Finger Lakes
2025-11-07 19:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States
Registration for this event is closed. If you wish to be on a wait list, please contact the Treasurer.
The Finger Lakes region of New York State is home to more than 130 wineries and is the second largest wine producing region in the country. Historically the region was known for wine from native Vitis labrusca grapes like Concord, Pink Catawba and Vidal Blanc. And Hazlitt 1852 Winery on Seneca Lake sells 2.5 million bottles of its flagship Red Cat wine every year. (Cat is wine maker shorthand for Catawba).
Historically it was commonly thought that grapes native to Europe, i.e., Vitis vinifera, could not survive the harsh central New York winters. All of this changed in the 1950’s and ’60’s when a Ukrainian immigrant, Konstantin Frank, partnered with Gold Seal Winery and planted vinifera grapes like Riesling and Chardonnay which ultimately survived the winters. Dr. Frank reasoned that winter in the Crimea where he was from was much harsher than the Finger Lakes.
Join the PA Wine Society Friday November 7th at 7:00 p.m. at the Hilton Harrisburg to enjoy ten wines from eight different Finger Lakes producers, beginning with Dr. Frank Cellars whose wines don’t need much introduction. The aforementioned Konstantin Frank started the vinifera revolution in the Finger Lakes in 1958. The winery is still a family run business, now with the 4th generation leading. We will taste two wines from Dr. Frank: the Celebre NV, a medium sweet methode champenoise Riesling Crément-style sparkling wine with apple honey and spicy aromas on an acidic backbone. We will also be tasting the 2024 Rkatsiteli; a white wine made from a Georgian grape whose lineage can be traced to 3000 BC. The Rkatsiteli is a strikingly aromatic wine with a vibrant medley of tropical and herbal notes.
The next winery is Lakewood Vineyards on the southwestern shore of Seneca Lake. Lakewood started growing grapes in 1955 on land that was a derelict peach and apple orchard. Originally, they sold their grapes to larger winemakers such as Tatlor and Gold Seal. However, in the 1980’s changes in the market forced Lakewood to start making their own wine if they were to survive. Lakewood now farms 100 acres and grows everything from Riesling and Cabernet Franc to Catawba and Vignoles. We will be tasting the 2023 Chardonnay, described as rich and honeyed stone fruit character with caramel, mushroom and toasty vanillin notes. The flavor is on the quiet side, but the mouthfeel makes for food-friendly sipping. Wine Enthusiast awarded this wine 89 points.
Next, we will taste wines from Heart and Hands Wine Company. Heart and Hands was founded in 2007 by Tom and Susan Higgans focusing on producing high quality terroir-driven Pinot Noir and Riesling from their estate on the eastern shore of Lake Cayuga. In the early 2000’s Tom left the tech industry to pursue his passion for making wine, Tom followed this passion to Burgundy and California learning traditional winemaking techniques from masters in the field. Upon returning to the Finger Lakes, the Higgans set their sights on finding the perfect limestone-laden land to cultivate world class Pinot Noir. The winery’s vineyards are underpinned by rare limestone bedrock similar to Burgundy’s, and host nine Pinot Noir clones— Riesling as well as lesser-known cool climate varietals like Aligoté, Lagrein, and Pinot Auxerrois. The first wine is the 2021 Esoterra which is a blend of Aligoté and Pinot Auxerrois. The wine is characterized by bright acidity and stone fruit overtones.
The next wine from Heart and Hands is the 2022 Pinot Noir. This Pinot leaves you wanting more, with a tempting nose of roses, raspberries, and subtle hints of forest floor. A firm palate of tart cherries and black currents has a nice balance of refreshment. The finish is graceful with soft tannins lingering on the palate.
Forge Cellars was founded by Louis Barruol from the Rhone Valley’s Chateau de St.-Cosme, the flagship Domaine in Gigondas. The project debuted with the 2011 vintage. Forge specialized in bone dry Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc from the Southeastern shore of Seneca Lake. Forge has 16 different vineyard sites or “Lieux-dits” along an 18-mile stretch allowing an exploration of the unrivaled diversity of soil types.
We will taste the 2023 Forge Riesling Classique. According to Forge the Classique bottlings are their most important wines. Each of the 16 vineyards contribute to the blend aiming to reveal the true nature of each vintage and to explore the terroir of east Seneca Lake. The 2023 Classique is a dry medium bodied wine with notes of orchard fruit, peach and apricot balanced by a taut zesty spine of ginger and quinine with a mineral driven finish. The wine is notable for its precision and balance making it a sophisticated expression of the New York terroir.
A new winery to the region, Apollo’s Praise, was founded in 2023 by wine making couple Kelby James Russell and Julian Rose Hoyle. Apollo’s Praise is a winery committed to expressing the world class and artistic nature of Finger Lakes Wines. Based primarily on fruit from their Lahoma vineyard site on the southeast shore of Seneca Lake, the portfolio stretches from powerful dry Rieslings to Chardonnay, Gruner Veltliner, Cabernet Franc and surprises yet to come. The Lahoma vineyard is a 55-acre site composed of four rolling hills. Uniquely, the soil is sandstone which is uncommon in the Finger Lakes. “Walking through the vineyard you see large red rocks or quartz coming up from the ground …” Kelby explains. “The sandstone does a phenomenal job of draining away excess moisture … Rieslings on sandstone have real opulence.” We will taste the 2024 Riesling “Kabinett”: a celebration of one of the most delicious, thoughtful and misunderstood expressions of Rieslings that exists—Kabinett! This explosive and flavorful style of Riesling features ripping acidity to underline its precociousness, can age for decades, and is typically lower in alcohol. This wine aims to stop people in their tracks with simply how delicious it is.
Sheldrake Point was founded in 1997 by a group of wine enthusiasts who purchased a former dairy farm and orchard on the western shore of Lake Cayuga. The winery started with 5 acres of Vitis vinifera varietals and has since grown to 57 acres. The vineyard is wedged between two deep gorges gently sloping to the east almost to the shore of the lake, with depths of over 400 feet, the waters create a temperature moderating mesoclimate for the grapes. The lake effect hinders early bud break in the Spring, inhibits daily swings in temperature and can delay the effects of autumn frost. Sheldrake Point Rosé made from 100% Cabernet Franc is a cornerstone of the wine portfolio comprising one third of production (2,500-3,000) cases. To make their rosé Sheldrake Point uses the skin contact method. After harvest, the grapes were destemmed and crushed. The resulting must mixture is allowed to soak 12-18 hours. The must is pressed, and the skins are discarded. The 2024 Sheldrake Point Rosé opens with a bouquet of strawberries and cream, raspberry, tart cherry, grapefruit and delicate floral notes. On the palate it presents with a refreshing burst of tartness followed by sweet Jolly Rancher candy-like notes, all balanced by a dry finish.
Ryan William Vineyard was established in 2004 and is located on the southeast shore of Seneca Lake using a 100 % estate grown model. Several varieties of Vitis vinifera grapes are grown including Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay and others. We will taste the 2021 Ryan William Cabernet Franc. James Suckling writes: “A translucent nose of cranberries and pomegranates turns to a juicy palate structured by acidity and medium grained tannins, a hint of rose petals and lavender hovering above notes of cherries and rooibos. Nice balance between fruit and more savory notes.”
The last wine of the evening is a Bordeaux blend from Ravines Wine Cellars. Ravines is the project of Lisa and Morten Hallgren. The Hallgren’s realized the serious potential for fine, cool climate wine making in the Finger Lakes. This was in 2000 and as timing would have it an opportunity to buy a 17-acre parcel of land on the eastern shore of Keuka Lake between two deep ravines. These particular ravines became the winery’s namesake. Ravines first vintage was in 2002 and was exclusively dry vinifera wines. The 2021 Maximilien is gorgeously textured with red fruits, spice and fine-grained tannins. The blend consists of od 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Merlot. Softened tannins are created by extended barrel and cellar aging while increasing complexity.
For pairing with these great wines, the Hilton Chefs plan three small plates fashioned after local Finger Lakes cuisine.

