Take in the beautiful views, old world style terroir, and all that is Sand Castle Winery in Erwinna, PA. As you drive up the winding road leading to the castle, your excitement grows. The winery is on top of a hill, looking down over rows and rows of vines and the Delaware river. It’s simply heaven here at Sand Castle Winery!
When you enter the castle, you are immediately greeted with a welcoming staff and wines. I had the pleasure of tasting with Erin the Event Planner at Sand Castle Winery who took us through the tasting lineup of some really great Pennsylvania wines. The winery is about a ten minute drive from 1740 House (where I stayed), and makes for a great afternoon or pre-dinner outing.
“The Maxian family purchased a hillside property in Bucks County overlooking the Delaware River in 1974 and their dream of Sand Castle Winery was born. In the early 1980s, construction of the winery building began and, after decades of tireless effort, was finally completed in 2007. Sand Castle Winery vines are exclusively Vitis Vinifera—special seedlings cloned from European stock and chosen by master winemakers.” –SandCastleWinery.com
I started off with a dry, Alsatian style riesling: 2010 Estate Grown Johannisberg Riesling, which is dry and mineral driven with a lot of complexity and green apple skin. This wine will appeal to most palates and is a great entry level into dry riesling from Pennsylvania.
After the riesling I tried the wineries two Chardonnay’s. One Private Reserve 2010, which had lovely overtones of butterscotch and anise, while the 2010 Classic was more oak and citrus driven. I especially enjoyed the 2011 Estate Grown Pinot Noir, which is made in the Burgundy style and aged in French oak barrels, which adds complexity. There was one wine however that truly won my heart, and that was the Late Harvest Riesling, which was sweet with striking acidy and tropical fruit notes. It reminded me of a late harvest from Germany during a very warm vintage.
If you want to check out one of the most unique wineries on the Bucks County wine trail, Sand Castle is certainly one to check out. Your inner child will grow with excitement as you pull up to this big castle, and as an adult, you’ll really appreciate the wines!
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