When you think of wine country, you might think Sonoma. If you're me, you think Oregon, Grand Traverse and Niagara. But you could save yourself a great deal of time and money by thinking Pennsylvania.

Even though north-central PA isn't the easiest place to grow grapes, that's not stopping the nine wineries of the Pennsylvania Winery Association's Groundhog Wine Trail from making some delicious wines. The Groundhog Trail invited me (and Scheidt, of course) out for a Libation Vacation last month. We toured the area, sampled more than 70 wines, and talked to the people involved in turning this rural area into wine country.


The Groundhog Wine Trail runs past Punxsutawney, through that part of Pennsylvania that our state tourism board calls "The Wilds." (The name reminds me of "The Meadows.") Think rolling hills that grow into mountains, frigidly glistening rivers and streams, and winding Appalachian two-lane highways that stretch for miles and miles.

We learned about native grapes - familiar grocery-store varieties like Concord and Niagara - and about European hybrid grapes like marechal foch, chambourcin and baco noir. We learned about the hazards of viticulture in harsher climates. We learned about the Italian and German traditions of home winemaking that are behind most, if not all, of the wineries in the region. And we learned that central Pennsylvanians like sweet wine, making the Groundhog Wine Trail a great place to start if you are unfamiliar with wine.


One winery employee called the trademark taste of the region "Welch's with a kick," and she had it right on: each of the wineries we visited featured a sweet red wine made from Niagara and concord grape juice, same as Welch's. For almost every winery we visited, this sweet, sippable blend was the top seller - and the economic lynchpin for their businesses. But even if you favor drier wines, you can still find plenty to suit your tastes on the Groundhog Trail. Plus, there are some truly remarkable fruit wines. Here are some of my favorites.

Relaxing cabins at Wapiti Woods
I know that my top hit should be some wine, but honestly, Wapiti Woods was the most perfect home base imaginable for our 6-degrees-above-zero wine tour. These modern cabins tucked onto a river bank are both modern and quaint, with wood-burning stoves, picnic tables and present-day amenities (like heat and electricity). After a day of tasting more than 70 wines, you can come back to your woodsy cabin, open a bottle and sit by the fire.

Estate pear wine at Foxburg Wine Cellar
The village of Foxburg sits right on the Allegheny, where they've developed a bustling (and adorable) business district, with an inn, a restaurant, an arts center, a chocolate shop and a - naturally - winery. We really enjoyed the crispness of Foxburg Wine Cellars' estate pear wine, made from hand-picked, hand-pressed pears.


Wine Lounge at Flickerwood Wine Cellars
If you'd like more than a 3/4 ounce sample, purchase wine by the bottle or the glass at Flickerwood Wine Cellars in their new tasting room. On a sunny day, look out over the countryside as you sample Flickerberry Dew, a delightfully sweet raspberry-blackberry wine that has won numerous wine competition medals. You can also take a seat and order hors d'oeuvres in the wine lounge, where the Zampognas also host special events and live music. (PS: If the pinot grigio is ready, try it.)

Wine made from grapes at the Winery at Wilcox
The Winery at Wilcox was our final stop on the second day of our trip, and it was the first place that day where we had wine made from grapes. While many of the Groundhog Trail wineries start their process from juice, the Winery at Wilcox sources grapes from across Pennsylvania and southern New York state. Because of this, they have a wider selection of drier, more full-bodied wines than many of their neighbors. They also make a few delicious port wines, and dessert wines with German names that are fun to say, like Schokoladenkirschenwein.


Solar-Powered Vineyard at Evergreen Valley
Mark Gearhart thumbed his nose at the power company and installed solar and wind power on his family's land in Amish country. Then he thumbed his nose at viticulturists who said you couldn't grow good wine grapes in the Pennsylvania mountains and started planting. The Nordbergs have been producing wine at Evergreen Valley Vineyards since 1997, and grow almost all of their own grapes right on the estate, where European hybrid varieties are the most successful. We liked the 2003 Baco Noir, and the fact that we could also buy free range farm eggs right at the winery.


That's just a little taste - we visited three more wineries and brought home a case of wine, including a delicious dry Cayuga and sweet-tart Raspberry Merlot from Laurel Mountain Vineyards, a blueberry dessert wine from Allegheny Cellars and even a homemade blend from our hosts at Wapiti Woods. We also tried wines from Starr Hill Winery at their Weinstaube in St. Marys, and there were still wines we wanted to try but didn't make it to, including the estate wines from Starr Hill, Windgate Vineyards and Oak Spring Winery. Given the way the industry has been growing in the area, I wouldn't be surprised if there are more wineries come summer.