There is no better time to visit wineries than during harvest time. Many wineries are harvesting grapes now and will continue to for the next several weeks. If you are driving through large vineyard areas open your car windows to enjoy the scent of ripe grapes. Take a couple of days and enjoy driving through the Lake Erie vineyard region of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

One fall when visiting the wineries in this area we were amazed at the aroma of grapes as we traveled past acres and acres of grapes. This is also the home of the grape juice facility, National Grape Cooperative Association that owns Welch’s, but people are learning that this area can also grow some very nice wine grapes.  If you are planning a trip to North East, Pennsylvania check out this wine trip itinerary.

If you are lucky, some tasting rooms may have fresh wine grapes to taste. (Please do not pick grapes from the vineyards unless a staff member gives the okay.) A very few wineries also press juice and have a little to share with visitors. This unfermented juice has all the nuances of the grape variety. After tasting fresh wine grape juice, the different varieties of grapes producing different tasting wines make sense.

Cheers, Kathy