Evergreen Valley Winery - When the owners of this Luthersburg, Pennsylvania winery started their business, they didn't realize just how far off the beaten path they were - and how much it was going to cost them to have electric run to their property. Making the best of the situation, they resorted to solar power and wind to generate electricity for their new business...and this is the power that still runs Evergreen Valley Winery today.

When we spotted the large solar panels, we knew we had found our destination. We picked a spot in the small parking area and proceeded up the walk to the tasting room. Since it is a small winery, we were not surprised to find the owners/winemakers on site bottling and working the tasting room. The woman behind the counter was very friendly and eager to let us sample the wines that they personally work so hard to produce. The winery offers a small wine list of varietals - their slogan touting that they offer a taste of Europe from the heart of Pennsylvania.    

We looked over their wine list of approximately eight wines. I was very excited to see they had a Baco Noir (one of my favorites), only to find that they were sold out and hadn't bottled their new vintage yet. Maybe another time. We did sample the other seven, which I found to be of very good quality. Over the years we've come to spot which wineries put the most personal attention into their wines and I could tell that these winemakers must be very particular about the wine they produce. One of my favorites was their Blush Concord - a Concord done in a White Zinfandel style. I'm not a fan of White Zinfandel, but I found this wine slightly sweeter and much more flavorful than a White Zin. We did get a chance to sample their Delaware, which wasn't on the list. They only had three bottles left...and I liked theirs so much I bought one to bring home to my friend Vicki who just loves a good Delaware.  

Seating was not available in the tasting room, and I didn't notice a place for visitors to sit outdoors, but I admit that I didn't look around outside very much. It was chilly and windy, so we basically made our way to and from the car very quickly. But, if there was outdoor seating, I think I would have noticed it. I believe Evergreen Valley is more of a "taste, purchase what you like, and be on your way" type of establishment. Even though you probably won't be able to enjoy a glass of their tasty wine on-site...the wines are well-worth stopping in for. You'll probably purchase more than one bottle to take home. Favorite: Blush Concord. Visited 10/20/2007.

Flickerwood Wine Cellars - We like to allow ourselves plenty of time to get the full experience at each winery we visit, but things didn't work out exactly as planned at this Kane, Pennsylvania winery. When we set our itinerary, we decided this winery should be our last stop of the day. They were open three hours later than any other winery in the area and they had recently finished construction of a new two-story wine lounge. We thought sipping a glass of wine in their new facility would be the perfect ending to a day of wine tasting. Little did we know, we wouldn't even get the chance to set foot in the new addition, which they describe on their website as "a one of a kind place". 

My first agenda upon entering the winery was to find the restroom. I should have used the restroom at our last stop and I had been holding it a little too long. I quickly located the restroom inside the door, but the door was locked. I milled around the gift area for awhile keeping my eye on the door to open. I probably looked like I was wandering around aimlessly, and one of the employees asked if she could help me with anything. I told her that we had come for some wine tasting, but I was waiting to use the restroom before we started. She then informed me that they were having a seven-course Italian dinner in the wine lounge and one of the employees was in the restroom changing her clothes. I asked if the wine lounge would be open to other customers, but was told it was closed for the entire evening -- there just went our plans for the night. After about 15 minutes, it was my turn in the restroom and we were ready for some sampling.

A couple was just stepping away from the tasting counter, so we rushed right over since there was really only room at the counter for two people. We were told there was a $3.00 per person charge for tasting. This fee included 6 wine samples and a souvenir glass to take home. We paid our fee and began choosing which of the 26 wines we wanted to sample. People began gathering behind us waiting for their turn and I felt rushed when choosing my wines. The lady behind the counter told us that normally visitors could taste in the wine lounge, but since it was closed for the dinner, their tasting space was a little cramped. We quickly chose our six wines and began our sampling.

