Waltz Vineyards and Estate Winery
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Waltz Vineyards Estate Winery is in Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County in the Manheim countryside. Currently the 6th generation farm family maintains the vineyards and produces serious wines. The bucolic farm region is reason enough to visit but combine that with friendliness and wine, visitors will want to be sure to stop by.
The Waltz Vineyards Estate Winery tasting room is adjacent to the winery. The granite tasting counter with tables nearby encourages people to come and stay awhile to taste wines or perhaps purchase a glass of wine.
Vineyards and Farm
Waltz Vineyards Estate Winery is on the sixth generation family owned farm. The owners, Jan and Kimberly Waltz know the land and the soil. Jan talks easily about the grapevines and what they need and Jan also networks with many people. He believes that the soil differences in the land can be seen in the red wines.
The vineyards, with 20 acres, include Muscat Canelli, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Vineyard plantings began in 1997. For the first years the grapes were sold. Today 50 percent of the harvest is sold and the remainder is for their onsite winery.
Winery
Jan and Kimberly started out as growers. However, one day a professor from Brock University in Canada said if you are going to grow wine grapes you should make wine. They took that advice to heart and started a winery. Stainless steel tanks line a wall with a horizontal tank in a corner. This horizontal tank is a rotary fermenter. It rotates every six hours for a couple of minutes mixing the must so the juice has contact with the skins. The rotary fermenter eliminates the need to punch down or pump over during fermentation. Stainless steel tanks also line the opposite wall. High on a wall behind some of the tanks a large painting is displayed.
Paintings also adorn the walls in the barrel room. Barrels are stacked one, two or three high. Large, colorful paintings decorate the walls and together with the oak barrels provide a great ambiance for events. Events include wine dinners. Members of the Waltz Case Club may rent the room for small events.
Wines
We enjoyed special tank tastings from the 2012 vintage. The Sauvignon Blanc 2012 offered aromas of tropical and citrus fruits. The taste was notably grapefruit. The finish was crisp with citrus nuances. Chardonnay 2012 had a citrus aroma with a taste of grapefruit nuances. The crisp finish also had notes of citrus. Merlot 2012 was a dark purple with earthy notes. Cabernet Sauvignon was a dark purple to black color. The wine offered dark fruit notes and tannins.
We also tasted Waltz wines that were available for sale. Sauvignon Blanc 2011 offered citrus notes. The finish was crisp and citrusy. Old Line Chardonnay 2010 was named for the Old Line Road. This Chardonnay was yellow. The wine was a 50–50 blend of stainless steel and oak aging. The aroma and taste had caramel, apple and pear notes. The crisp wine finished with fruit then caramel. Reserve Chardonnel 2010 was 100 percent sur lee and 100 percent barrel aged. This light yellow wine had an aroma of fresh baked bread. The taste had apple and caramel notes. The finish was crisp with notes of caramel, baked bread and apples. Cherry Tree Merlot 2009 was a dark opaque purple. The taste was of plum and black cherry. The finish was dry with some tannins. Crow Woods Cabernet 2009 was a dark ruby color. It was aged in French oak for 18 months. The wine was smooth with berry notes.
Wine enthusiasts will want to stop in at Waltz winery to taste their wines and spend a while at one of the tables set aside for visitors. The bucolic countryside adds to the enticement of the visit.
Waltz Vineyards
1599 Old Line Road
Manheim, Pennsylvania 17545
GPS: N40º 11.744’ W076º 40.492’
