From the Vine
Tasting notes, winery visits, and wine education for curious beginners — no jargon, just honest stories.
59 posts
A Late Sunday Afternoon at Blue Mountain Winery: Exploring Five Pennsylvania Wines
An enjoyable afternoon of wine tasting at Blue Mountain Winery in Pennsylvania, where five very different red wines caught our attention — and all five came home with us.
Is America's Wine Industry Facing a Crisis — or a Much-Needed Reinvention?
Changing drinking habits, declining wine sales, vineyard removals, and a new generation of innovative winemakers are reshaping American wine. But could today's challenges actually lead to a stronger, more exciting future for the industry?
American Red Blends Explained: Why Winemakers Mix Grapes
Discover how blending shapes a wine's aroma, texture, freshness, and structure—and how to choose an American red blend you'll actually enjoy.
A Sunday Afternoon at Cellar Beast Winehouse: Eight American Red Wines and Five Favorites to Bring Home
The American Vine visits Cellar Beast Winehouse in Andreas, Pennsylvania, for an afternoon of wine tasting, discovering eight distinctive American red wines and bringing home five favorites for a closer look.
American Sparkling Wine Explained: Styles, Regions, and What to Look For
From crisp California brut to Michigan bubbles and Finger Lakes pét-nat, discover why American sparkling wine deserves a place at your table.
A Sunny Afternoon at the Grove City Wine Walk
Exploring Pennsylvania's local wine scene, from Lake Erie AVA wineries to family-owned producers, at the Grove City Wine Walk in Western Pennsylvania.
Tasting Notes: 2023 Meadowbrook Winery Reserve Cabernet Franc
The 2023 Reserve Cabernet Franc is Meadowbrook's most complete wine — a selection of the estate's best fruit, aged longer and with more care, producing something that sits comfortably alongside the best Cab Francs being made anywhere in America.
Tasting Notes: 2022 Meadowbrook Winery Cabernet Franc
The 2022 Meadowbrook Cabernet Franc is a wine built for the long game — structured, serious, and showing the kind of depth that rewards patience. It is the most age-worthy red I have tasted from this producer.
Tasting Notes: 2024 Meadowbrook Winery Whole Berry Cabernet Franc
The 2024 Whole Berry Cabernet Franc from Meadowbrook Winery is a step forward from an already strong baseline — brighter, more precise, and with a floral lift that makes it one of the most expressive New Jersey reds I have tasted.