Franklin Hill Vineyards
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: At Franklin Hill Vineyards, the focus of the winery is on the "funness" of wine notably the sweeter wines. Visitors enjoy coming to the winery for its wines with both dry, sweet and fruit wines available. Those under 21 especially enjoy using the free available wifi with 13 hotspots.
Franklin Hill Vineyards located in Bangor, Pennsylvania is a family operated vineyard and winery. Today Elaine Pivinski, owner, and her children operate the winery and maintain the grapevines. Elaine noted the farm property was purchased in 1975 so they could live off the land while protecting the land, a reflection of the 1960's Woodstock generation.
Vineyards
The vineyards started in the 1970's when Elaine planted vinifera vines. When these vinifera grapes did not attain the full ripeness needed for producing quality wines, Elaine replanted the vineyards with French-American hybrids. Today the 17-acre vineyard includes Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, DeChanauc and Chambourcin varieties. Her son promotes green practices in the vineyards. Some vineyards have been planted with hard fescue, a ground cover.
With participating in the wine industry for 35 years, Elaine has an innate understanding of the wine industry and realizes that many of her visitors want fun, sweet wines. Franklin Hill also produces wines for the serious wine drinker. Proud of her wines, Elaine knows that each bottle of wine is filled with "energy and love in it." Elaine is passionate about her wines and finds owning and operating a vineyard and winery to be very rewarding.
Employees find that Elaine understands the needs of working mothers. Many of the loyal employees have been with Franklin Hill Vineyards for a long time. Elaine recognizes the needs of working parents. A number of employees are women with children. When necessary they can bring their children with them to work.
Tasting Room at Franklin Hill
Inside, the tasting room ambiance is cheerful, a perfect environment to taste the wines. A rectangular oak countertop highlights the beauty of the wine bottles. The tasting room has wine related items. Visitors may want to stop by to purchase a bottle of wine as a gift or perhaps select one of the other wine related gifts available. Look for unique gift "baskets". The look is an elegant simplicity with clear wrapping and a large bow.
An inviting deck is located just outside the doorway to the tasting room. With tables and chairs, the deck provides an enjoyable spot to enjoy a glass of wine. A short distance away a designated picnic area provides a great spot to enjoy a picnic lunch with a bottle of Franklin Hill wine.
Franklin Hill Wines
Bonnie Pysher, winemaker, has been at Franklin Hill since 1985. The winery is producing about 15,000 cases of wine each year. Simply Red is the number one seller. The aroma is of Concord. The taste had the typical “Welch’s” profile. Chambourcin was a dark red, with red berry notes and floral nuances. Desire was a bright orange. The aroma was of tropical fruit. The taste was of mango with some pineapple and banana notes. The taste was sweet and crisp. The finish cuts the sugar. Harvest Berry was produced with a Vidal Blanc base and raspberries. The wine was sparkling with bold notes of raspberries. The wine was sweet. Brut was a straw color and produced with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Munier. The wine was dry and sparkling. There were hints of apple. This is a great sparkling wine for matching with any food.
Winery Events
Franklin Hill Vineyards offers free tours of the winery Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. The Wednesday tour is at 12 Noon while weekend tours are available at 12 Noon and 2pm. The winery offers a variety of events. Check the Franklin Hill Vineyards website for event details.
Green Initiatives
Anyone interested in supporting "green" will want to support Franklin Hill Vineyard. On the winery website, a page is devoted to Our Green Promise and begins with “We promise to take care of the land for future generations to enjoy.” There is a list of the many ways Franklin Hill Vineyard supports "green." Some green practices include the use of environmently friendly compounds in the vineyard and in the winery, composting, and building the winery underground to reduce heating and cooling.
Visit Franklin Hill Vineyards where you can experience a friendly and fun wine tasting. Consider preparing a picnic lunch to enjoy on the premises with a glass of Franklin Hill wine.
Franklin Hill Vineyards
7833 Franklin Hill Road
Bangor, Pennsylvania 18013
GPS: N40º 47.869’ W75º 12.065’