I started my sampling with the De Chaunac. My first thought was that this was the worst smelling wine I had ever encountered. It brought to mind someone breaking wind and I was slightly apprehensive about tasting it. It may have smelled offensive, but the taste was smooth and flavorful. Once I got past the smell, the wine was actually pretty good. My second sample was the Rose Bud Red - a full bodied blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. I found it very smooth, yet complex with many flavor sensations. My third sample was the Marechal Foch - a full bodied wine done in a semi-sweet style...a true winner. I tried the Rt. 6 Steuben next, followed by the Geisenberry. This wine is a blend of Geisenheim grapes (a new one for me) and red raspberries. This zippy blend was quite light and flavorful. My last sample was the Spezie Pesca Vino (Spiced Peach Wine). Simmered as a mulled wine...it would make a nice change of pace from traditional mulled wines.

Since there were people waiting behind us, we hurried through our tasting rather quickly. I'm a slow taster and prefer to take plenty of time to savor each wine I sample...but that just wasn't going to happen on this stop. We had also planned to partake in some of the hors d' oeuvres available for purchase in the wine lounge (they mentioned this on their website)...but that wasn't going to happen either. We were getting very hungry, and with no munchies available for us a this stop, we gathered up a few bottles of wine to take home and headed out to find a place to have dinner.

If you like sweet wine like Gary does, Flickerwood does make some excellent sweets. Gary bought many more bottles than he usually does before leaving the tasting room. They have a huge variety to choose from and I thoroughly enjoyed all the wines I sampled. I wish we had been able to experience all this winery had to offer as we had originally planned. If we had been able to...we probably would have had a very enjoyable evening. Favorites: Marechal Foch and Geisenberry. Visited: 10/20/2007.

Laurel Mountain Vineyard - If you stopped by this Falls Creek, Pennsylvania winery yet, it may be time for a visit. This charming winery offers a unique experience that everyone will enjoy. With an extremely friendly staff, a long list of wonderful wines, a large gift shop, picnic pavilion and antique tool museum...we're sure you'll find that a visit here will be time well-spent.

The tasting room is housed in a wonderfully refurbished 2-story farm building. Upon entering, the tasting counter was full, but we were immediately greeted by the tasting room staff and told we could browse their second-story gift shop for a few minutes while they were finishing with their current tasters. We walked to the stairway checking out their large selection of wine which is displayed along the wall as we passed. They seemed to offer varieties that both of use would enjoy and we were anxious to taste their wares. We proceeded to the gift shop which offered plenty of wine-related merchandise as well as gourmet foods and regional gift items. The gift shop also featured a nice selection of clothing (wine-related t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc.) at reasonable prices.

We returned downstairs just as the tasting room was clearing out and took a spot at the tasting counter. A very nice young lady was our hostess for the tasting and she set up some glasses for us and presented us with a wine list. We sampled many of the 22 wines available for tasting. All of their wines were very good, but some did stand out above the rest. Some of our favorites: The Pinot Grigio smelled of pears and was very crisp and flavorful. I also like the Mountain Mist, a blend of white grapes, which I found to be very fresh tasting. Laurel Mountain makes a very nice Niagara. It's not overpoweringly sweet and is very drinkable. The most unique wine we sampled was Spirit of the Mountain. It's also a blend of white grapes...but spicy with flavors of caramel and nut...but still very light. Moving on to the reds, I really enjoyed their Merlot, which was medium bodied and one of the best I've tasted in Pennsylvania. I also found the Bella Rosa very nice. It's a Chianti style blend and very earthy. Of their two blush wines, I liked the Laurel Blush the best. It had intense flavors but not syrupy sweet...a great sipping wine. We finished off with the the fruit wines and I found that they make an excellent Peach wine. It's made with real peaches and had wonderfully natural flavors.

