Where can I find a good wine store??

[Citypoot]

Let me give ypou a darkhorse location or picking up great wine.

Soergel's is a family run farm/greenhouse/complex in Wexford about 15 minutes northwest of downtown, and they distribute Arrowhead Wine which is a northwest Pa. winery.

I have traveled the world and at one point was quite the wine aficionado, yet I swear to God that one wine Arrowhead makes- called Buffalo Blush, which is all of about 20 dollars- is one of the greatest wines I've ever had. The 2003 batch was amazing.

[greg42]

There are several winery "outlets" scattered around the area, as well as some actual wineries even down this way. The aforementioned Arrowhead is a Lake Erie-area winery but there are some local ones. I don't know the ones out to the east but I'm sure there's something closer to the OP's area than Wexford. It's one thing if you're downtown, but OP appears to not be coming any farther west than Monroeville on a regular basis.

[irishvan]

Does anyone know of places you can sell homemade wine/ regulations on such things.

[squarian]

Just one word - retsina.

It's not for everyone, granted. It's one of the odd nooks and crannies of wine, definitely off the merlot/chardonnay beaten path. But for those who have acquired the taste, there's nothing like it for these hot sultry days - and if you're going to have to suffer through the godawful Pgh summer weather, you might as well try to pretend you're on some wonderful Aegean island while you're sweating in the shade.

One of the pleasures of retsina is the subtle differences of flavor which the many local varieties offer - often a single small island may have two or three traditional ways of making it, each with their own characteristics. Naturally, most of these local specialities aren't exported, but all the same there are at least a dozen or so brands of retsina which reach these shores - most whites, and some very nice roses. My favorite is Patraiki.

Out of that wonderful whacky world of resinated wine, how many are routinely available on PLCB shelves? One. Achaia Clauss, in the liter bottle. Almost inevitably, one of the more mediocre retsinas available in the US.

Of course, from the point of view of a massive bureaucratic operation, this makes perfect sense - retsina is very much an acquired taste, it's never going to sell well, so why bother stocking it at all?

But in a free market, why shouldn't there be that one obscure little shop in a big city like Pgh, the one whose owner/manager has a personal love for retsina and stocks it for the tiny fraternity of retsina lovers?

No, not in PA - retsina doesn't sell by the boxcar-load, therefore it doesn't fit into the five year plan, and the central office knows better than I do what I should want to drink.

[Pitt Chick]

Is that the wine with pine resin in it?

If so, I have tried it.
Not my cup of tea, so to speak...

[bbrian12]

if you feel like taking a ride i recommend wilhelm winery, its about 2 hours north on 79. take a road trip and buy a couple cases to last a while. Wilhelm Winery Home Page

here is another good place www.narcisiwinery.com