Interested in wine and/or winemaking? Check out Lebanon Valley Wine Club, which celebrated its 51st anniversary during a September meeting.
“The wine club turned 50 last year, but we weren’t meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so we delayed our celebration to this year,” explained wine club president Frank Weidman.
During the anniversary meeting, 95-year-old charter member Dot Wentling shared some of the organization’s history and her memories of meetings. Lebanon Valley Wine Club was founded by a group of winemakers — people who were either professional winemakers or who make wine as a hobby.
According to the Pennsylvania Winery Association’s website, Pennsylvania boasts a legacy of winemaking that has grown into a dynamic wine industry fueled by the desire to drink locally, grow sustainably, and innovate in the footsteps of William Penn.
Pennsylvania winemakers continue a centuries-old tradition that began in 1683 when William Penn planted the first vineyard in Philadelphia in what is now Fairmount Park. Additionally, information on the website indicates that Pennsylvania encompasses over 14,000 acres of the East Coast’s most productive land for growing grapes.
Weidman, who’s been a member for about a decade, said the Lebanon Valley Wine Club currently has 25 members. A few members including Weidman make wine as a hobby, but a number are wine enthusiasts or people who want to learn more about wine and winemaking.
“I was interested in making wine, so that’s why I joined. Over the years I learned some new techniques,” he said.
Weidman grows peaches and apples at his home. He had grown up to four varieties of grapes, but he said most of the vines have died with old age, and a few struggled for light as some wild trees took over the space behind them, blocking the sunlight. He said he only has three vines left, and they’re all Cayuga grapes.
“Sometimes I’ll use the peaches or apples for wine. I used to use my grapes for wine. I don’t know anyone in the club who currently grows their own grapes to make wine. Those of us who are still making wine purchase either the grapes or the juice from a company in Philadelphia which ships them in from California or from local vineyards,” Weidman explained. “Mostly I make wine using French and American hybrids such as Catawba, Cayuga, Niagara, Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as some Italian grape varieties such as Barbera.”
He and other home winemakers will sometimes bring their home-crafted wines to share at a meeting in a 3- or 5-gallon carboy. “When the carboy is filled, it is a bit heavy to move,” Weidman said, adding that it’s one of the reasons meetings are often held in members’ homes.
Members will bring a bottle of wine to share. “We talk about the wine — the variety of grapes used to produce it, the winemaker and the winemaking region. Our programs may also include winemaking history in various parts of the world as well as the grapes grown in specific regions,” Weidman said, “In the past we took trips to some local wineries and vineyards, but haven’t done that for a while. At some point we may do it again.”
Lebanon Valley Wine Club meetings are often held on a Saturday. Cost of membership is $30 per year.
For information about membership and/or location of the next Lebanon Valley Wine Club meeting, contact Frank Weidman via email: frankweidman419@comcast.net.
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