Steamed Middleneck Clams w/White Garlic Butter Sauce
Cornell Chicken Thighs with Syracuse Salt Potatoes
‘Beef on Weck’ Toast, Horseradish, Boursin, Caraway

Please send any food allergies to the Treasurer.
This promises to be a great fall event. We hope you will join us. Reservation deadline is Tuesday, November 4th. You may purchase reservations on the Shoppe Page of this website.
Members—$100
Patrons—$95
Nonmembers—$120

Board of Directors Meeting
2025-11-10 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-12-08 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-01-12 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-02-09 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-03-09 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-04-13 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-05-11 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-06-08 18:30 - 20:30 UTC and 5 more dates | Wherever YOU Connect with Zoom
Board meetings are virtual via Zoom. Active, dues paid current Members may attend as guests. Please contact an Officer if you are interested in attending a meeting.

DEADLINE to Register for Sparkling Celebration
2025-12-02 00:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States
You may purchase seats on the Shoppe Page of this website.

Sparkling Celebration
2025-12-05 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States
Nothing says “Celebrate!” quite like sparkling wines. For wine enthusiasts looking to expand their palate, the world of sparkling wine extends far beyond Champagne and the options are equally interesting and complex. These sparkling alternatives often highlight local grape varieties, offering unique taste profiles and a sense of place or terroir.
The differences in grape types and production methods lead to varying flavors, textures and price points among sparkling wines. With options from Spain, Italy, Germany, and other French winemaking regions outside of Champagne, there’s a sparkling wine to suit every occasion and preference. You can also find great value for the dollar with these sparklers.
This event is popular—informal and social; yet educational. And, it’s guilt-free fun because you could actually be working out some holiday party ideas and gifts for friends, finding new and unique sparkling wines for a holiday gathering or planning to stock up on some excellent wines for drop-in guests—we have it covered! The tasting team is busy working through selections from all over the globe to pair with each of our hors d’oeuvres, and dessert. That’s right—each sparkler will be accompanied by an hors d’oeuvre bite prepared by Hilton Chefs and chosen to complement the wine. Here’s the tempting lineup:

