Any suggestions for PA visit?

[bathman]

I'm going to be making a trip across the pond in February to east PA to visit my brother - hoping to find the time to check out a few local wine places. I know it is not a grape production area, but thought there may be some wineries about or maybe good places to try some interesting wines.

I'm going to be spending my time between Philadelphia and Lansdale and possibly a visit into Allentown.

Can anyone recommend anywhere to check out while I'm there?

 

[mainshipfred]

I'm not familiar with wineries in that area but a 3:15 hour drive will put you in Leesburg or Middleburg VA. you can almost walk from one winery to another.

 

[tacks]

We used to crawl through a hole in the fence to get to a "park" frequented by artists, criminals, students and homeless. It was not an especially safe place to go last year. Something very beautiful but ugly at the same time, if that makes sense. An odd place for there to be such blight.

https://media.phillyvoice.com/media/images/Rail_Park_Site.2e16d0ba.fill-735x490.jpg

But just five months ago this spot has been made open to the public. It's all cleaned up now -- a drastic change in center city of philadelphia. And it's totally safe, of course.

https://www.uwishunu.com/2018/06/guide-rail-park-phillys-game-changing-elevated-greenway/

You should also see the typical tourist spots -- people visit them for good reason. Walk a few blocks of the benjamin franklin parkway, if not the whole stretch. The big street that starts at the art museum and ends at city hall -- was modeled after the Champs-Élysées of Paris.

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I'm a big fan of the Philadlephia Brewing Company http://philadelphiabrewing.com/tours/

But i do NOT recommend that you wander around that neighborhood by yourself on foot -- i strongly advise against it.

 

[ibglowin]

No trip to Philly would be complete without a trip to Patty's Pub! LOL

 

[Scooter68]

Micro breweries and small wineries are popping up all across the USA and they don't have to be in 'Wine Country' to be good. Hopefully folks more knowledgeable about the PA area can tell you. The advice about Leesburg or Middleburg VA is good. We used to live in the DC metro area and those places are about 45 mins from there.

 

[pgentile]

I'm going to be making a trip across the pond in February to east PA to visit my brother - hoping to find the time to check out a few local wine places. I know it is not a grape production area, but thought there may be some wineries about or maybe good places to try some interesting wines.

I'm going to be spending my time between Philadelphia and Lansdale and possibly a visit into Allentown.

Can anyone recommend anywhere to check out while I'm there?

Chaddsford, Sand Castle and The Inn at Grace Wineries are all good bets in the area you mention.

In Philly I've been to most of the wine bars on this list:

https://www.thrillist.com/drink/philadelphia/the-8-best-wine-bars-in-philadelphia#

 

[Boatboy24]

Not a lot of wine suggestions from me. But...

You will have to go to both Pat's and Geno's and determine who has the best cheesesteak.

Being an alum of Villanova, I'd be remiss if I didn't suggest you try and catch a VU basketball game while you're in town.

And you should meet up with @pgentile and @Ajmassa5983

 

[Grabo]

Chaddsford, Sand Castle and The Inn at Grace Wineries are all good bets in the area you mention.

I work about 15min south of the Lansdale area, and agree with these choices. To add to these wineries:

https://vivatalfawinery.com/ - this is an old style winery and has really good dry Riesling and Gewurztraminer. Their reds are good, too, but lower any expectation for reds in this region if you like dry reds.

https://www.bishopestatepa.com/ - a newer winery in the area that has a beautiful location, some good wines, and a good variety.

https://cardinalhollowwinery.com/ - more of a novelty wine location, but they have a tasting room right next to Lansdale. Their wines are pretty good, but more interesting to me is their oddball country "wines" (jalapeno wine, blue agave wine, cupuacu wine and various creative ideas that hit or miss).

My favorites are Sand Castle and then Vivat Alfa.

 

[bathman]

Thanks for the suggestions, will be sure to check some of them out when I visit. Particularly like the sound of the ones close to Lansdale, as they should be close enough that I can sneak out with my brother without the kids in tow!

 

[Ajmassa]

Can anyone recommend anywhere to check out while I'm there?

