Summer Food 2005: Vintage Visits

Our PG-rated version of Sideways takes us to surprisingly fine wineries in Bucks and Chester Counties and At the shore

The word “vineyard” conjures images of fall — leafy, heavy vines awaiting harvest, bright days and cool nights swelling the grapes — but summer is the best time to visit wineries. A warm afternoon marries well with a tour of cool fermentation rooms; a sunny patio overlooking the budding vineyards is the perfect pairing for a glass of a newly released young wine. You don’t have to go Sideways to Santa Barbara for a scenic swirl-sniff-and-sip winery tour. In addition to our best-known local vineyards in the Brandywine Valley, such as Chaddsford Winery, Bucks, Atlantic and upper Chester counties are producing tour-worthy wines. Look to the region’s whites (classic white wine grapes grow best in our climate), and to the tasting notes on local wines from our panel of sommeliers, for the tastiest trip.