Hello...from a novice wine freak!

[Innkeeper]

The only PA winery we have been inside of, is Nissley. It is about 30 miles northwest of Lancaster, in the hills above the fertile valley that consititutes most of Lancaster County. The dirt is what MrD and WC have described, chalky clay. There are fields of corn and soy beans growing alongside the vineyards.

Nissley has been in business for 20 years and has had an opportunity to experiment with a great variety of grapes. Interestingly enough, the currently bottle only one varietal wine, cabernet franc. They say they have tried others including riesling, with no success. So, most of their wine is made from French/American and American hybrids or blends from them. The cab franc was thin, as has been the case in most '98 & '99 PA Cab Franc due to the climate in those years. Regardless, we enjoyed many of their wines, and brought some home with us.

Jump to the Mushroom Soup & Wine Fest. Wineries their from all over the state tended to have the word "mountain" in the name of their wineries and/or wines. This may be the key. South facing slopes were also quite common. None we talked to could understand why Nissley had such bad luck with varietals. Most of them grew more varietals than others, although such grapes as chambourcin and vidal and seval blancs were in ample evidence.