Chautauqua-Lake Erie wineries give holiday hours
WESTFIELD - It's cold and snowy in America's Grape Country and those wineries which make ice wine are praying for cold days to hasten the harvest of ice wine grapes.
And while it might be the end of high tourist season in the area, the 21 wineries of the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail, located between Silver Creek and North East, Pa., are "dressed for the holidays" and open for tastings and sales throughout the month of December, including the week after Christmas.
Both before and after Christmas, the wineries offer calm winter days for careful and leisurely sampling and shopping. Since it is the season, the wineries remind you to try warm or mulled spiced wines, rich and complex ice wines (made from grapes frozen in the winter of 2007), and other specialty wines such as Port and Sherry. In addition, several of the wineries, including Penn Shore and Sparkling Ponds, make champagne for those special New Year's parties.
Include on your tasting trip, if you can, a stop by Noble Winery whose vistas of snowy vineyards can be stunning. Or warm your center with brandies from Mazza Chautauqua, whose copper pot still is the centerpiece of this Mayville winery. And if you haven't yet, visit the historic wine cellar (circa 1864) at South Shore Wine Company (North East, Pa.) or the new tasting room located in Quincy Cellars' (Ripley) historic renovated barn.
Three ideas for gifts while sampling at the wineries:
Wine, of course, for your family and friends. Some of the wineries can ship this wine to your destination and Johnson Estate is featuring free shipping during December on case purchases.
Wine accessories and other gifts. Many of the wineries have gift shops and feature varied types of merchandise, including glassware and bottle openers. Arrowhead Wine Cellars boasts one of the largest gift shops with a dizzying selection. Blueberry Sky specializes in jellies, vinegars, and unusual cooking wine for your favorite "foodie." Presque Isle is a "must" destination for books and equipment for the home winemaker.
And for those who want to discover all of the wineries, try tickets to Wine Trail Events. The next Wine Trail Event is the Wine & Chocolate Weekend, Feb. 7 & 8, 2009. Tickets can be purchased online at www.chautauquawinetrail.org or by calling 877-326-6561 and can be sent in advance of Christmas. Most, but not all, of the wineries are open daily; please check the Web site for detailed listings of opening hours.
Holiday Openings and Hours
for the Wineries
(All wineries are closed Christmas Day and New Years' Day)
Arrowhead Wine Cellars: Mon-Sat: Open 10-5 p.m., Sun noon-5 p.m., Closed 1st two wks of January
Blueberry Sky Farm: Open noon-5 p.m. every day
Burch Farms Country Mkt: Open 10-6 p.m. every day
Heritage Wine Cellars: Dec: 10-6 p.m. every day. Jan: noon-5 p.m., except wkends 10-6 p.m.
Johnson Estate Winery: Open 10-6 p.m. everyday
Lakeview Wine Cellars: Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 11-5 p.m., Tues & Wed: By chance, Sun: noon-5 p.m.
Mazza Chautauqua Cellars: Thurs-Mon: 10-5:30 p.m., Sun: noon-4:30 p.m.
Mazza Vineyards: Mon-Sat: 9-5:30 p.m., Sun: noon-4:30 p.m.
Merritt Estate Winery: Mon-Sat: 10-5 p.m., Sun: noon-5 p.m.
Noble Winery: Open 10-6 p.m. every day
Penn Shore Vineyards: Open 9-5:30 p.m. every day
Presque Isle Wine Cellars: Open 9-5 p.m. every day
Quincy Cellars Winery: Thurs through Mon: 11-5 p.m., Restaurant open Saturdays only until 8 p.m.
Roberian Winery: Christmas & New Year's Week Sat and Sun: 11-5 p.m.
Schloss Doepken: Open noon-5 p.m. every day
South Shore Wine Company: Mon-Sat: noon-5:30 p.m., Sun: noon-4:30 p.m.
Sparkling Ponds: Mon-Fri: 11-6 p.m., Sat: 10-6 p.m., Sun: 11-5 p.m.
Vetter Vineyards: Thurs through Mon: 11-5 p.m., Closed Tues & Wed
Willow Creek Winery: Mon-Sat: 10-5 p.m., Sun: noon-5 p.m.
Woodbury Vineyards: Mon-Sat: 9-5 p.m., Sun: 10-5 p.m.