County Wineries Take Regional Honors, Watch Vines Following Cold Winter

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It’s going to be “wait and see” for about one month to discover whether this year’s harsh winter damaged the vineyards supplying the county’s 15 wineries.

Mark Chien, viticulture educator at Penn State Cooperative Extension College of Agricultural Sciences, said in a telephone interview the very low near-zero degree temperatures in January and March are on the threshold of presenting danger to vines.

“There could be some damage to the buds,” Chien said. “We’re still waiting to see. We will not know until the buds begin to push through about one month from now.”

Chien said tender European varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes are most at risk, followed by Chardonnay.

Wineries have multiplied in Chester County in the past decade. There are 15 wineries in the county if you consider Twin Brook Winery, which is just over the county line in Gap. While not all of them have their own vineyards, wineries like Twin Brook who grow fruit for their own wine and other regional wineries will be watching the vines closely this spring.

Three local wineries just took high honors in competition at the third annual Eastern Winery Exposition, held recently in Lancaster. About 1,500 vintners from throughout the east coast took part in the trade show.

Penns Woods Winery of Chadds Ford, where the motto is “think globally, drink locally,” took the title of best dry wine and the Keystone cup for their 2010 Chambourcin.  Penns Woods also took double gold for their 2012 Chardonnay Reserve and Chambourcin; gold for their Merlot Reserve; silver for their 2012 Moscato; and bronze for their 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and Traminette.

Flickerwood Wine Cellars, which bills itself as “the wine that rocks,” has four locations including here Kennett Square and Oxford. The winery took bronze honors for its 2011 Marechal Foch and 2012 Strawberry Fields; and silver honors for its 2011 Maple Wine and 2011 Fredonia.

Chaddsford Winery, arguably the largest and best known winery in Pennsylvania, took bronze for its Spiced Apple.

 

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