My basement [emoji6]

 

[Ajmassa]

No trip to Philly would be complete without a trip to Patty's Pub! LOL

Would be awesome! But unfortunately your not going to run into Frank and the gang at Paddy’s Pub here. —— It doesn’t exist!
A couple copycat bars popped up with the name over the years- but the true blue Paddy’s Pub- never was. ‘But we’ll always have Cheers for iconic TV bars!

 

[Boatboy24]

‘But we’ll always have Cheers for iconic TV bars!

Just don't go to the real one so you can keep that iconic image in your head.

 

[ibglowin]

Yea, I was just joking. The entire show is shot in LA. The exterior of Paddy's Pub is in downtown LA...... The "dodgy end"!

 

[Ajmassa]

Yea, I was just joking. The entire show is shot in LA. The exterior of Paddy's Pub is in downtown LA...... The "dodgy end"!

View attachment 52361

Most. But not all. There’s a good amount filmed here actually. I seent them myself.
Every season had a large amount of outside scenes filmed all over town. Not being LA, word tends to get around town when “the gang” is spotted filming.
Over the years I’ve seen some pretty interesting sets around town. (And even met Cameron Diaz!) but the coolest to witness was this Denzel movie called Fallen filming a sidewalk scene- passing this “curse” back and forth between passers-by.
[apologies for the derailment mate [emoji636]]

 

[pgentile]

Mac's Tavern in Old City is part owned by McElhenney from the show and has an interior feel similar to the bar on the show.

The mythical "Paddy's Pub" from the show is supposed to be on a dark alley in Philly, which would point to McGillin's Old Ale House on Drury St. IMO

 

[StToddy]

I have not yet visited the winery, but have tried wines made in the Lehigh Valley, PA area by Hackett Wine (hackettwine.com). A friend served their 100% Pinot Noir over dinner (it is called, "Handmade"). It was surprisingly good, so when I got home, I ordered a few bottles online, as well as a few whites. Imagine my surprise a few days later, when Bob Hackett, the owner, knocked on my door to deliver the wine himself, in person, since he was passing through our area anyway!

 

[Elizajean]

I'm going to be making a trip across the pond in February to east PA to visit my brother - hoping to find the time to check out a few local wine places. I know it is not a grape production area, but thought there may be some wineries about or maybe good places to try some interesting wines.

I'm going to be spending my time between Philadelphia and Lansdale and possibly a visit into Allentown.

Can anyone recommend anywhere to check out while I'm there?

My good friends love the area around Allentown. One in particular is Galen Glen http://www.galenglen.com, 30 miles NW of Allwwntown. We haven't been their yet, but looking forward to going there. I like their wine and in particular their Greuner Veltliner. I'll ask my friends for other recommendations. Good luck!

 

[peterseng]

As a long time resident of the Lehigh Valley area (where Allentown is located) I can tell you that there are a number of good vineyards and wineries in the area. The Lehigh Valley AVA has grown quite a bit over the past couple of decades and is (in my humble opinion) making some really nice wines.
For good wines and a comfortable, friendly atmosphere, I would recommend Vynecrest Winery a few minutes west of Allentown. A larger operation (Clover Hill) is only about a mile away from here also (though I haven't tried many of their wines, to be honest).
About 15 to 20 minutes north of Vynecrest you can also find smaller, family run Weathered Vineyards - owned and operated by a member of this forum, if I recall (wxtrendsguy). I haven't had the opportunity to visit him yet, but plan to change that over the next few months.

 

[Ajmassa]

Wow. So many WMT members around here.
You guys should check out the annual PA wine festival. 100+ wineries gather for a 3 day weekend of debauchery! It’s up at Lake Harmony in the poconos, Split rock resort. Was a blast last year (hope your a big fan of Chamboricin! Lol)
You might even catch some WMT members there getting drunk on each other’s wines!

 

[mainshipfred]

Good thread to advertise it AJ. Go to page 11 of mid-atlantic-north-east meet-up for pics. We get group rates and mostly stay on the same floor of the lodge. I'll start with 10 rooms again and hopefully will have to increase it this year. There is something for the whole family for those of you that have a young family.

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/mid-atlantic-north-east-meet-up.58449/
https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/2nd-annual-m-a-n-e-event.66003/