'America's Grape Country' Is A Lakeside Pennsylvania Dream With Endless Vineyard Acres And Award-Winning Wines

Believe it or not, you don't need to venture to Tuscany in Italy or the Rioja region of Spain to enjoy delectable wine. The U.S. boasts some fantastic wine regions, most notably Napa Valley in California, but you will find plenty of charming wine trails scattered across the country. From underrated Tennessee towns with idyllic wine trails to Washington's answer to Napa Valley, you will be pleasantly surprised by the abundance of dreamy wine lands across the country. 

And then there is Pennsylvania, a state with one of the most perfect climates for growing grapes on the East Coast. Those with a taste for the good stuff will find award-winning wines from Lake Erie to the Delaware River, where the tradition of winemaking is alive and well. One of the best places to start your discovery is Erie Wine Country, home to the Erie Wine Trail, a region that boasts over 30,000 vineyard acres as well as breweries and farm distilleries. 

Stretching 50 miles from Silver Creek, New York, to Harborcreek, Pennsylvania, this wine-producing region has become known as America's grape country. The Erie wine trail is a fantastic adventure for visitors to embark on, especially to sip on handcrafted wines and hear stories from the locals who pour their heart and soul into their craft. The fantastic blend of unique wineries utilizes the perfect growing environment of this lakeside setting to craft premium, award-winning wines, and there are a staggering 24 wineries to discover. 

Getting to the Erie Lake wine region is easy, as Silver Creek is located 45 minutes from Buffalo Niagara International Airport. This is an ideal place to start your journey along the trail, following the lake shores to Harborcreek, Pennsylvania. Given the abundance of wineries located along this trail, it is well worth adding a few extra days to your itinerary to experience as much as you can without the need to rush. They say that in Pennsylvania, you are never more than an hour away from a winery, but in the Lake Erie wine region, there is one around each corner.

Along this trail, you will discover wineries specializing in delicious local varieties, from French-American wines to European-style wines. Over the years, local winemakers have perfected the art of growing premium grapes, putting the region on the international wine map. The best way to enjoy this self-guided tour is to hire a driver or utilize local Uber services, which allow you to sit back, relax, and breathe in that sweet aroma of the surrounding vineyards. 

Given the variety of wineries to choose from, it can be hard to decide where to begin, but there are many recommended award-winning wineries along the route, including Mazza Vineyards, 21 Brix Winery, and Courtyard Winery, to name but a few. Visitors will get the chance to try some delicious vinifera, ice wines, fruit wines, as well as brandies and ports.

You do not need to be a wine expert to enjoy this trail, or any wine trail for that matter. In fact, the locals encourage you to follow the seven S's to make the most of your tasting; see, swirl, smell, sip, slurp, savor, and spit. To complement your tastings, many wineries provide delicious nibbles, but there are excellent dining options to whet your appetite, with Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen and Shoreline Bar & Grille being highly reviewed by visitors.

The wineries along the Lake Erie Wine Trail are open year-round, but each has its own schedule, so it is wise to plan your visits in advance. In addition, many wineries offer live music sessions as well as events, which are fantastic ways to let your hair down while sipping a local beverage. For those who love beer, cider, and spirits, the Lake Erie wine trail has an abundance of breweries and distilleries worth checking out, like the Big Inlet Brewing Company, noted on Tripadvisor as a great dog-friendly place with a great selection of beer. Five and 20 Spirits and Brewing is also a fine choice for craft beer and spirits. 

The Erie wine trail is guaranteed to keep you busy. If you are seeking more wine adventures, head to the Endless Mountains, Pennsylvania's secret wine region that boasts wineries and rolling hills and is 275 miles from Harborcreek. It is well worth a visit if time allows.