Because cooler temperatures require fruit to hang
longer as it ripens, grapes grown in the Northeast tend
to be quite flavorful and produce lower levels of alcohol. “These factors change the complexion of the
wine,” Schildknecht says. “It’s full-bodied, delicate
and refreshing.”
PENNSYLVANIA: BRANDYWINE COUNTRY
Prohibition was repealed in 1933, yet Pennsylvania’s
law barring commercial winemaking remained on
the books. When jelly and juice processors stopped
buying much of the state’s Concord grape crop,
growers found themselves desperate for a new
market. In 1968 state lawmakers finally granted
grape growers the right to make and sell wine. Today, Pennsylvania produces at least 70 varieties of
grapes, making it the eighth-largest wine producer
in the country.
While rambling through the Brandywine Valley
countryside—the inspiration for Andrew Wyeth
