Planning to visit a winery? Here is all you need to know about guidelines, tastings and events
Updated 9:54 AM;
The changes by the Centers for Disease Control this week regarding the wearing of masks brought the regional wine industry about as close as it has been to normal since March 2020.
Start with the fact that it’s getting warmer (not counting the fact it feels like winter Saturday morning), so wineries can begin to get full use out of patios and decks and lawns, and in many cases, you’re talking about a lot of space.
As of April 4, indoor capacity for Pennsylvania wineries increased to 75%, and food no longer has to be consumed to purchase alcohol. And while the new mask guidelines won’t eliminate the need for masks or social distancing, it likely will make more people comfortable to visit. No doubt winery staff will be wearing masks throughout the summer.
Nissley Vineyards making news with its summer concerts, new wines
Updated 4:51 PM;
Today 2:00 PM
Nissley Vineyards lineup of reserve wines. Says winery VP Jonas Nissley: We continue to push the envelope with our reserve program and demonstrate that Nissley is a top contender when it comes to these higher-end wines.
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When I put together my story on the oldest Pennsylvania wines still being made in 2018, Nissley Vineyards in Marietta, Lancaster County had two of its wines on that list: Seyval Blanc and Naughty Marietta.
It remains a site that’s tied closely to the state’s history of wine production, drawing its roots to the mid-1970s when J. Richard “Dick” Nissley and his son John planted several acres of grapes. Dick later would be involved in the founding of the Pennsylvania Wine Association and become its first president.
New COVID-19 restrictions still give Pa. wineries some room to operate PennLive.com 12/12/2020 Paul Vigna, pennlive.com
The new coronavirus-related restrictions set down Thursday by Gov. Tom Ridge shouldn’t make much of a difference to a Pennsylvania wine industry that already has largely been operating outdoors and selling online and curbside since March.
“We have discussed and anticipated this as a possibility, so we are prepared to continue to use curbside options and sales for off-premise consumption,” Mario Mazza, general manager and enologist for Mazza Vineyards, one of the state’s biggest operations, said in an email Thursday night. The Mazza family has been making craft beverages at their Lake Erie location for more than 45 years and has grown to include five locations in western Pennsylvania and southwestern New York and dozens of products, including spirits and craft beers.