The Little Winery That Could

Briar Valley Wins Farm Show Governor’s Cup

Chris Torres
Staff Writer

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Remember the unusually cold weather in May? Well, it wreaked havoc in many vineyards across the state, including the small Briar Valley Vineyards and Winery in Bedford, where more than 75 percent of the grapes were lost.

For Tod and Jean Manspeaker, owners of the tiny vineyard that produces just 4,000 gallons of wine each year, 2009 proved to be one of their most challenging years.

Safe to say, winning this year’s Governor’s Cup at the Farm Show did a lot to boost their morale.

“I think it’s definitely good publicity for us. But I think it’s really refreshing that the good vinifera can win the governor’s cup,” Jean said.

Briar Valley beat out a record number of entrants, 328 in all, to come away with the coveted best-in-show award with its 2008 Gewurztraminer.

The wine, Jean said, has a “spicy note” with a little fruit flavor. But its “good mouth feel” is what she feels makes it stand out from the rest.

“I think its an excellent varietal. It’s very true to form,” she said.

This was only the second time Briar Valley entered wines into the competition. Last year was their debut.

Gewurztraminer is one of Jean’s favorites, her “baby” in fact. They grow about 50 percent of the grapes they need for wine production, with the rest coming from the Lake Erie region.

“We always liked Gewurztraminer. We always enjoyed it and the fact that it is more cold hardy than other vinifera grapes, we thought we would be able to grow it,” she said.

The couple started bottling the wine in August and since then, it has become a hit. Out of 125 cases they originally made, a little less than half are left.

The win at the Farm Show has brought more attention to the winery. The phone has been ringing constantly this week and people have been e-mailing, trying to get some of their own.

But the attention is something Jean says she doesn’t strive for. For her, it’s about quality, not quantity and creating something special.

She and her husband own a contract cleaning company, which pays most of the bills but is also stressful.

So growing grapes is sort of a getaway vacation, only they don’t go too far to do it.

“We both love doing it. My whole feeling about our winery, in general, is we will always be small. And that’s the way we want it,” she said.

All of the wines were judged at Rutgers University two weeks before Thanksgiving.

Mark Chien, statewide viticulturalist for Penn State, said the quality of the wines was good, with chardonnays and Vidals standing out.

Chien said he was surprised Briar Valley won with its selection. “I don’t know where that came from,” he said.

But the fact the tiny winery won goes to show that winemakers all over the state are getting better at their craft, Chien pointed out.

“What I tasted was very good. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a prestigious competition for us locally. Being able to say you won a gold medal means a lot,” he said.

Clover Hill Winery, Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Presque Isle Wine Cellars, and Rose Bank Winery each won eight medals, the most for any individual winery.

Here is the list of category winners:
• Best in show and best vinifera: Briar Valley Vineyards and Winery, Gewurztraminer, 2008;
• Best fruit wine: Cherry Valley Vineyard, Raspberry Wine, 2009;
• Best hybrid: Presque Isle Wine Cellars, Vignoles, 2008;
• Best dessert wine: Greendance Winery, Late Harvest Vidal Blanc, 2008;
• Best sparkling: Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Blanc de Blanc, vintage unknown; and
• Best American wine: Allegheny Cellars Winery, Big Bend Blush, vintage unknown.