Baked Brie with Fruit Coulis
Roasted Broccoli, Aleppo Ricotta, Golden Raisin Crostini
Garlic & Herb Boursin Stuffed Mushrooms
Crab Salad Cocktail Slider
Eggplant Meatballs, Sundried Tomato Pesto, Mint
Lobster Deviled Egg
Malibu Coconut Shrimp
Mini Chocolate Mousse Cup

Please email any food allergies to the PWS Treasurer. We will consult with the Hilton Chefs to do all we can to accommodate your needs.
Let PWS prove to you once again that learning can be fun! Join us on December 5th at 7:00 p.m. at the Hilton Harrisburg for our Sparkling Celebration. You’ll find this event exceptional even if your sole motive is to expand your experience of highly-rated dry sparkling wines.
The reservation deadline is Tuesday, December 2nd—not far after Thanksgiving so don’t wait too long to register and miss the deadline.
Members—$100
Patrons—$95
Nonmembers—$120

NO Events in January - Join us February 20 for Merlot!
2026-01-01 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | PA

Deadline to Register for Merlot
2026-02-17 00:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | PA
Events fill up and may sell out fast – we recommend reserving seats at your comfortable earliest opportunity. To reserve seats, go to the Shoppe Page of this website.

Merlot: The Velvet Charmer of the Wine World -- Event is SOLD OUT
2026-02-20 19:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States
This event is sold out. Plan now to join us for future events – Alsace Wines with David Killian in March, Honig Wines from Napa CA with Michael Honig in April and Pinot Noir with Kevin Ostrowski in May!

Merlot is one of the most expressive and site sensitive grape varieties and how it can translate soil, climate and winemaking tradition into dramatically different styles.
Therefore, I selected wines for you to taste from the best New and Old-World Merlot regions and hopefully you can pick-up the nuisances of the terroir in these wines.
The following is a listing of the wines we will be tasting:
Montes Alpha Merlot 2020 from the Colchagua Valley in Chile. This wine was rated 92 points by James Suckling.
Oyster Bay Merlot 2023 from Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. This 2023 vintage was awarded 90 points by James Suckling and Decanter World Wine Awards in the UK and named a Best Buy by Wine Enthusiast in 2025.
Abeja Merlot 2020, Walla Walla Valley, Washington State. This wine is 99% Merlot with 1% Cabernet Sauvignon and has received numerous ratings ranging from 91 to 94 points. Wine Enthusiast awarded it 93 points and named it an “Editors’ Choice”.
Whitehall Lane Merlot 2021, Napa Valley, California. The 2021 vintage is a blend of 82% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc and has been rated 92 points by Wine Spectator, James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast.
Trefethen Merlot 2021 from Napa Valley, California. It was rated 92 points by James Suckling and 94 points by Decanter.
Saintayme Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2022. This wine is from the Saint Emilion AOC in the Bordeaux region of France. This wine was awarded 94 points by James Suckling, 91 points by Wine Spectator and 90 points by Wine Advocate.
Chateau Gazin Pomerol 2021. This wine is 100% Merlot and received 93 points from James Suckling, 95 from Vinous and 92 from Decanter.
Pomerol is a small but prestigious wine-growing region in Bordeaux, France, known primarily for its red wines made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It is recognized for its exceptional terror and produces some of the most sought-after wines in the world.
Bell ‘Aja Bolgheri Superiore 2021 from Bolgheri DOC, Tuscany, Italy. This wine is almost entirely Merlot. This vintage was given 95 points by Wine Spectator and 93 by James Suckling.
Tolaini Picconero Tenuta Montebello 2019 from Tuscany, Italy. This wine is 100% Merlot and is our highest rated wine of the evening. It received 96 points from James Suckling, 95 from Robert Parker and Wine Advocate, and 92 points from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.
The wines will be accompanied by three small plates. Below is the menu for the small plates. If you have food allergies please email the Treasurer.
Course 1 – Toasted Sourdough, Seared Duck Breast, Cherry Jam, Black Pepper Ricotta
Course 2 – Braised Short Ribs, Potato Gnocchi, Pine Nut Gremolata
Course 3 – Dark Chocolate Entremet, Roasted Fig, Honey, Marcona Almond
Reservation deadline is Tuesday, February 17th. However—THE BEST TIME TO REGISTER FOR THE MERLOT EVENT IS RIGHT NOW!! To make reservations, go to the Shoppe Page of this website.
Members—$135
Patrons—$130
Nonmembers—$155

Deadline to Register for Alsace Wines
2026-03-10 00:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States