It was much too cold and windy outside to take advantage of the picnic pavilion, so we got a chilled bottle of Laurel Blush, poured ourselves a couple of glasses, and headed to the antique tool museum. It's a self-guided tour featuring antique tools that have been in the owner's family for generations. It was a really interesting way to spend some time sipping our wine, and we even had a chance to win a free bottle. In the museum there were five "mystery tools", and if you can tell the use of each one a free bottle of wine is yours to take home. We entered the museum with high hopes, but soon realized that being city folk, we didn't stand a chance. Afraid of being laughed at, we didn't even write down our guesses. It was probably a good thing we didn't because we were not even close.

We had a wonderful visit to Laurel Mountain Vineyard. The wines were very good and the staff was welcoming and super friendly. Their large selection of wines is sure to make every taster happy they came because there's something for everyone. I especially enjoyed the antique tool museum. We haven't come across anything like it at any other winery and it was a nice change of pace. If you visit Laurel Mountain and came name all five of the "mystery tools" please let us know. I know there must be someone out there can win the free bottle of wine. Favorites: Spirit of the Mountain, Laurel Blush and Peach. Visited 10/20/2007.   

Winery at Wilcox - This area on the north side of the Allegheny National Forest is best known for its beautiful wooded scenery and outdoor recreation. But, there are two wineries in this scenic area, and one of them is the Winery at Wilcox in Wilcox, Pennsylvania. Although one of the state's five largest wineries, they offer an inviting and cozy tasting room with personalized service. It was a wonderful way to spend a chilly afternoon drinking several award-winning Pennsylvania wines.

The tasting room was very inviting...like a country cabin. A young gentleman was behind the tasting counter. He was very cordial and well-acquainted with the wines they produce. He had noticed our Ohio license plate and engaged us in some small talk about our trip to the area. He then offered us a sampling, stating that we had arrived at just the right time. The tasting room was empty, but he said it was packed just 30 minutes before. It must have been our lucky day. We enjoy receiving one-on-one time with a knowledgeable host.

Our host presented us with the list of 26 wines available for sampling. The winery offered a nice variety - nine of these wines were whites, three blush wines, six reds, four sparkling wines, a port, two fruit wines and an ice wine. We sampled many of them including the Riesling, which was sweeter than most Riesling wines and very smooth. I also enjoyed the Wedding White (named because it was served at the weddings of the owners' daughter and niece). It started out sweet but had a touch of tartness to it. The East Branch Sunset was very nice. The winery claims it is their answer to those who seek White Zinfandel, but I found it sweeter than White Zin. One of my favorites was the Elk Country Red, a blend of Chambourcin and Chancellor grapes. Not too dry and not too sweet - a great middle-of-the-road crowd pleasing wine. The Autumn Leaves wine is a semi-dry red that I found mild and flavorful. I did sample one sparkling wine - the Peach Mist. Made with 100% peaches, I thought it was peachy, bubbly and fun. I almost bought a bottle of it, and now wish that I had.

I was sampling the Peach Mist - and still had one more wine that I wanted to try - when I noticed the sign behind the counter stating "six samples per customer". Whoops! I had already sampled more than that, but I honestly hadn't seen the sign. Our host hadn't stopped us or mentioned the six sample policy, so I thought maybe they used the sign to shuffle people through when they were a bit busier. I did try one last wine before asking if they sold wine by the glass. We each ordered a glass of wine, and since there was no seating inside (they did provide tables and chairs outdoors but it was too chilly), we decided to drink our wine while browsing the gift area and choosing our bottles to take home. A new crowd had started to form at the tasting counter so we backed away to enjoy our wine while walking around in the warmth of the tasting room.

I thought the Winery at Wilcox had a great selection of wine. I especially like the fact that they had four sparkling wines to choose from...that's something we don't come across very often. The staff was very friendly...especially our host who seemed to want to make sure that everyone in the tasting room was happy and being taken care of. Wine travelers to the area will certainly want to stop in and taste from their wonderful selection. Favorite: Elk Country Red. Visited: 10/20/2007.