The world of wine is vast. Every varietal and vintage is different, and it can be hard to know how to pick one over another. That’s often where a sommelier steps in, with vast, in-depth knowledge of wine that helps steer our decision and point out incredible wines hiding in plain sight.
Alexandra Cherniavsky
We spoke with Alexandra Cherniavsky, a Sommelier, Wine Consultant and Managing Partner at SWIG Partners. She has worked with wine for over 20 years, developing numerous award-winning wine programs for PA restaurants such as Le Bec-Fin, its successor Avance, Jose Garces’ Amada, and Starr Restaurant’s The Love and completed the Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced Course and Exam in 2015. She has served as a PA Wine Ambassador with the Pennsylvania Wine Association, tasting at wineries across the state, and as a judge at the Sommelier Judgement of Pennsylvania Wines.
Cherniavsky shares her five favorite PA wine varietals along with some trends she’s excited about in the Pennsylvania wine industry.
What are your favorite PA wine varietals to suggest?
Gruner Veltliner is one of my favorite grapes globally and is one of my favorite grapes grown in PA. This could be our signature grape. Cooler parts of the state like Lehigh Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) and Erie AVA tend to do better with this grape since it’s native to places like Austria in Europe. I love that these wines often are crisp and refreshing with a fantastic amount of acidity.
Gruner Veltiner is a great wine to try if you are a Pinot Grigio lover and you want to broaden your horizons. One of the best producers of this grape in the US is Galen Glen Vineyard and Winery in Andreas, PA. Other producers of Gruner Veltliner include Mazza Vineyards in Erie, Fero Vineyards in Lewisburg, Stony Run Winery in Breinigsville and Wayvine Winery and Vineyard in Nottingham.
Riesling is another of my favorite grapes due to its versatility. Most people know Riesling as a sweet wine, but there are many dry examples as well. It can be made in styles as sweet as dessert wine, into semi-sweet wines and into dry still and sparkling wines. Riesling grows well all over the state, but particularly in the cooler parts of the state like Lehigh Valley AVA and Erie AVA. Some producers making great Riesling include Galen Glen Vineyard, Mazza Vineyards, Fero Vineyards and Flickerwood Wine Cellars.
Alexandra Cherniavsky visiting Galen Glen
Chambourcin is a French-American hybrid grape that does REALLY well in PA. It can be made as a red or rosé wine, with some of my favorite producers choosing to make rosé. With juicy fruit, this grape can be extremely appealing to people who don’t like their reds to be food friendly or who might like to drink their wines with a bit of a chill. Rosé from this grape from The Perfect Wines in Erie was one of only 20 U.S. wines to win a Gold Medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards this year. Other producers in the state of Chambourcin include Happy Valley Vineyad and Winery, Nissley Vineyards and The Winery at Wilcox.
Cabernet Franc grapes
Cabernet Franc is probably my favorite red grape grown in PA. These wines can be made in heavier and lighter styles and often have flavor profiles of cherry, blackberry, green pepper and cardamom. These wines are great when young and there are also many producers making examples of Cabernet Franc made for aging ten or more years. A lot of great wines are being made in the cooler areas, but Cabernet Franc also works well in warmer parts of the state like Chester and Delaware Counties. Some producers to check out include Penns Woods Winery, Grace Winery, Mazza Vineyards and Vox Vineti.
Merlot is a grape that is often maligned (thanks, Sideways), but it is incredibly enjoyable to drink. Often juicy, with a silky texture and flavors of plum, Merlot is a great choice from a PA winery. Wayvine, Chaddsford Winery and Karamoor Estate all make great examples of Merlot.
What trends and changes do you find exciting in PA?
I talk to distributors and importers across the country about what’s selling well. It’s a wonderful way of seeing that side of the business, what’s viable and what people are selling in retail. I get to see how each market is a little different and how to help PA fit into other markets, because I’d love to see more Pennsylvania wines available outside of the state.
It takes time to build up a restaurant presence, which we did. Now PA wines are ubiquitous in cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. You have whole wine programs that are local.
I love that so many wineries use local fruit or their own fruit from their own vineyards. There are wineries that are bringing in grapes from other places and I wish there was less of that. We’re one of the biggest grape growing states in the country. I’m not sure what spurs the purchases of grapes outside of the state, but I’d love to see people embrace local varieties. Those that do are making amazing wines. It raises our overall reputation and helps people see Pennsylvania as the great grape growing region and state that it is.
Many wineries have partnered with growers in Erie that were growing Concord grapes, traditionally. They’ve said, ‘Can you plant these five or so grapes that we think would be interesting because the terroir here is great for them?’ They’ve contracted with small, independent family vineyards that set apart a piece of their vineyard to grow these grapes.
Something else I’m seeing in the market, with the changes in weather and climate, is that a lot of vineyards and wineries lean into more native and hybrid varieties because they’re a little more hardy, they take less water and less pesticides to grow, and they’re more weatherproof. So, we’re seeing more of those hybrid and native varieties and versions of grapes where the wine tastes great. I’m talking about grapes that have been maligned as too sweet, funky or not good in some way.
It’s also nice to see wineries getting their wines to the other side of Pennsylvania. We don’t have one kind of weather and terroir. As wineries sell outside the tasting room, it’s so nice to see the wines pop up in restaurants, retailers, groceries, breweries – wherever wines are sold these days – and be from farther away, not just down the street. It’s nice to be choosing based on quality, not just proximity.
I want the industry as a whole to be successful and I want PA to have as many wines to drink as possible and to really support our grape growers and winemakers working very hard to make good local wines.
The PA Vines & Wines series was created in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Wine Association with Round 8, Act 39 grant funding from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB).
The Pennsylvania Winery Association (PWA) is a trade association that markets and advocates for the limited licensed wineries in Pennsylvania.
- Feature photo: StarChefs
- Gruner Veltliner photo: Galen Glen Vineyards & Winery
- Fero Riesling photo: Fero Vineyards
- Cherniavsky at vineyards photo: Alexandra Cherniavsky
- Cab Franc grapes and Merlot photo: Bigstock
- Vineyard photo: Alexandra Whitney Photography
- Wine glasses photo: PA Winery Association
