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Wine Tipe of the Week - PA Wineries - Tamanend
Cheers from Vintage Connections
During June and July we're writing about nearby PA wineries and wine bars. The weather is great and there are lots of fun activities, in addition to tasting wine, going on at PA wineries.
Tamanend Winery and the Vitis Wine Center
OK, for some reason we'd never visited Tamanend Winery and the Vitis Wine Center. We rarely go as far west as Lancaster for "local wines," even though several wineries in that direction are closer than a few of our favorites to the north. So, off we went on an afternoon adventure. We were glad we did.
Tamanend Winery is owned and operated by Linda Jones McKee and Richard Carey. The winery is named in honor of the Chief of the Delaware Tribe of Indians. Richard is the "chief" winemaker and operates the Wine Center, which contracts wine-making services to other wineries.
The winery produces a wide variety of wines, including traditional viniferas, blends, hybrids, and American bred wines like Cayuga. Unlike any other winery we've visited, they also produce wine made from Blue Agave (yes, a tequila-like wine), blended with lime or orange, resulting in two interesting "marquirita wines."
Tamanend not only bottle most of their wines in the traditional 750 ml bottle, but they also box many of their wines in 1.5 and 3 liter boxes, suitable for storing open in the refrigerator for up to a month. We're not usually fans of boxed wine, but Tamanend's are an exception. We couldn't resist a box of blue agave (lime) for the fridge. Granted, these wines will NOT age and are meant to be enjoyed within a few months of purchase.
We also purchased an outstanding Zinfandel, made from California grapes and bottled under their Torosa label, which we'll try to cellar for 4-5 years, if we can resist the temptation to open is sooner.
Richard have us a tour of the winery and we observed the "boxing" of wine in progress. Tamanend also uses "flex tanks" and oak staves, which produce oak-aged wines without the expense of barrels (French barrels cost about $1,000 each).
Another unique feature of Tamanend is the naming of their wines. Most wines are named after flowers, rather than the grape or blend of grapes from which the wine is made.
We prefer knowing the grapes from which each wine is made, and Kate in the tasting room was more than willing to talk about the grapes used in each wine.
** Blair Vineyards
Winemaker's Dinner
Sunday, July 17th
6:00 pm
at the winery
99 Dietrich Valley Rd
Kutztown, PA 19530
$60 per person includes food, wine, tax & gratuity!
Call 610-683-8463 for reservations.
Happy Hour
at the winery
First Friday (August 5), 5:30-8:30
Click to events.
** Calvaresi Winery
During June and July we're writing about nearby PA wineries and wine bars. The weather is great and there are lots of fun activities, in addition to tasting wine, going on at PA wineries.
Take some time, take a drive, and enjoy!
This week, we're featuring Tamanend Winery located at 759 Flory Mill Rd, Lancaster. Yes, it's a bit of a drive but well worth the trip.
OK, for some reason we'd never visited Tamanend Winery and the Vitis Wine Center. We rarely go as far west as Lancaster for "local wines," even though several wineries in that direction are closer than a few of our favorites to the north. So, off we went on an afternoon adventure. We were glad we did.
 |
| Richard Carey, with a flex tank to his right. |
Tamanend Winery is owned and operated by Linda Jones McKee and Richard Carey. The winery is named in honor of the Chief of the Delaware Tribe of Indians. Richard is the "chief" winemaker and operates the Wine Center, which contracts wine-making services to other wineries.
The winery produces a wide variety of wines, including traditional viniferas, blends, hybrids, and American bred wines like Cayuga. Unlike any other winery we've visited, they also produce wine made from Blue Agave (yes, a tequila-like wine), blended with lime or orange, resulting in two interesting "marquirita wines."
Tamanend not only bottle most of their wines in the traditional 750 ml bottle, but they also box many of their wines in 1.5 and 3 liter boxes, suitable for storing open in the refrigerator for up to a month. We're not usually fans of boxed wine, but Tamanend's are an exception. We couldn't resist a box of blue agave (lime) for the fridge. Granted, these wines will NOT age and are meant to be enjoyed within a few months of purchase.
 |
| Bagging wines for boxing. |
We also purchased an outstanding Zinfandel, made from California grapes and bottled under their Torosa label, which we'll try to cellar for 4-5 years, if we can resist the temptation to open is sooner.
Richard have us a tour of the winery and we observed the "boxing" of wine in progress. Tamanend also uses "flex tanks" and oak staves, which produce oak-aged wines without the expense of barrels (French barrels cost about $1,000 each).
Another unique feature of Tamanend is the naming of their wines. Most wines are named after flowers, rather than the grape or blend of grapes from which the wine is made.
 |
| Kate, pouring Azul D'Oro, a port wine made from blue agave. |
Wine Tasting at Tamanend
The Tasting Room at the winery is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday - Noon to 5 pm. There was no tasting fee and we were welcome to taste as many wines as we pleased. The tasting room also features wine-related items for sale.
You can taste Tamanend wines at the winery, 759 Flory Mill Rd, Lancaster PA
The Red Rose Tasting Room, 25 W. King Street, Lancaster
The Strasburg Wine Tasting Room, 11 Main Street, Strasburg
| Call for hours of the tasting rooms at 717-560-WINE(9463). |
Up-coming Events
Saturday, July 23th, Anniversary Festival
Music by Acoustic Vuja De.
Christmas In August!
Saturday August 6th & Sunday August 7th
Noon to 5 PM
Enjoy "Cool Wine Treats" paired with featured wines of the region...and get a jump on your holiday shopping, too!
Join the wineries of the **Berks County Wine Trail for this festive event:
both days
** Pinnacle Ridge
August 7
Jazz and Blues in the Barn
Click to events.
August 7
Jazz and Blues in the Barn
Click to events.
** Blair Vineyards
Winemaker's Dinner
Sunday, July 17th
6:00 pm
at the winery
99 Dietrich Valley Rd
Kutztown, PA 19530
$60 per person includes food, wine, tax & gratuity!
Call 610-683-8463 for reservations.
Happy Hour
at the winery
First Friday (August 5), 5:30-8:30
Click to events.
** Calvaresi Winery
Music in the Vyneskeller every Saturday.
Walking Tour of the Vineyard, every Saturday and Sunday in July, noon only.
Fun Fact
White Zinfandel, White Merlot, and other similar "white" wines are actually blush (rose) wines, made from red grapes. The juice is left on the skins for a short time so the red color from the skins is absorbed by the white juice, giving these lighter wines a bit of pink or rose color.
posted by Dean and Lisa Foster at
8:00 AM
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