Pinot Noir (2022)

About this wine

This Pinot Noir leans into roasted cherry and black cherry right up front, with a cozy thread of baking spice that keeps it inviting from start to finish. The fruit feels ripe and polished rather than jammy, and the tannins stay soft, so it comes across warm and smooth on the palate. You will also pick up a light tea like, earthy edge that gives it that classic Pinot Noir feel without getting heavy. The overall vibe is approachable and comforting, with just enough savory nuance to keep each sip interesting. Penns Woods sits in southeastern Pennsylvania, an area where Pinot Noir can be a bit of a high wire act, and when it lands, you get this kind of bright cherry fragrance and gentle spice in a very drinkable red.

About the grape

Pinot Noir is an ancient Burgundian grape prized for thin skins and aromatic finesse, and at Penns Woods it is the central and sole varietal for this bottling. The winery began expanding Pinot Noir plantings in 2013 at their higher elevation Sandy Hill site and now farms roughly a dozen acres of Pinot that yield about 2.7 to 3.5 tons per acre, reflecting careful crop control to preserve fragrance and balance. Soils across their sites vary from sandy golden loam to clay and iron oxidized earth with mica and schist, and the vines are managed for low yields and gentle handling because the berries bruise easily and over cropping reduces quality. In the cellar clusters are typically destemmed with minimal crushing and clones are blended so each clone can contribute specific structure and aromatic detail to the final wine.

Quick facts

• 🍇 Penns Woods’ Pinot Noir comes from a deliberately tiny estate plantings program that started in 2013 and grew from 2.5 acres to roughly a dozen acres so each bottle stays very limited and hand-tended.
• 🌿 Because Pinot Noir is so delicate there, the winery manages yields tightly (around 2.7–3.5 tons per acre), which they credit for the wine’s fragrant, elegant character rather than sheer power.
• 🇮🇹 The winery’s founder, Italian immigrant Gino Razzi, brought Old‑World winemaking instincts from Abruzzo that shaped the Pinot’s emphasis on finesse and aromatic lift rather than heavy oakation.
• 🎓 Penns Woods donates a dollar from every bottle sold to Penn State viticulture and enology research, so buying their Pinot Noir helps local grape science and new Pennsylvania vine trials.
• 🏞️ The tasting room and vineyards back onto national‑park trails, making their Pinot one of the rare U.S. wines you can enjoy after a hike through historic public land right off the vines.

Palate profile

Producer

Penns Woods Winery was founded in 2001 by Italian immigrant and USMC veteran Gino Razzi, who transitioned from decades as a wine importer to winemaking in Pennsylvania. After rehabilitating a vineyard in Chadds Ford, he began producing premium, Euro-style wines that highlight the unique flavors of the region. The winery has expanded to over 40 acres across three sites in Southeastern Pennsylvania, cultivating 11 different varietals. Notably, Penns Woods Winery is one of only two wineries in the U.S. situated on a national park, offering access to miles of trails in the First State National Historical Park.