Alsace Wines - SOLD OUT - Join the wait list by emailing the treasurer
2026-03-13 19:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States
This event is SOLD OUT. We are taking a wait list. To join the wait list E-mail the treasurer.
Anne Krebiehl, MW makes the case for Alsace as an under-the-radar region that comprehensively caters to the demand for fresher, lighter styles of wine in a February posting on Club Oenologique. Allow her words which follow to motivate your securing seats for our unique Alsace event on Friday, March 13th.
“Whether it’s racy dry whites, fragrant reds, refreshing fizz or unique aromatic varieties, Alsace has it all. Yet this region, tucked into the north-east corner of France, is often overlooked. Why? Because its varied wine styles and grape varieties refuse to be typecast easily; offering so much to the wine lover seemingly counts against it. Given the nature of contemporary tastes in wine, however, Alsace is a region ripe for reassessment.
The varied wine styles and grape varieties of Alsace refuse to be typecast easily Crémant d’Alsace is the region’s most dynamic category. These traditional method sparkling wines went from representing just under 25% of the region’s total wine production in 2005 to 40% by 2025. Their success is not surprising and is helped by a latitude almost identical to that of Champagne.
Alsace Crémants, chiefly based on Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois, come with the kind of cool, natural freshness that’s so desirable in fizz. Most are clean, bright aperitif styles but there are artisanal, longer-aged cuvées that will impress sparkling-wine aficionados.
The rosé category also merits attention: by law, the rosés have to be made from Pinot Noir, so every single bottle of pink Crémant d’Alsace is a saignée-method rosé – only without the hefty price tag.
Lovers of Pinot Noir should also tune into Alsace. This is where things have changed most dramatically in recent years. Pinot Noir has long been the red grape of Alsace and, for the longest time, it was turned into juicy, light-bodied, pale reds that made for delicious, easy drinking but would not have impressed serious Pinot lovers – this has changed fundamentally. Climate change and ambition have wrought wonders.
When a law change in 2011 finally permitted separate rulebooks for Alsace’s 51 grands crus, rather than one general rule for all, growers in three sites applied to have Pinot Noir approved as a permitted grape in the grand crus of Kirchberg in Barr, Hengst in Wintzenheim and Vorbourg in Rouffach. The first two were finally approved for the 2022 vintage and Vorbourg, at long last, for the 2024 vintage. But even outside these sites, Pinot Noir makes exquisitely elegant wines, especially in the sites of Jurassic and Triassic limestone that crop up in the varied geological mosaic of Alsace. These wines can rightfully take their place in any line-up of fine Pinot Noirs.
In 2022, Alsace also changed the rulebook for Riesling so that all non-late harvest wines must be dry. This finally put an end to lingering associations of sweetness with those flute-shaped bottles. These expressive, often site-specific wines are perfect for moods and situations where finesse is prized over power, where fine, ripe acidity takes the lead in accentuating subtle flavours and complements rather than dominates. Their lightness of body and moderate alcohol levels dial into that same desire for lightness and transparency that defines much modern cooking.
For Riesling fans, Alsace offers beautiful combinations of bedrocks: why not compare Rieslings grown on granite, limestone and marl and find your favourite? And lovers of sweet Rieslings need not worry: beguiling Vendanges Tardives and Selections de Grains Nobles, i.e. late harvest and nobly sweet styles, are still made and are always clearly labelled.
Alsace finds itself right back on trend with wines that are fresh, light and nuanced with its Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer, Alsace holds another card up its sleeve. These more aromatic varieties are still made in a spectrum of dry, off-dry and medium sweet, but the choices put them in a sweet spot for pairing with dishes that also play with gentle sweetness while staying savoury.
This happens when spice and fruit are combined, say in a Mexican pineapple salsa with chilli, in fruit- or honey-glazed hams, or in North African tagines or pastillas. Various Asian cuisines also play this game: in Thai cuisine, for instance, accents of palm sugar counter chilli-heat and citrus tanginess, while sweet-savoury hoisin sauce lends mellow depth to Cantonese favourites like char siu-style barbecues.
With these kinds of flavours, off-dry and medium-sweet wines come into their own and can pick up and resonate with these sweeter strands of the food. Often dismissed as difficult to pair, they open up possibilities where dry wines start to struggle because they are not bone-dry or decidedly sweet but somewhere in between. Once you accept this playfulness in the wines’ balance, these pairings suggest themselves. The sweetness scale, mandatory on every bottle since 2021, has ended the guessing game that once may have prevented you from opening bottles.
Away from the spotlight, it’s clear that Alsace has quietly continued in a multifaceted vein, honing almost every style, and now finds itself right back on trend with wines that are fresh, light and nuanced – and still incredible value.”
Our event host, David Killian, has similar feelings for Alsace wines and has collected some gems for us to experience. The lively acidity and fruitiness that defines Alsace wines makes them some of the best all around partners for food. David has paired these wines with three Alsace-inspired dishes prepared by Hilton Chefs. Please contact the Treasurer for any food allergy concerns.

Chicken Liver Mousse on Garlic Crostini with Pickled Cipollini
Choucroute – Sauerkraut and Potatoes with Pork and Grilled Bratwurst
Caramel Apple Galette with Brown Butter Streusel and Smoked Pecans

This is a wine lovers’ event not to be missed! We will be at the Hilton Harrisburg Friday March 13th at 7 p.m.
Reservation deadline is Tuesday, March 10th. Please contact the Treasurer for any food allergy concerns.
To make reservations, go to the Shoppe Page of this website.
Members—$140
Patrons—$135
Nonmembers—$160

Deadline to Register for Honig Wines
2026-04-21 00:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States

