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Heard it Through the Grapevine… at the Farm Show

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The Farm Show celebrates agriculture.  It’s Pennsylvania’s biggest industry, and wine production is widely considered one of its fastest growing segments.  “The number of wineries has more than doubled within the past decade,” explains Pennsylvania Wineries Association Director Jennifer Eckinger.  “At this point we have more than 150-wineries throughout the state of Pennsylvania.  They’re located in every portion of the state.” 

Eckinger helped to award three of those wineries with the 17th annual Governor’s Cups this week.  The large trophies that represent ‘Best of Show’ wines went to Karamoor Estate Vineyards (Montgomery Co.), Greendance Winery (Westmoreland Co.) and Crossing Vineyard & Winery (Bucks Co.).

Crossing Vineyard & Winery vintner Tom Carroll Jr. knew he wanted to make wine from the time he was 10-years old.  After mastering the craft in California, he moved back to southeastern Pennsylvania to start his own winery on his parents’ farm. 

Carroll’s Best of Show Fruit Wine is called Wild Berry.  The concoction started out as a blueberry wine, but Carroll added some blackberries and raspberries to find just the right flavor.  “I remember the first time my dad tasted it he said, wow this is wild,” Carroll says of how the wine got its name. 

Carroll and all of PA’s winemakers are working every day to convince people that good wine doesn’t have to come from Europe or California.  Based on the crowds at the new wine tasting display in the Farm Show’s Main Hall… it would seem they’re converting hundreds of people this week alone.

PA Wine Industry Grows in Size, Reputation

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The number of licensed Pennsylvania wineries has grown from just over 100 to more than 180 in the past five years.  “That is an enormous jump, especially when we think about ten years ago when we had about 65-wineries,” says Pennsylvania Winery Association Executive Director Jennifer Eckinger.  Pennsylvania wineries combine two of Pennsylvania’s biggest industries: agriculture and tourism.  Eckinger says they are proud to be a part of both. 

Quality is one key to the recent growth.  “We’re seeing that the overall quality of wine grape growth has spread throughout the state,” Eckinger says, while also pointing to an increased interest in both wines and buying local.

The most recent data pegs the Pennsylvania wine and wine grape industry’s economic impact at $2.35-billion dollars, but Eckinger points out those are 2007 numbers.  “I can only imagine that has increased over the last four years as well.”

An emphasis on research and marketing may truly make 2012 a vintage year for PA wine.  “The wineries have such an immense passion, the winemakers have immense passion and it’s great to try a product that was crafted locally.”

As the industry grows, so does its presence at the Farm Show.  Visitors to the 96th Pennsylvania Farm Show’s Main Hall will be able to check out the Pennsylvania Wine cork sculpture and sample from 20-wineries that will take turns manning “Winery Row.”