TJ sniffs out a Pennsylvania vineyard (now featuring microbreweries :-)

Westtown Willy

Westtown Willy

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Kimberly & I set out today to take a drive through the country, no destination or stops in mind but after a few twists & turns we happened upon Stargazers Vineyard in Coatesville Pennsylvania, embarrassingly this is less than 30 minutes from my home & I never knew it existed. It’s a bit buried off the beaten path & in a direction I rarely travel, but still…

We ended up hanging around for a couple hours. We picked a chilled bottle of Gruner Veltliner & as we sat sipping we were talking about how many nice local discoveries we’ve made this summer being tethered closer to home. Most have been bike paths we haven’t seen before but there have been a share of local treasures like this as well. As I sat there looking around this place I realized I could be in a great many places in the US or across the globe for that matter, yet we were right in our own back yard:

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there are tables scattered here & there, maybe 10 other people were there altogether

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overcast but absolutely beautiful, low 70's with low humidity, it's been a fairly brutally hot summer so these kind of days are a nice change

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deer fence surrounds all the vines

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it's a pretty small operation, started in 1996, the current owners took it over about a year ago

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the 'parking lot' :ROFLMAO:

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kmq102 said:
@Westtown Willy have you ever gone to Adello in Perkiomenville?
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I have not, really I'm not big into wineries I just stumbled onto this, but probably will be now, it was a lot of fun. I've been to Chadds Ford Winery which is really cool, many years ago. Also a good buddy of mine started a winery in Spring City PA called Stone Barn Cellars, it's absolutely beautiful.

Funny TJ related story, my Jeep shop (the JpShop) is 10 minutes down the road from the winery, a few years ago after picking up the TJ after re-gearing and locker install I figured I'd visit my buddy so I rolled up to the Stone Barn & his eyes popped out, he jumped in & said head that way - his property is huge & on a very steep slope down towards a large creek. So my rig's inaugural 'wheeling' trip was in a vineyard :ROFLMAO:

http://stonebarncellars.com/
 
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kmq102 said:
@RobertJ Many years ago we were visiting my college friends in Dumbfries. I believe we went to Hartwood in VA. It was such a great day.
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Definitely a georgeous area. I would have never moved here without my job with the Feds, but I have enjoyed the four seasons, so much to do, and beautiful scenery. The further away you get from DC the better it gets too. We live on the outskirts of Fairfax County and do almost everything in Loudoun County which has amazing wineries/breweries and views.
 
RobertJ said:
I'm an equal opportunity offender of both wineries and microbreweries! They are both in abundance in Northern Virginia.
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in a town close by, Phoenixville Pennsylvania, there are an abundance of microbreweries, a winery (which closed due to the virus), and the newest thing going, a distillery. I don't drink anything beyond wine but it's pretty cool to see something like that, I'm loving this revolution of homegrown booze rather than relying on large commercial suppliers. Nothing beats a good microbrewery, a new one is about to come online in my hometown, its opening has been delayed by the virus I think, but it should be open soon.
 
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kmq102 said:
@Westtown Willy Phoenixville really turned it around since my Sister moved there about 19 years ago. We loved going there over the summer to enjoy the closed road. Brother's Kershner in Skippack is great too.
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I agree, it's become one of our favorite places to go, though our last visit was a turn-off, we found them a bit heavy handed with the restrictions and related bs but that will pass. Our favorite part is that it sits on the Schuylkill River Trail so when we go we either walk or bike the trail first then head into town for some more fun, just a killer combination. That town is a fantastic supplement to down town West Chester & it's only 20 minutes away, & about 20 minutes in the other direction puts us in downtown Kennett Square which is also really cool.

I don't know if you've spent any time in West Chester lately but after many, many years of that eyesore that used to be part of the Courthouse Annex sitting vacant & dilapidated they razed it along with some neighboring properties & in their place they constructed a town center/square which is nearing completion, that city block went from worst to first & is now the crown jewel of the town. It's a 4 or 5 story office building with a huge center square & the ground level will be retail, the anchor of it all & largest section will be Sedona Taphouse, there's already one in Phoenixville. This is a great addition to this town, it feels like we already have 50 restaurants to pick from so the more the merrier, especially ones that are beer-centric

This is the old Annex that was bulldozed, by the way it looked much worse than this, it was all boarded up & just hideous:

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this is the rendering of what would replace the Annex:

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And this is a shot of my son & his girlfriend from last weekend, the exterior of the structure is now complete & the square is open, some offices are occupied already & they're working to get the retail businesses up & running at ground level. This has really put the town over the top.

