Manheim's Waltz Estate Winery has a bottle shop on Main Street in Lititz, with a cute little bar built for an awkward threesome. The cheerful newlyweds behind it last December served up four tastes of their best mediocre wine in plastic cups, which we paid for.
So far, no surprises. Whether by terroir or terrible taste, Pennsylvania wineries delight in making god-awful syrupy Jell-O-pop reds and, out of custom or misplaced pride, Pennsylvanians gulp them down grinning and ask for more. (No judgment here!)
What I didn't expect was to leave with a $40 bottle of 2010 Crow Woods Cabernet. This wine, they said, is so good they didn't even put it on their tasting menu (a backwards business tactic that apparently worked for me).
Several months and one special occasion later, I'm pleased to report that Waltz has managed to make the first Pennsylvania red wine I ever enjoyed. It's almost certainly not worth $40 a bottle, but it is light and dry without an astringent finish.
Cheers!
http://www.waltzvineyards.com/estate-wines.php
