Get you first look inside what will be the NEW Harvest Ridge Winery tasting room and event space in Pennsylvania. Demo has begun. Look at it now, continue to follow the blog for updated construction pictures as we go, and get excited for news about our opening soon!
Before the corks are popped, before toasts are made, and before the wine begins to flow, there is a LOT that has to happen to open a new tasting room. We went through much of the process when we opened the winery in Delaware. As we prepare to open a tasting room in Pennsylvania, we have to do many of the same things (e.g. fill out lots and lots of paperwork), but also do some other things because it is a tasting room vs. a winery and it is in a different state (i.e. different laws). As you continue to follow updates about the progress of the Toughkenamon tasting room, we will include updates of the exciting things like opening dates (cheers and excitement, yay!) and more mundane but necessary things like permit applications (sad trombone noise, wah-wah). That way you can be in on all of it along with us: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Here’s a list of what we have been doing so far. In no particular order:
All of these tasks are part of an ever growing checklist that we continue to tweak, revisit, and revise as we get excited to actually OPEN! We look forward to opening this new location, sharing our wine and tasting room experience with another part of our wine region, and working with the people and businesses of Chester County to become an integral part of that community.
Thanks for being part of our journey.
The East Coast has always paired well with fall. The beautiful trees fighting off winter with one last fiery burst of color turns our attention towards warm and earthy flavors. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, apples, and pumpkins all make their way into our thoughts and cuisine. But just because fall is upon us doesn’t mean our drink selection must become a never-ending parade of apples. Consider pairing our wines with some of your traditional fall desserts.
Typically we don’t think of pairing fall desserts with wines, but when done right, many wines match up as well with pumpkin pie as sweaters do with falling leaves.
Harvest Ridge offers many varieties to try at your fall gatherings. While it may be easy to know what to serve with your appetizers and main course, don’t pack up your corkscrew once the dessert plates come out.
Try pairing our Chamfort with any of your cranberry desserts. The rich sweetness of this elegant dessert wine balances out the tartness of cranberries. This wine is also an outstanding way to end a meal. If you have ever needed a digestif on which to sip at the end of a meal, it is Thanksgiving!
Another great choice to carry you from the fall dinner table to the dessert bar is our Barrel Fermented Chardonnay. The creamy buttery vanilla finish is the perfect complement to the rich nuttiness of a pecan pie or a southern pecan pound cake.
The smoky complexities and full bodied flavors of the Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot make for a surprisingly perfect pair for black currant bread pudding or your dinner time cranberry sauce.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different wines and your favorite fall desserts. To help get your creative (grape) juices flowing, we have included a great guide for matching wines to some traditional fall 
desserts.
From here start branching out; if your favorite wine pairs up with pumpkin pie, try it with pumpkin cheesecake or maple cinnamon sweet potato bread. If you have a sauternes but don’t feel like apple pie or bananas foster, try it with a banana bread pudding or apple cinnamon rolls. This is just a jumping off point for you to start your fall wine tasting adventure.
While the summer may be coming to an end, the fun is just beginning. If you find that one of our wines pairs perfectly with your favorite fall dessert, please let us know! We would love to hear where your fall tasting adventure leads you.