Between Swim Sessions: Wine and Ice Cream Around Lancaster, PA
Updated: 45 minutes ago
As any swim parent knows, meets are long. Swimming builds endurance, but so does spending hours in the stands.
Our weekend in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, included a recovery strategy involving wine and ice cream. No, we weren’t the ones swimming. Spectating is hard.
Between meet sessions on Saturday, we stopped at Grandview and Waltz to explore a little of Pennsylvania’s wine scene. On Sunday, we switched from glasses to spoons.
Where We Tasted
Our Saturday break gave us time for two wine stops. A swim meet brought us to the area; curiosity got us into the tasting rooms.
Grandview was one of our stops between sessions. This family-owned vineyard in northern Lancaster County makes its flagship Grande Rouge from estate-grown grapes. That means the grapes come from its own vineyards, a useful detail if you’re interested in tasting what’s grown locally.
We also visited Waltz, which focuses on wines made from grapes grown on its own estate. If you’re planning a visit, check the location before you go: Waltz has several tasting spots around Lancaster County—a small detail, but a helpful one when you need to get back to the pool.
Get to Know the Wines of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a wider range of grapes than you might expect, including familiar names and a few that might have you asking, “How do you say that?”
Familiar grapes: Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Albariño are among the varieties grown in the state.
Names to get curious about: Look for Chambourcin, Grüner Veltliner, Cayuga, Seyval Blanc, and Vidal alongside more familiar varieties.
What “hybrid” means: Grapes such as Chambourcin and Vidal have ancestry from different grape species. It’s a description of their parentage, not a judgment about the wine.
What “vinifera” means: This is the grape species that includes Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and many other familiar wine grapes—no need to memorize it to enjoy a tasting.
Try this: Ask which grapes the winery grows and choose one you haven’t tried. You don’t need to arrive knowing what you like. That’s part of the point.
And Then There Was Ice Cream
On Sunday, we stopped at the Turkey Hill Experience, where we didn’t just sample ice cream. We stepped into the lab and created our own flavors.
A little science, a little sugar, and plenty of quality-control tasting made for a fun family stop. Apparently, our enthusiasm for discussing flavors extends well beyond wine.
We came for a swim meet and worked in two wineries and an ice cream lab. I’d call that a solid weekend for the spectators.
Hillary Tucker is a WSET Level 2 wine professional currently working toward Level 3, and the founder of Grape Curious, where she makes learning about wine approachable, practical, and fun. She helps curious people understand what they’re tasting, discover what they like and why, so they can trust their own taste.
Through the Grape Curious blog, Hillary also shares wine tips and travel experiences, often highlighting smaller wineries she visits with her family, where relaxed settings, personal conversations, and casual learning make discovering wine even more enjoyable.
Want to learn more about wine in person? Explore Grape Curious’ private wine classes.
