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Ice is golden for Adams County Winery
Adams County Winery was awarded a Gold Medal at the exclusive 2009 Denver International Wine Competition held at the Warwick Denver Hotel in Denver CO. D'Vine Ice, a Vidal Ice Wine, won the judges' hearts and minds in the 'Later Harvest/Sweet Wine' category. Over 14 leading industry professionals participated as judges in the double-blind competition. The Gold Medal-winning wineries will be showcased at the Denver International Wine Festival's "Taste of Elegance" Chef's Food and Wine Pairing Competition on Thursday November 12, 2009.
Winery co-owner John Kramb stated, "This is a stunning accomplishment for us. What makes this competition different from most is that the organizers of Denver International award only one Gold, Silver, or Bronze medal per class. In most competitions, you are awarded a medal based on the total number of points you accumulate, with no limit to the number of medals per class. The Denver International awards medals only to the top three point-winners. I am very pleased to have earned this award. It also goes to prove that the general merit of Pennsylvania wines has reached 'world-class' in quality. Wow!"
Adams County Winery was the only Pennsylvania winery to be awarded a medal in this competition. A complete list of winners from the competition can be found by visiting: www.denverwinecomp.com.
Stop by the Farm Winery or Twenty-Five C, our downtown store, to sample this award-winning ice wine!
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Website Re-Vamp'd!
In a few weeks, we will release our updated website with a new look! It's the same location and same information, but with a fresh, updated design! A brand new online shopping cart will be available and will include both wine and wine-related merchandise for sale. Check it out for the upcoming Holiday gift-giving season!
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Wine Alert! Wine Alert!
Wine Alert!
Our holiday wine, Reflections , a spiced apple and cranberry wine, and Rusty's Red, the latest and greatest of our sweet red wines will be available shortly! Check our website for the release date.
Calling all Black Magic fans out there - our supply is getting low and won't be refilled for quite some time. Now would be the time to stock up! If you're too late and miss out, you can't say we didn't warn you...
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Help Indoctrinate Rusty's New Pad!
Saturday, October 24th
The new addition to the winery, "Rusty's Wine Cellar" is officially open. The room is available for your special event purposes, our class presentations and general use by guests to the winery. We are hosting an open house event this Saturday, Oct. 24, from 12-5 PM, celebrating the grand opening of Rusty's Wine Cellar in true Halloween fashion.
Come in costume, get your trick-or-treat on and check out the room. Warm wine drink specials for $1, free if you show up in costume! There will be prizes for people of all ages, so bring the whole family to the farm for a visit. Come celebrate the grand opening and you might just get the chance to meet the V.I.P. (Very Important Pet) himself, Rusty the Golden Retriever.
We hope to see you this Saturday! Come for the Open House, stay for the wine and leave with some too.
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Vintners Report
We harvest no wine before its time
It's that time of year again - grape harvest time in our favorite neck of the woods, South Central Pennsylvania wine country. This year is shaping up to be a bountiful harvest here at Adams County Winery. Here's some background on the sequence of a typical harvest, and what happen
at the winery.  Grape harvest in Pennsylvania starts in late August and ends in mid-October, depending on the grape and its level of ripeness. This is a perfect time to visit and experience part of the wine-making process.
Winemaker, Evan and Owner, John walk down each row of vines and utilize old world techniques such as tasting and touching, noting the texture and juice levels in each cluster. These tried and true methods are the best way to determine the optimal level of ripeness, and thus when to begin the harvest. The characteristics and potential of a wine are determined more by what happens on the vine than what happens in the wine cellar after the grapes are picked.
The grapes are cut from the vines by hand. This is an effective first line of defense to prevent inferior quality fruit from contaminating a tank of wine. Manual harvesting affords the advantage of picking only the ripe clusters and leaving the clusters that are not ripe, contain Botrytis (bunch rot), or other defects, behind. The average harvest yields between three and eight tons of grapes per acre, picked and processed.
If you hear a loud "Yippee!!!" echoing throughout the valley this fall, it's probably Winemaker, Evan, as he tips the last bin of grapes into the hopper. It's always a big relief for him to know that the crop is safely "in the barn" and another harvest season is complete until next year.
Don't wait too long or you'll miss the wine-making in action!
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Volkssporting wines a path to Adams County Winery:
Adams County Winery welcomes a regional Volkssport club to the winery for an event on November 14, 2009. The walk is open to anyone interested, and will go on farm roads through the vineyards, along natural trails, and on rural country roads. Food and beverage will be available for purchase at the Winery. Wine can be purchased by the glass or by the bottle at the Winery before, during, and after the event. The trail is not suitable wheelchairs or strollers, however the Winery is!
The American Volksport Association Brochure defines Volkssporting as this:
Promoting well-being and good health by providing safe exercise in a stress-free environment is the hallmark of volkssporting. Walking - also called "volkswalking" - is the most popular of all the volkssporting activities. Walks are generally 10 km (6.2 miles) in length and the routes are marked or guided by a leader. Local clubs generally offer a 5 km option for participants who are physically or medically unable to complete the longer walks. All events are noncompetitive. The volkssporter chooses the sport, the distance and the pace.
Volkssporting events take place throughout the year, all around the country. Historic and scenic sites are selected for their enjoyment. Trails are carefully laid out and marked, easy to follow directions or maps are provided. Ratings of 1 to 5 (the most difficult) are given to trails based upon the challenge the trail presents. The designated Start Point is open for several hours to allow you to begin your volkssporting adventure at your leisure. Trails have checkpoints along the route and are monitored for security and safety.
In the volkssporting tradition, you frequently find volkssporters gathered at the Finish Point where they take time to enjoy friends, and at some events, entertainment or food and drink.
Open to everyone, local club or national membership is optional. Most participants do take part in the low-cost Achievement Awards Program or receive the special award for an event. That adds to the fun of accomplishment."
Adams County Winery looks forward to welcoming the Volksmarch participants November 14!
The Winery offers a fun, inviting and relaxed atmosphere where anyone - locals and tourists alike - can feel at home. As always the tasting room is open so you can try a variety of delicious local wines. The Farm Winery is located at 251 Peach Tree Road in Orrtanna. For more information about Adams County Winery, visit www.AdamsCountyWinery.com or call 717-334-4631.
For more information feel free to visit the American Volkssport Association Website: www.ava.org
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