Honig Wines - Reservations Closed 4/21
2026-04-24 19:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States
Reservations for this event closed on Tuesday, April 21st. If you’d like to join a wait list to be called in case of a cancellation, please email the Treasurer
Rutherford: The Historic Heart of Napa Valley
When we talk about Napa Valley, we often talk about it as a whole. But the reality is that Napa is a collection of distinct places, each with its own identity, climate, and voice. And then there is Rutherford. Often referred to as the historic heart of Napa Valley, Rutherford is one of the region’s most important and recognizable appellations. At just six square miles, it is relatively small in size, but its impact on the world of wine, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, is enormous. It is here that Honig Vineyard & Winery has built its legacy, and understanding Rutherford is key to understanding why their wines resonate so clearly.
Rutherford sits along the valley floor in central Napa, stretching between the Mayacamas Mountains to the west and the Vaca Range to the east. This positioning creates an ideal environment for growing grapes. Warm summer days allow fruit to fully ripen, while cool evenings, often dropping more than ten degrees after sunset, help preserve acidity. This balance between warmth and cooling is one of the defining characteristics of the region and plays a critical role in shaping the wines.
The soils add another important layer. Formed from ancient alluvial fans, they are gravelly, sandy, and exceptionally well-drained. These conditions naturally limit vine vigor, encouraging the plant to focus its energy on producing concentrated, high-quality fruit. The result is wines that achieve ripeness without heaviness and structure without excess.
Rutherford is perhaps best known for something that cannot be easily measured but is unmistakable once experienced. Often referred to as “Rutherford dust,” this signature characteristic describes the fine, powdery tannin structure that underpins many of the region’s Cabernet Sauvignons. It adds a subtle cocoa-like texture and a sense of refinement that sets these wines apart. Combined with flavors of cassis, black cherry, and dark plum, this textural element gives Rutherford wines their hallmark balance of power and elegance. It is not just about intensity. It is about proportion.
Rutherford’s reputation for excellence is not new. Dating back to the 19th century, the region has been home to some of Napa Valley’s most influential vineyards and producers. From early pioneers like Georges de Latour at Beaulieu Vineyard to the historic Inglenook estate, Rutherford has long been associated with wines that define California Cabernet Sauvignon.
That commitment to quality continues today. Organizations like the Rutherford Dust Society bring together growers and vintners with a shared mission to uphold the highest standards in grape growing and winemaking, to care for the land, and to ensure that Rutherford’s unique character is preserved for future generations. In 2020, Rutherford became the first AVA in Napa Valley to achieve 100 percent participation in the Napa Green Land program, reinforcing its leadership in sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Honig is very much a reflection of Rutherford’s philosophy. Their wines are not about excess or showmanship. They are about clarity, balance, and allowing the vineyard to speak. This is especially evident in their Cabernet Sauvignon. Whether it is the broader Napa Valley bottling, the Rutherford expression, or the single vineyard Bartolucci Vineyard wine, each step brings you closer to the source. The structure becomes more defined, the texture more precise, and the sense of place more apparent. Even their Sauvignon Blanc, while vibrant and refreshing, carries a depth and composure that reflects the same careful approach.
What makes the upcoming Honig event so compelling is not just the quality of the wines, but the ability to experience them in context. This is not simply a tasting. It is an opportunity to understand how geography, climate, soil, and philosophy come together in the glass. You will taste Napa Valley alongside Rutherford. You will experience the difference between appellation and single vineyard. You will see how subtle shifts in place translate into meaningful differences in structure, aroma, and texture. And you will do it with Michael Honig in the room, offering firsthand insight into the decisions behind each wine.
Rutherford is not just a location on a map. It is a benchmark for what Napa Valley can achieve when everything aligns, climate, soil, history, and intent. On April 24th, 7 p.m. at the Hilton Harrisburg, that benchmark comes to life. For anyone who appreciates Napa Valley wines or simply wants to better understand why they are so compelling, this is an evening worth being part of. Seats are limited, and this is one you will not want to miss.
We will be pairing wines with artisanal cheese plates.
Sauvignon Blanc will be paired with: Lemon Chive Whipped Chevre, Grilled Feta, Austrian Gruyere, Basil-roasted Pear, Spiced Marcona Almonds, and Blueberry Jam.
Cabernet will be paired with: 6-month Farmstead Manchego, 2- year-aged Black Diamond Cheddar, Gorgonzola Picante, Honeycomb, Cherry Jam, and Dark Chocolate.
Please review all cheese plate items and contact the Treasurer for any food allergy concerns.
Reservation deadline is April 21st or when we sell out. Make reservations on the Shoppe Page of this website.
Members—$155
Patrons—$150
Nonmembers—$175

Deadline to Register for Pinot Noir - Simply Elegant
2026-05-12 00:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States
Events fill up and may sell out fast – we recommend reserving seats at your comfortable earliest opportunity.

Pinot Noir - Simply Elegant
2026-05-15 19:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States
Reservations have closed for this event. If you’d like to be placed on a waitlist for contact if we have a cancellation, please contact the treasurer.
We offer the following article, an entertaining reminder of all the reasons you want to be with us on May 15th tasting our carefully selected Pinot Noirs. The quest is worth it!!
Why Pinot Noir Sucks –by Naill Rush From the Jancis Robinson 2025 wine writing competition. The photo is the author’s own. Caption: ‘The Vosne in question, with Clown Bar’s curious choice of decanter’.

