
Celebrate Pennsylvania Wine Month: Uncorking Lake Erie’s Contributions
Wednesday Oct 2nd, 2024
This October in Lake Erie Wine Country, we proudly raise a glass to another Pennsylvania Wine Month. This time of year offers a chance for reflection and discovery of new tastes, as the way we think about and enjoy Pennsylvania wines is evolving—thanks in no small part to the hard work and focus on quality by local Lake Erie wineries and grape growers, who have the accolades to prove it.
While Pennsylvania wines have traditionally been associated with sweet varieties or compared in quality only to other regional wines, our local Lake Erie wineries are demonstrating that Pennsylvania wines aren’t just “good for Pennsylvania” or limited in style.
Local wines are performing extraordinarily well when compared to wines from around the globe. Recently, The Perfect Rosé, a dry rosé from South Shore Wine Company (Mazza Wines) in North East, earned a gold medal at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards; one of only 20 U.S. wines to receive gold, and the first for a Pennsylvania wine. According to Decanter, the wine "stands out as a benchmark for wines produced from hybrid grape varieties and less-traveled wine regions."
Adding to the area’s growing list of accolades, Arrowhead Wine Cellars' Chambourcin, a dry red, won gold at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, and a Grüner Veltliner and Pinot Grigio, both dry whites from Presque Isle Wine Cellars, were awarded platinum medals at the Winemaker Challenge International Wine Competition.
Such awards are part of a shift in the flavors and perceptions of how a Pennsylvania-made wine will taste. High quality, dry wines are making their mark. According to Bob Mazza, founder and president of Mazza Wines, "As more Pennsylvania wines garner global recognition for their quality, not just for vinifera but for French American hybrid varieties, the perception of Pennsylvania wine quality is greatly enhanced."
While long famous for Concord and Niagara, the Lake Erie region is also well suited for aromatic white varietals such as Riesling and Grüner Veltliner. Winemakers also suggest that red varietals, including recent vintages of Cabernet Franc, have been performing incredibly well, along with lesser-known varieties like Noiret. Mazza adds, "Be sure to taste dry rosés and, of course, ice wines, which are unique to our region."
"Most consumers would be surprised to learn how many varieties are grown in Lake Erie Wine Country, as well as the rise in quality of drier-style wines. No longer should Lake Erie be seen as producing only sweet wines, with several drier wines taking top honors at the nation’s highest-level competitions," says Scott Neely, owner of Penn Shore Vineyards in North East and KingView Mead, Wine, & Cider in Harborcreek, and president of the Pennsylvania Winery Association. KingView has added to the area's diversity with a line of quality meads and ciders.
Not to worry, wineries will continue to produce local favorites like Concord. But for dry wine lovers and visitors looking to expand their palates and explore other varietals and styles, Pennsylvania wineries have much to offer.
Fall is the perfect time to explore Pennsylvania’s wineries, and Lake Erie Wine Country is celebrating the season with its annual Harvest Weekends, November 1-3 and 8-10. For more details on Pennsylvania wineries, visit pennsylvaniawine.com.