Bacchus Rising

By: Jill Gleeson

It may have been a tough couple of years for many businesses, but for Pennsylvania wineries, it’s been a juicy run.

There are four wineries located within a 70-minute drive of State College, and all have not only survived the brutal economic downturn, but prospered.

In rolling valleys and across verdant mountain slopes, from the Lake Erie region down to the southernmost reaches of the state, wineries are sprouting up across Pennsylvania. In 2000 there were 64 wineries operating in the Keystone state; that figure has almost doubled in less than a decade. Driven by an increased interest in wine and fostered by the state’s rich soil and diverse, moderate microclimates, winemaking has become a booming business in Pennsylvania.

Nearly one million tourists now visit Pennsylvania’s tasting rooms and as of 2005, the industry contributed $661 million to the state economy. As Jennifer Eckinger, executive director of the Pennsylvania Winery Association, observes, “Not only has the number of wineries grown, but many of the existing wineries have blossomed. I think wineries in Pennsylvania are making some very strong inroads not just in increased production but also in reputation. They are producing some very high-quality wines.”

Nowhere in Pennsylvania is winemaking thriving more than in the heart of the state. There are four wineries located within a 70-minute drive from State College, and all have not only survived the brutal economic downturn, but prospered.

They will soon be joined by a fifth: Spring Mills’ Seven Mountains Wine Cellars, opening this month. Founded by Scott and Mary Ann Bubb, the venture will initially offer 20 varieties, including a number of fruit wines as well as favorites like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Scott decided to turn his lifelong hobby into a business after the plant he worked in for nearly 35 years shut its doors. The winner of 42 national wine awards in five years (including a Best of Category medal in the American Wine Society’s 2008 competition for his sangria), Scott figures he knows his stuff. And he firmly believes the wine industry is “recession-proof. If you normally drink a bottle of wine in the evening with dinner, take a look at your 401K and you’ll drink two bottles that day!”

While the Bubbs will bottle 4,000 gallons of wine this year, they plan on eventually increasing output to at least 8,000 annually. They will offer both public and private tastings in Seven Mountains’ newly built lodge, which features 2,000 feet of retail space and a cozy lounge area, perfect for relaxing with a good glass of wine.

If Scott Bubb ever needs inspiration, he should look no further than Joe and Betty Carroll and Mount Nittany Vineyard and Winery. The couple has been running their winery, located on the mountain which gives the business its name, for just short of two decades. Over the years, they have won more than 190 medals in state, national and international contests, including 11 in last year’s Great Lakes Wine Competition.

Mount Nittany produces 13,000 gallons of wine annually in about 20 varieties, many of which are sold in local restaurants, state stores and at Springfield House in Boalsburg. According to Joe, there are several reasons for the winery’s success: “We have a great location—people come out, enjoy the scenery and have a good time. We also got into the state stores early on, which is good advertising.”

Recently, the Carrolls have introduced the semi-dry, fruity Traminette and the sweet Mountain Sunset to their line (Tailgate Red remains their best seller). Come fall, their popular Winemaker’s Dinners will resume, and in October they will host their annual Fall Harvest Wine Festival. If the right space can be found, the couple also hopes to open a retail location in State College.

“They say when times are rough, people drink,” muses Cheryl Glick, who owns Brookmere Winery and Vineyard Inn with her husband, Ed. “And when times are good, people drink. So the economy just hasn’t affected our winery!”

Times are good enough for the Glicks that last year they converted the 143-year-old mansion on the winery’s property into an inn and built a pavilion for outdoor events. Located in the stunning countryside outside Belleville, Brookmere is Pennsylvania’s first winery with a B&B, which is used for weddings, corporate gatherings and private parties.

The winery, which operates out of a barn erected the same time as the mansion, bottles 13,000 gallons annually. Thirty-two varieties of wine are available, which are sold at Brookmere, a retail outlet in Hollidaysburg, and through local merchants. Brookmere’s signature wine is the sweet blush Frog Hollow, which won a silver medal in the 2009 Pennsylvania Wine Competition. (Brookmere’s Riesling and apple wines won bronzes). The Glicks’ latest offering is Berries Gone Wild, a raspberry/grape blend created to help satisfy customers’ ever-present taste for sweet wine.

On the 25th of this month, Brookmere will celebrate its 25th anniversary with daylong festivities featuring local artists, food vendors and a performance from the Harrisburg-based band The Headliners. Visit their Web site for more information.

This year is looking like a very fine year indeed for Altoona’s Oak Spring Winery. With retail locations already in Bedford and Butler, the business opened new outlets this spring in State College and Pittsburgh. “Two new stores?” declares owner Scott Schraff. “It just doesn’t get any bigger than that!” To keep the latest shops stocked, the winery will increase output by 3,000 gallons a year, from 6,500 cases to about 7,250 cases annually.

Founded in 1987 by Schraff’s parents, John and Sylvia, Oak Spring is located in an enormous 7,500-square-foot structure off of I-99 that boasts not only Pennsylvania’s largest tasting room, but also a well-stocked brew shop. The winery, which has snared over 150 awards, bottles about two dozen wines. Favorites include their Steuben, an American Wine Society gold medal winner, and Cranberry wine, made from whole cranberries. Schraff expects a new Cabernet Franc Blush and a Merlot to be out this year.

In the meantime, Schraff is concentrating on his new retail ventures. State College residents can now pick up a bottle of Oak Spring wine inside the store Reflections, on Calder Way; the Pittsburgh location can be found on the main drag of the tony suburb Oakmont.

Like Oak Spring, Starr Hill Vineyard and Winery in Curwensville is growing by leaps and bounds. Founded in 2005 by Ken Starr, the business opened a retail outlet in Clearfield last October, followed by a St. Marys location in November. This month, if all goes well, a State College store will debut in the Bed Bath & Beyond plaza.

To meet the increasing demand, last year Starr purchased a $60,000 automatic bottler. The winery now produces about 5,000 cases annually, in 35 varieties. “Sales have increased every month from the previous year,” says Starr. Kenn Starr, Starr’s son and the winery’s marketing manager, adds, “You have to grow with the times, or you stay stuck where you are!” The awards the Starrs have racked up can’t have hurt business—including a gold medal at the 2008 Indianapolis International Wine Competition for their popular Cranberry Bog, a cranberry/grape blend. Their latest wine is Vidal, a semi-dry white.

Once Starr Hill is established in Happy Valley, the Starrs plan to create a specialty wine to benefit a charity in the State College region, much as they did in Curwensville with their Hartshorn Red. A portion of that wine’s sales went toward the clean-up of the trout stream for which it is named. The pair also hopes to coordinate a wine-tasting event in the area. ~SCM

Want more? Check out the Web sites:
www.sevenmountainswinecellars.com
www.mtnittanywinery.com
www.brookmerewine.com
www.oakspringwinery.com
www.starrhillwinery.com

There are a number of other wineries within a two-hour drive of State College, including:
Bastress Mountain Winery, Williamsport, Pa. www.bastressmountainwinery.com
Evergreen Valley Vineyards, Luthersburg, Pa.  www.evwinery.com
Hunters Valley Winery, Liverpool, Pa. www.huntersvalleywines.com
Laurel Mountain Vineyard, Falls Creek, Pa. www.laurelwines.com
Oregon Hill Winery, Morris, Pa. www.oregonhillwinery.com
Shade Mountain Vineyards and Winery Middleburg, Pa. www.shademountainwinery.com
Spyglass Ridge Winery, Sunbury, Pa. www.spyglassridgewinery.com