“I spent my 30th birthday in Paris on a humble mission: I wanted to have the best wine I had ever had. I was well on my way to wine obsession, mere months from my eventual move into the industry, and I wasn’t going to be 30 again. Up to that point, I had no better opportunity in my life to blow more money than I should on a bottle I’d never forget.
And so I found myself in Clown Bar for lunch, conferring with the sommelier, deciding at last on a bottle of 2015 Frédéric Cossard Vosne-Romanée ‘Les Champs Perdrix’. A producer in tune with my tastes, working a stone’s throw from La Tâche for a tiny fraction of the price.
But this was a day where I had to nail it. Why would I choose Pinot Noir?
Vulnerable to frost, heat, disease, and everything else, Pinot presents far more challenges to a vigneron than a workhorse like Cabernet Sauvignon. But many winemakers are eager for well-deserved recognition of their heroic efforts to bring the fussiest grape varieties to term.
We hear a lot about how this or that grape variety is particularly difficult. I can think of no other globally popular grape variety where that difficulty is so often disastrously evident in the bottle.
As a category, bad Pinot Noir magnifies all of wine’s potential sins and grotesqueries. The vegetal and under-ripe becomes unbearable; the overripe and jammy becomes sickening. This is what you often get when you pay enough that a guarantee should apply, when mere satisfaction is the minimum you’re entitled to.
Genuinely characterful, dependable sub-£20 Pinots are lauded exceptions that prove the rule. Even when you succeed in swerving the sticky or green ends of the spectrum, you may find yourself rewarded with a £50 bottle of wine which is fine.
Burgeoning winos looking for affordable transcendence may attempt to educate themselves to victory, only to discover that Pinot Noir’s homeland is the most legally complicated and microscopically delineated vignoble in the entire world.
And outside France, those winemakers with lofty ambitions to challenge and honour Burgundy are obliged to Burgundify their approach and communications, to name their vineyards and tell their stories, their history, their aspect and soil, lest they be accused of traducing Pinot’s position as Terroir’s earthly representative. Accordingly, Pinot attracts more semi-scientific marketing guff than any other variety, and the learning curve steepens ever further.
And when you do finally get a fantastic bottle, there is often something of the farm to it, something redolent of decay tucked beneath all that floral, beautiful fruit. It feels incomplete without it. At its best, it flirts so close to the line. I think we all must secretly understand where the Pinot-deniers are coming from, artless as they may seem. What may be seductive and sous-bois to me is a hair’s breadth of psychological bias away from cow leavings.
Personal tastes aside, it is necessary for the food-and-drink cultist to believe that the default option sucks. The same complex is shared by the coffee snob, or even the perfect London Guinness chaser: the subject must be found everywhere, and 90% of it must be truly miserable. Your knowledge and enthusiasm must serve as both map and shield, separating and protecting you from what the masses innocently accept. If it was all broadly good, what would be the point of connoisseurship?
At the sharp end of Sturgeon’s law lies the soul of this form of enthusiasm, a space where personal recommendation and evangelism have indispensable practical value. Pinot is the perfect cargo for the cult of the wine fan, a clear mirror of our collective pathology. It is all the pain, glory and mystery of wine, the mountaintop so luminous and distant, the edge of the chasm so precipitous. Yes, it is forbiddingly complicated; no, there are no shortcuts, and even the wealthy are not immune from disappointment.
In those moments where you get the right bottle at the right time, your devotion is rewarded with rich visions of the Cistercians patiently experimenting, of bygone royals hoarding barrels in their dank cellars, of all the myth and science and je ne sais quoi that compels us. The perfect bottle is your steadfast battle to find it; the winemaker’s careful battle to make it; knowledge meeting luck, skill meeting nature. It’s every lackluster bottle you drank in search of it. It is not made, it is not purchased: it is achieved. Only when the cork is popped will you know if your quest was in vain.
Fortunately for me, that birthday bottle of Vosne-Romanée was indeed the right bottle at the right time. It was Pinot Noir in UHD, all tangerine peel and sour cherry, fragrant and pure, complete with loamy bass notes and intangible energy; dust motes floating in sunbeams. I welcomed it into the moment like an old, flighty friend, turning every detail over in my mind, as if I might never see their like again. As the last drops left my glass, my personal dragon-chase resumed.”
As described by Rush, our tasting team experienced both disappointments and joys while tasting wines for entry to this event. We think you’ll be delighted with our final choices. The wines we chose cover new world and old-world regions known for producing lovely Pinot Noir—Oregon, California, New Zealand, Tasmania, Argentina, Germany, and of course, France. We have a range of styles including white, rosé, and sparkling demonstrating how Pinot Noir expresses itself across the range.
Kevin Ostrowski, respected certified wine judge, sommelier, and wine educator will lead our deep dive into these fabulous examples. Kevin plans to allow lots of interaction this time for you to explore the wines with table mates before we discuss as a group.
Wines will be paired with gourmet small plates to highlight the subtle fruit, earthy undertones, and silky textures of Pinot Noir.

