Delaware Wine & Ale Trail
Your Host Our Coast hosts love beer... a lot. Red beer, blue beer, old beer, new beer, we're fans. (and so was Dr. Suess) One of the many perks of the coolest job on the coast and also the one that we are most often reminded of is this simple fact. It's our job to drink beer. We checked out three stops on the Delaware Wine and Ale Trail, sampled the goods and made this to share with you guys. Delaware has lots of excellent local libations so get yourself out on the trail as often and as soon as you can. Cheers!
Wine by Mother Nature
Tony and Pete Pizzadili planted their first grape vines on their property just outside of Dover in 1993, marking the beginning of Pizzadili Vineyard &Winery. The hard work and toil of these two brothers has brought this land from going to seed, as it had been, to the pristine vale it is today.
From Farm to Bottle: Layton's Chance Vineyard & Winery
Family values are a tricky thing when being passed down to the next generation. Parents usually deal with two kinds of kids: the obedient ones who embrace the values wholeheartedly, and the tricky ones who go the opposite direction. William Layton of Layton's Chance said he was the second kind of child – for a while. This was a man raised on a farm in Dorchester County, driving a tractor since he was big enough to see over the steering wheel. Plowing, planting and harvesting were in his blood, and so were the expectations to carry on the family tradition.
Cassinelli Winery and Vineyards
Competition in the wine business is very different from most other businesses. While a car salesman might prefer his competitors to go out of business, wine-makers thrive on having other wineries around them. Travelers who visit one winery usually want to visit several in one day. That's why Cassinelli Winery & Vineyards is making large strides for the progress of wineries in Queen Anne's County, MD. Just last year, Al Cassinelli gave away over 2,000 vines to visitors and friends to spark interest in growing grapes. Al said he hopes someone will fill the holes in the wine trail and add to the growing attention MD wineries are getting. This is a man who welcomes the idea of neighbors.
Wining Down in St. Michaels
Five years ago, when St. Michaels Winery was started, they were the 19th winery in the state of Maryland. Now there are some 41. This puts St. Michaels in a great position on a steadily growing trend. And the location of the winery, right in the middle of town, ensures that they'll be serving fantastic wines for years to come. They are now selling their wines through 400 stores, a number which is sure to keep rising.
