I inadvertently went on a Bucks County wine tour recently. I never realized there is an entire wine trail in the county; and while I didn’t take the full tour, my experiences at two local wineries, Sand Castle Winery and Crossing Vineyards, made me think this would be a fun excursion for an upcoming weekend afternoon.

On a Friday afternoon, I stopped at Washington Crossing’s Crossing Vineyards for an impromptu tasting. The basic tasting was held in the wine store, and I enjoyed looking at all the different gourmet wine gifts on the surrounding shelves. Surprisingly, my favorite wine in the tasting was a port-style dessert wine, which I do not tend to enjoy. The Chocolate Cherry Truffle wine tastes of dark chocolate, cherry, plum and oak. It will taste phenomenal on a winter’s night after a hearty meal.

Sand Castle Winery is beautifully located on the Delaware River. Driving up its long, winding driveway, its sandcastle-like winery rises on a hill overlooking the vineyards. My roommate and I won a gift certificate to the winery at an auction and were eager to use it. This tour was far more in-depth than my previous experience. In a gallery on the second floor, we learned about the history of the vineyard; how to examine, smell and taste wine; and even how to decipher the labels when ordering or buying a bottle of wine. We got a peek at the processing room. It was an informative afternoon in the wine world.

Once again, my favorite taste of the day surprised me. The vineyard’s Alpine Spice is a blend of Chardonnay, Riesling, an herb blend and spices. Served warm, it is also perfect for a cold day; and spiked with a bit of Bacardi rum, it is, as it was described, “apple pie in a glass.”

While not the typical fall activity, my recent tastings were the perfect ways to warm up on a crisp afternoon.

— Kimberly Krol, managing editor