Burrata with Macerated Strawberries, Arugula, Toasted Pistachios, Balsamic Glaze and Basil
Wild Mushroom and Gruyere Arancini with Caramelized Leeks and Truffle Oil
Seared Salmon with Cherry Wine Reduction on Fingerling Chips

Please e-mail the Treasurer with any food allergies.
Space is limited by Hilton availability. Reservation deadline is May 12th. Make reservations on the Shoppe Page of this website.
Members—$160
Patrons—$155
Nonmembers—$180

Deadline to Register for Cruising Rosé
2026-06-08 00:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Pride of the Susquehanna, 11 Championship Way, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States
This is an early deadline to meet the needs of the Riverboat team and the caterer. Please know that we may not be able to make exceptions past the deadline for this event.

Cruising Rosé
2026-06-12 18:45 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Pride of the Susquehanna, 11 Championship Way, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States
This event has SOLD OUT. Contact the Treasurer if you wish to be put on a waitlist in case of cancellations.

So you can still join us for total relaxation as we set sail on the Pride of the Susquehanna for an evening cruise of wine, food and friends June 12th from 7-9 p.m. Plan to arrive early because… the boat sails PROMPTLY at 7:00 p.m. from the dock on City Island. Latecomers unfortunately will be left behind. Plan to arrive dockside no later than 6:45 p.m.
The Harrisburg Senators will be in Richmond, VA that evening for an away game so parking should be easy.
Sit inside on the enclosed lower deck or enjoy the upper deck as we cruise down the river taking in the sites of the city and wildlife along the river. You will have a bird’s eye view from the upper deck to watch the sunset as we cruise back to port. Sunset is at 8:36 p.m. on June 12th.
This is an informal, social event so you will have time to talk about the wines you are tasting and make new friends who also enjoy wine. Hopefully, you will come away with a favorite wine or two you can enjoy during the summer. See the wines…
We have selected the following rosé wines from around the world for you to taste:
E Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2022
Country -France
Region – Rhone
Varietal—70% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 10% Syrah
Bargemone Rosé Coteaux d’Aix en Provence 2025
Country – France
Region – Provence – Mediterranee
Varietal – 36% Grenache, 24% Syrah, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cinsault, 8% Rolle, 5% Caladoc, 4% Counoise
Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese 2024
Country – USA
Region – Washington, Columbia Valley
Varietal – Sangiovese
Apollos Praise Dry Rosé Nut Road Vineyard 2024
Country -USA
Region- New York, Finger Lakes – Seneca Lake
Varietal – Cabernet Franc
Turk Rosé Blauen Zweigelt 2024
Country – Austria
Region – Niederösterreich
Varietal – Zweigelt
Muga Rosado Rioja 2024
Country – Spain; Region- Rioja
Varietal – 60% Garnacha and 40% Viura
Juve Y Camps, Brut Rosé Nonvintage
Country – Spain
Region – Cava
Varietal – Pinot Noir
This event is catered by Savory Occasions in Hershey. If you have been to Savory Café, you know to expect excellent food and service.
The hors d’oeuvres we selected include:

Caprese Skewers
Spinach Avocado Dip
Bacon-wrapped Scallops
Pineapple Habanero Ham Balls
Smoked Salmon Crostini
Fresh Berry Mini-Cheesecakes

Please e-mail the Treasurer with any food allergy concerns. Make reservations now on the Shoppe Page of this website. We look forward to sailing with you!
Thanks to generous underwriting we can offer discounted pricing for this event:
Members—$100
Patrons—$95
Nonmembers—$120

No Events in July - Join us on August 21st for Botrytis Wines - Sweet!
2026-07-01 00:00 - 2026-07-31 23:30 (America/New_York) | PA

Deadline to Register for Botrytis Wines
2026-08-18 00:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States
You may register for events on the Shoppe Page of this website. Event “products” are posted on the shoppe page as soon as pricing for the event is available.

