Return to News Index

Pa. vineyard newcomers enrich, enliven local scene

Kreutz Creek and Va La wineries are just about one vintage old, but it's difficult to imagine the local wine scene without them.

While Chaddsford and Stargazers wineries have been the pioneers in proving that European-style wines could be made locally - and that they could be artistic and commercial successes - the two freshman wineries have shown they can expand the territory.

Kreutz Creek owner-winemaker Jim Kirkpatrick of West Grove, Pa., won dozens of medals as an amateur winemaker and has continued to garner state and international recognition for his first commercial wines, particularly his chardonnay and Bordeaux-style reds.

Additionally, Kreutz Creek at start-up proliferated its offerings by partnering with two vineyards without wineries - Folly Hill near Kennett Square, Pa., and Paradocx near Landenberg, Pa. - and giving them their own distinctive labels within the Kreutz Creek family.

Recently, Paradocx has decided to go its own way, while the popular Folly Hill tasting room continues to sell all the KC labels. Additionally, Folly Hill owners Glen and Sherry Sowers are working to establish a greater presence of Pennsylvania wines in Delaware restaurants and retail stores - which is a good thing, as they and Kirkpatrick and his wife Carole have invested in new stainless-steel tanks for the large basement winery and are doubling their output.

Anthony and Karen Vietri's "little family farm winery" on Pa. 41 just outside of Avondale has become a very popular destination tasting room for wine drinkers across the region, especially those looking for a place to take out-of-town guests.

Va La's long tasting bar is filled with local produce - handmade cheeses, breads and marinated mushrooms - to go with its well-received lineup of mostly Italian varietals - pinot grigio, barbera, nebbiolo, sangiovese and proprietary white and red blends.

"The local community has been amazingly supportive," Anthony Vietri says, and has responded to "the unusual wines being poured, the focus on local, homegrown foods that no one cared about before, and the family all running around and working together."

The huge upfront costs associated with three to five years' of establishing vineyards and purchasing winemaking equipment before one bottle is sold, plus thin margins on bottle sales, pose economic challenges to the two start-ups.

However, the knowledge that hundreds of people have tasted their wines, liked them and chucked cases into their SUVs makes the challenges of their sophomore seasons a bit easier.

Roger Morris, who was nominated for the 2002 James Beard journalism awards, has written about wine for years. Write to him at The News Journal, Box 15505, Wilmington, DE 19850; fax 324-2415; or e-mail features@delawareonline.com.