or leave fingerprints to mar your view of our beautiful vinos.
  • Gently swirl on a flat surface holding only the stem—we’ll give you a quick demo. This aerates the wine to express its full bouquet (fancy word for aroma).
  • Observe by holding the glass up to light: what do you see? We’ll give our two cents about it, right down to why sediment can be a good thing.
  • Inhale deeply, using one nostril like the pros, and consider closing your eyes to put your focus on your sense of smell. What do you detect? We’ll let you know what aromas we catch—sometimes they’re the same, sometimes not, and that’s OK, too.
  • Taste with a sip, and swish it to cover all parts of your mouth. If possible, bring some air into that swish. What flavors do you taste? We have tasting notes, but you might want to experiment first and see what comes to mind when you sip our wine.
  • Feel free to dump the rest of the taste if it’s not to your liking or to spit out the taste (no offense taken—really!). And of course, it’s A-OK if you choose to drink it all. Tasting pours are just an ounce.
  • Safety first: if you’re doing multiple tastings at numerous wineries—spit it out. Spitting helps avoid getting tipsy so you can enjoy all the wines you’re sampling that day. Grabbing one of your friends to be the DD is another option; you can act as DD next time. Another great option in the beautiful Brandywine Valley: make it an overnight or a weekend—there are tons of great restaurants, accommodations and attractions within minutes of our lovely winery.

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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 
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10 Reasons to Join Our Wine Club

9/11/2015

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We bet you’ve found yourself wishing you had a delicious bottle of Penns Woods Winery wine to celebrate a big occasion—or just to drink, because Tuesday can be a special occasion, too. Wish granted: join our Wine Club and never run out.

Here’s how it works: sign up is simple, and there’s no fee to become a member. Join the Estate Club and receive 6 specially chosen bottles two or four times each year, or the Grand Cru Club for 12 specially chosen bottles two to four times each year. We can ship to you, or you can stop by the winery during pickup time. Boom. That simple. But if you need more reasons to join our Wine Club, read on:



1. Score pre-releases.

Our members are part of the in crowd, with access to priority reservations for pre-releases, items in danger of selling out and library releases. Never miss a classic again!

2. Enjoy a surprise.

Select shipments include unreleased wines and library classics. Of course, all wine club picks are our president and winemaker Gino Razzi’s personal selections, a mix of ready-to-drink and great-to-cellar bottles.

3. Pick up or ship it: you choose.

If you can get to the winery, you absolutely, positively want to pick up your wine. Hobnob with the tasting room staff and other members, use your discount and post selfies of how smart you are to be a Penns Wood Winery Wine Club member. Too far to visit? We’ll gladly ship to most states.

4. Party at pickup twice a year.

Even out-of-staters will want to stop by for their share the second Friday in April and the second Friday in July—those are our not-to-be-missed pickup parties. It’s members-only plus one guest for live music, wine tasting, light apps and plenty of time to hang with the tasting room staff and our winemaker.

5. Snag referral gifts.

You love our wine; your friends will, too. Refer a friend to our wine club and get a free $50 gift. Refer 10 friends and we’ll name a vine after you—snazzy nameplate included.

6. Use your wine club discount early and often.

Choose your membership level and then congratulate yourself: you get discounts year-round on bottles of wine plus the same discount on glasses of wine in the tasting room. That’s a generous 10% for Estate Club or 15% for Grand Cru Club.


7. Drink in freebies.

Members are treated to 10 free wine tastings each year—need we say more?

8. Tour the vineyard with Gino.

Estate Club members and three friends, and Grand Cru Club members and five friends, can schedule a private tour with our winemaker. Grand Cru bonus: the tour includes the winery and light apps.

9. Grab tickets to exclusive events.

We’re talking preferred access. Our festivals, limited seating pairings, seminars and other fun tasting room events sell out quickly. Members don’t have to worry about that: they’re on the pre-sale A-List.

10. Actually use your benefits.

If you can get here—it’s worth it—then you’ll get the most from your benefits. You may already belong to an out-of-state wine club, but have you gotten the most bang for your buck? Friendships are formed over wine-talk, and we love getting to know our members—quite a few have become regulars in our tasting room. At Penns Woods, you’ll rub elbows with more than just winery staff, too: if the vineyard’s open, our winemaker is around to mingle. Friends become family at Penns Woods Winery.

Peruse our membership levels and sign up today. We can’t wait to welcome you to our Wine Club.

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 courtesy of Alexandra Whitney Photography.

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What Red Wines to Drink in Late Summer

9/1/2015

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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.

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    About

    Go behind the scenes with the Penns Woods Winery team in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. 


    Meet our family, learn about our winemaking process and vineyards and discover all the delicious details about your favorite award-winning Pennsylvania wines.

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SPECIAL HOURS & SERVICE CHANGES
*We close at 4:30pm on the First Friday of each month for our Wine Club Happy Hour
*CLOSED Sunday, February 12th for a Staff Event
​
UPCOMING EVENTS
February
Every weekend: Wine & Chocolate Pairing! 
3rd: Wine Club Happy Hour

10th: Lip Balm Happy Hour Workshop - SOLD OUT
14th: Valentine's Day - Open until 8pm!
15th: Galentine's Facial Happy Hour Workshop - SOLD OUT
20th: WSET - Level 1 Introductory Wine Course & Certification
23rd & 24th: Three Wines Blind
26th: Paint with Wine Workshop - SOLD OUT

March
Every weekend: Wine & Cupcake
8th: Wine Education Series: Women in Wine
19th: Brunch Board Workshop
23rd & 24th: Three Wines Blind

​​HOUSE POLICIES
  • No alcohol other than that produced by Penns Woods Winery is permitted by law on Penns Woods property. ALL COOLERS ARE SUBJECT TO RANDOM CHECK.​​​
  • An automatic 18% gratuity will be added to any tabs left open at the end of operating hours.
  • Children are not permitted indoors. 
  • Pets are not permitted indoors (with exception to service animals). 
HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday
: CLOSED
​Tuesday: 12:00-5:30pm
Wednesday: 12:00-5:30pm
Thursday: 12:00-5:30pm
Friday: 11:00-6:00pm
Saturday: 11:00-6:00pm
Sunday: 11:00-6:00pm
​CLOSED
Easter Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
New Years Day
CLOSED on ​Mondays January-March

WE'RE SOCIAL!

CONTACT US
124 Beaver Valley Road
​Chadds Ford, PA 19317 

On Rt. 202 just 1/2 mile from the 
DE/ PA State Line 
www.pennswoodswinery.com
Phone: 610.459.0808 
Email: info@pennswoodswinery.com

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