Botrytis Wines
2026-08-21 19:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17101, United States
When conditions are just right, nature can hold a usually nasty fungus in check and something magical happens. Instead of ruining a crop the fungus, Botrytis cinerea, concentrates the sugars and flavors in the grapes which can be made into some of the world’s sweetest, most precious wines. This is a partial list of the wines for this special night:
1989 Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Moelleux From an excellent vintage, Huey’s golden colored wine displays a clear and subtle bouquet of delicate ripe yellow fleshed fruits (peaches, pineapples, and raisins) along with a delicious chalky/earthy background. Round, semisweet and delicate on the palate, this elegant Chenin Blanc reveals a great finesse, vitality and lingering salinity. Medium bodied but intense and fine, this wine is lifted by its delicate and lucid acidity, whereas the tannins are slightly austere in the beginning but delicate after aeration. The finish is stimulating in its finesse and tender grip. This is and excellent wine to be enjoyed over the next 30+ years. Score 96 points.
2018 Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec Round and expressive, with great balance between the sweetness of orchard fruit and bracing acidity reminiscent of clementines. Jasmine and sweet spice notes emerge mid palate, while ground ginger details mark the velvety finish. Drink now through 2034. Score 93 points.
2007 Chateau Clemens Barsac This is a spellbinding Barsac. The 2007 is endowed with a lovely bouquet; very pure with honey, a touch of orange blossom and a dollop of quince. The palate is balanced with a great purity, a dash of spice and a lovely viscous botrytis laden finish that possesses awesome weight and persistency. This wine is a slice of heaven in a glass. Score 98 points.
2020 Chateau Rieussec The 2020 Rieussec has a pale lemon straw color. It offers up vibrant, gregarious notes of fresh pineapple, juicy apricots and spiced pears, leading to suggestions of allspice, orange blossom and almond tart. The palate is lively and intense, with a gorgeous satiny texture and acidity lifting the hedonic fruit to a long finish. Score 95 points.
2007 Riesling Spätlese Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. Fritz Haag The Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Spatlese drips with ultra ripe melon, nectarine and honey, with heady, gardenia-like floral notes enhancing the impression of richness confirmed by a succulent, creamily textured palate. In the best vintage manner, this possesses a palpable extract but treads delicately. An infectiously juicy and persistently floral finish is truly transparent to nuances of nut oils, salt and stone. This modestly priced masterpiece is worth following for three decades. Score 94 points.
As a note, I have tasted a bottle of this wine, and it is truly magnificent and not to be missed at this tasting if you are able to attend!
2004 Riesling Auslese Urzinger Wurzgarten JJ Christoffel The Christoffel 2004 Urzinger Wurzgarten smells alluringly of lemon candy, strawberry jam, black tea and some elusive musky essences. On the palate it presents a remarkable egg custard sense of richness confirmed, creaminess and sheer substance which manages to hover lightly over the palate. Layers of fresh jammy strawberry, citrus and wet stone accumulate weightlessly, then swing into a finish of compelling clarity and length. This wine is unfathomably delicious. In calling it “the essence of Mosel” Christoffel can be accused of self-promotion but is guilty only of the truth. This is another rare wine I have procured that must be tasted to be believed. Score 94 points.
2019 Harsanyi Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos This is a rich dessert wine made from 100 % botrytized grapes hand selected. This deep amber colored wine is characterized by high sugar content balanced by acidity, giving a complex profile of honey, apricot and citrus with a long finish. The wine is aged in oak barrels. It pairs well with foie gras, blue cheese and fruit desserts.
2012 Prelude Tokaji Szamorodni Tokaji is Hungary’s most historically important wine region with its volcanic soils yielding some of the best sweet wines in the world. Its location at the convergence of two rivers—the Bodrog and the Tisza—provides just the right climate for the grapes to develop noble rot, given the right conditions in autumn. Tokaji Aszu, dubbed the wine of kings and king of wines, stems from this region and is the wine upon which Tokaji’s fame is built.
There is another star hiding in the wings, however, that has been one of Tokaji’s mainstays for centuries-the tongue twistingly named Szamorodni (Sam-oh-rod-nee). This wine is little known outside Hungary. In the past it was known as “tobor” meaning main wine which tells you something about its importance to the region. The current name is derived from “samorodno “as it was called by the Polish merchants who exported it to the Polish market. Like Aszu, it was served to the Polish court itself. The name means something like “as it comes from” or “the way it was grown” referring to the fact that the grapes are fermented in whole clusters and not individually selected berries as in Aszu. Besides Furmint, other varieties like Harslevelu are permitted. Grapes can be botrytized or not, and they are fermented together for the final wine.
The last two wines of the night come from the Alois Kracher Winery which lies in the Seewinkel area of Austria’s Burgenland. Here, through the evaporative periods of Lake Neusiedl, the evening fog and warm climate, continuous warm humid weather patterns are dominant and allow for Botrytis cinerea to be generated. We will be tasting:
1998 Kracher #9 Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese “Nouvelle Vague” The oak, vanilla, toast, acacia blossom, and crème brûlée scented 1998 Chardonnay TBA is an intensely sweet, fat , and candied wine. Full bodied and powerful, this is a dense yet harmonious offering jam-packed with sugar coated oranges, candied apples, and honey. Its seemingly unending finish reveals additional layers of luxurious jellied fruits. Score 96/100 WA. An amateur review from Cellartracker dated 3/13/26 is as follows: “Holy hell, this is incredible! Dark brown nose of nutty caramel sticky syrup and honey orange peel.”
Our final wine of the night is the 1995 Kracher Collection Trockenbeerenauslese #12 Grande Cuvée This wine is a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 40% Welschriesling, and 5% Traminer fermented in new oak barrels as well as 5% Scheurebe fermented in cask. Smoky, spicy, mineral and tropical fruit-infused aromas are followed by stunning layers of lively, fresh red berry and mangoes in a focused, precise and sublimely balanced core. Score 96-98 WA
Please join us Friday August 21, 2026 at 7 p.m. for a once in a lifetime opportunity to taste these rare wines. The food will be fantastic. I have requested the Hilton chef use foie gras, blue cheese and local fruit to make dishes to pair with these incredible wines. Please e-mail the Treasurer with any food allergy concerns.
Reservation deadline—August 18th so don’t delay. Make reservations via the Shoppe Page of this website.
Members—$170
Patrons—$165
Nonmembers—$190