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about a block east, with the addition of the town square this is now a contiguous scene downtown, hoping by next summer all these restrictions will be a thing of the past & the town can really experience its best days

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I'll be down in WC weekly for hockey games but I haven't really gone into town much in years. Unfortunately up my way there aren't many options for anything. We have to drive to Phoenixville, Skippack, Pottstown, or Boyertown for anything. That's part of the reason we moved up here but it would be nice to have some additional dinning options.
 
kmq102 said:
I'll be down in WC weekly for hockey games but I haven't really gone into town much in years. Unfortunately up my way there aren't many options for anything. We have to drive to Phoenixville, Skippack, Pottstown, or Boyertown for anything. That's part of the reason we moved up here but it would be nice to have some additional dinning options.
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in that case do yourself a favor & check it out while the weather is still favorable, the entirety of Gay Street has been shut down to vehicle traffic & is one continuous outdoor dining extravaganza :ROFLMAO:, seriously it is a truly exceptional experience. My recommendations are Opa, Mercato, Sterling Pig, Iron Hill, Avalon, & Sidebar. Kildares, Slow Hand & the Nail are good too, hell so is Mas & Barnabys, if you're into steak I hear Pietros is good, & if whiskey is your thing try 151 Saloon, & Kooma for sushi. I really can't keep up with the places, so many to pick from. My daughter came in from Pittsburgh last night but it was too late for us to head in for dinner which was the plan, maybe tonight if the rain stops; I'll be meeting up with the boy on Monday for happy hour, supposed to be 80 & sunny, I'm trying to squeeze in as many as I can before we're chased back indoors for the winter, at that point I'll probably abandon it until spring. I think they'll extend the season as far as possible with those outdoor heaters, maybe push it into November...
 
So today Kimberly & I finally made it out to Stone Barn Cellars Winery which is located out in Spring City Pennsylvania, about 25 minutes from home. The owner is one of my oldest friends, we go back to middle school 40+ years ago. He bought this property probably 20 or so years ago with the intention of turning it into a winery which he did probably 10 or so years ago. It was simply an amazing day, sunny & low 70's, just perfect to kick back with some beautiful fall scenery, good wine & good music.

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the house

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the barn which was converted into the winery downstairs & tasting room upstairs, that part was all closed but outside was open

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looking out from the bandstand area

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the property slopes downward towards a creek, so we grabbed a couple chairs & headed down

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old log cabin on the property

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some traffic

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as the day went on others joined us

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chief cook & bottle washer, big Ben, one helluva guy

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what a great day to be alive.

If you live anywhere within drive-shot of this place give it a whirl, you won't be disappointed:

http://stonebarncellars.com/
 
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we have returned to our hunt for new local wineries & today the TJ sniffed out a gem, I cannot describe the magnitude of this place, it sprawled for acres on end with cool old buildings tucked here & there in the hills & trees, just a stunning piece of real estate with a well established winery & clientele. I didn't check the hours so we ended up arriving a little more than an hour before they opened so we had a chance to walk around while it was empty of people.

An excerpt from their website to give you an idea of just how cool this place is:

The Inn at Grace Winery is a tranquil haven situated on thirty five acres in the historic Brandywine Valley. Our original Quaker farmhouse dates to 1734 and the Hemphill family added a magnificent Georgian addition in 1815. The Inn housed the British after the battle of the Brandywine in 1777, was a safe house for the underground railroad and the farmhouse’s third floor was a civil war infirmary. The estate vineyard is just off the Manor House. The side porch is the perfect location to watch the sun sink behind the vineyard while enjoying your favorite Grace Winery vintage.​

This is quintessential Pennsylvania.

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There is a large Inn at the front of the property, surrounded by fields, vineyard & outbuildings/guest houses. This is the old barn which is the entrance to the tasting room

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beautiful inside but we're here for the outdoor scenery

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a little cove at the rear of the barn, they were hosting a bridal shower today

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the Inn from the rear

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part of the vineyard

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my camera sucks but I was trying to capture the detail of the chimneys, incredible

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I had no idea what this cool little shack was, someone walking by told me it was the office

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a clump of guest rooms off the main Inn; we've already talked about booking a room here in the fall when there's a nice chill & the aroma of burning wood in the air

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behind the paddock was another area where they keep Alpaca, one was born today.

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anyway we picked a cold Chardonnay & sipped the afternoon away

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inside the tasting room in the old barn, the photos do no justice

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the rear of the tasting room

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We'll have to return many times to really soak this place all in.
 
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That's a bunch of good wineries just North of Allentown near the Poconos...Amore's, Sorrento, Blue Ridge, Mountain View.
 
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