I visited the Sand Castle winery in Erwinna, Pennsylvania. I took a tour and tasted all their wines. The employee was very knowledgeable and answered all my questions.
The winery was established by two brothers who emigrated from Slovakia in 1969. They bought the property in 1974 and produced their first bottle of wine in 1988.
The vines come from New York State. There are 62,000 vines, some of which are 30 years old. The soil is mostly clay. The vineyard is surrounded by the Delaware River. The vines grow from north to south and are 8-9 feet apart to prevent shadowing. The vineyard basically maintains itself because the wind from the Pocono Mountains kills the mold. From December through May, the winemakers prune by hand. They use a harvester from 1949 but only for white grapes because Pinot Noir would get ruined. Therefore red grapes are harvested by hand. They also use a crusher “Lucy” which transports the juice to the cellar.
There are two white and two red wine varieties grown at Sand Castle – Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Pinot Noir. They also make ‘cuvee’ – white wine soaked with red skins. They use French oak barrels. Wine ferments in steel for 4-6 years or barrels for 2 years. They top the barrels off every two months.
After I took a tour of the vineyard and winery, I tasted all the wines on their list. I especially enjoyed (and purchased) these unique wines:
- Claret – the personnel call it “a breakfast wine”, they recommend mixing one bottle with one sliced orange and serve it with pancakes
- Cuvee Blush – the color comes from Cabernet skin, it’s slightly sweet and pairs well with Thai or Mexican food
- Johannisberg Riesling Late Harvest – select harvest from Botrytis grapes, superb balance of acidity and sweetness, pairs well with cheesecake
- Alpine Spice – Chardonnay and Riesling with spices, can be served warm in winter or on ice in summer, tastes great with vanilla ice cream or with a touch of Bacardi
The lobby
The vineyard
The cellar
The crusher “Lucy”
The harvester
The front desk
