Va La offers old-world style varietals, served in a warm and inviting setting. Our server was warm, friendly and engaging, and we struck up multiple conversations with our fellow visitors around the bar. The wines are all produced locally, and the winemaker has a narrow focus rather than trying to create every wine for every occasion. The food pairing samples are all on point and are helpful when enjoying a tasting. I was able to determine what I was in the mood for while I was visiting, and also how I might pair a bottle I was planning to enjoy at home. The shop has not only bottle selections, but a number of tasty treats from local artisans and stores. The Italian Cookies (Tuccini) are excellent! A very enjoyable, and tasty experience. read more

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Excelling service from staff, beautiful second floor and back porch view of vineyard. Wines are all blended. We tried the tasting, paired with small snacks 5/5. Bottles expensive in the ~$50 range but they only bottle 100-200 per season read more

Va La Vineyards - a selection of wines and cheeses - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

High quality wine and a great tasting experience. The food pairings went extremely well and were unique.

Went for a recital. My two nephews performed amazing piano solos. I loved this place. Huge wood beams, nice wooden bar, high end wines. I'll be back for sure. read more

Amazing find! The wine tasting was outstanding, complex, rememering of being in Italy. We can not remember our wine guides name but she was awesome. She was by herself with all seats at bar filled and total special care for each and every person. The pairing of wine and small plate perfect. Beautiful place and happy we stumbled upon this field wines of happiness . read more

I write this after having been on 'social distancing' lock down for several days, and having finished a full bottle of "Silk" without a lot of food. Even so, take this review seriously. I'd never thought of Pennsylvania as 'wine country', but I'd seen reviews of Va La from trusted friends of mine so I figured this was something special. Late last year I finally made the journey. I'm glad I did. I'd been to over 300 wineries (mostly Virginia, some in MD, NY, NJ and Penn) on the east coast, and this hits my top 10. It's just that good. I had the pleasure of chatting with the owner for a while, and walked away with the impression he thinks of himself as a farmer first and a winemaker second. His strategy is entirely entirely vineyard based. This is a GOOD THING. Their wines use Italian grapes that I'd never heard of before. Va La typically only has 4 wines at any time, most if not all of them field blends. I emphasize the word 'blend' here, because the vineyard has well over 30 varietals planted - and Anthony uses them all. That's right; over 30 varietals of grapes going into only a handful of wines. 'Blend' is an understatement. I had 4 wines, but my favorite was the Silk "Rosato" (rose). I dont typically drink roses but this was special; spicy with an exceptionally long finish. "Amazing" doesn't do it justice. If you claim to love wine and live in the Philly/south PA area, GO HERE. read more

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What a hidden gem of a vineyard !! I love the history and the incredible wines!!! We make an afternoon of it ..buy wine & we bring crusty bread, grapes & cheeses and sit on the patio!!! read more

I would wait until things are back to normal.... the quality of the experience was subpar and it was hard to enjoy. No bathroom you have to use a smelly port a potty outside. The wine flights came in Jell-O shot cups and you had to bring you own cup. read more

Va La Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

This place is an amazing gem. My friend wanted to meet up for a tasting and got a same day reservation on a Sunday. It may be the time of year but there wasn't that many people there and we ended up having the whole 2nd floor tasting room to ourselves for most of our time. We got a flight each, a bottle to share and some items off of the charcuterie menu. Some of the most delicious cheese I've ever had came off that menu and it turns out they are all local products. I am so lucky that we got to go when we did as we had beautiful views and it provided a great afternoon out with my bestie. I hope to take my dad there after the new year, it's a great place to for a casual but amazing tasting. read more

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Was out in Avondale for an errand and decided to stop in at Va La since we were driving by. SO glad we did! The wine is fantastic -I really respect a vintner who produces a limited selection exceptionally well. The wine/tasting aren't cheap but are well worth it. And the cheese and chocolate that the tasting are served with indicate we need to go back hungry to try their charcuterie selection. Staff is super friendly and their tasting room is very cozy! read more

Va La Vineyards - Tasting spread - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

I recently took a little sunday drive to pursue the Brandywine Wine Trail - and decided to start out at Va-La. (previously known as Vietri) Preface: Lets start by saying I am not, historically, predisposed to liking PA wines. As Tom G. points out, you mostly pay top dollar for average - at best -- wine. Still, it's enjoyable to visit a vineyard for a tasting on a beautiful fall day. Lets face it - Napa, Santa Cruz and other west coast locations are great- but a long, long way away from my home here in SE PA. As an aside, the 2000-2001 champagne produced by French Creek Ridge has been the only PA wine of note i've found -- a feat they never been able to duplicate btw. Until now. The Review: This is where the previous reviewer and i will differ. Va-La made an impression. I found their line-up to be un-like any PA wines I've ever had. Yes, you will pay more for them - like starting at $28 and going up. But these are craft wines and the prices reflect the quantity produced. I ending up spending the afternoon. Did both the downstairs and upstairs reserve tasting. In addition to pairing up with the local cheeses and chocolate, I also got the scoop on Va-La and what makes this place different. It boils down to 3 things: 1) Location. Their 7 acre vineyard is situated between 2 mushroom producers. The heat given off by those operations produces a micro-climate terroir that approximates the Carnero's region in napa. 2) Unique blends. They grow an amazing variety of grapes on such a small parcel. And this is what sets them apart - IMHO. A business plan that targets unique blends found nowhere else. They succeed on that score. 3) A Craft philosophy. The produce in small quantities and sell all of their wine - carry no inventory at all. The attention to detail shows. I won't do a play by -play. You can find a description of their line-up on the web site here:http://www.valavineyards.com/wines.html I enjoyed a bottle of "Silk" with some cheese and a good cigar on the back deck overlooking the vineyard. Then I bought some wine (only the second time a pa winery impressed me enough to). A bottle of the Barbera graced my steak dinner that night - it was terrific. There are two standouts worth highlighting. The La Prima Donna - 2006. A notable Bordeaux style white blend that makes Conundrum seem bland by comparison. And Cedar - a blend that they recommend not be uncorked until 2010. That only means that it will be truly amazing, since what i tasted was already in my opinion was eminently drinkable now. For the first time, I can fell good about recommending a PA winery. No - these aren't your $15 bottle value wines. Expect to pay craft prices. But they are unique, highly enjoyable, well-made wines that pair exceptionally well with food. Perhaps this regions is finally starting to come into its own for winemaking. For now, you can count me in as a proud member of the Va-La nation. read more

Very enjoyable estate winery with a vineyard view on the porch area and an interior tasting room also overlooking the porch and vineyard. We chose to sit inside as the weather was a bit humid. The small selection of wines are all from the estate and on the dry side and the tasting is a bit pricey compared to other wineries - $20 for 4 wines. We like dry wines and thought they were all good. A tidbit tasting is offered along with the wine - that includes 2 squares of cheese, one small cracker, one piece of caramel popcorn (just 1 popped kernel), and one small chocolate. A very nice relaxing place to visit. The items on the tidbit tasting can also be ordered individually. read more

What a hidden gem! My friend and I had such a lovely time here for a wine tasting in the backyard. The staff is so friendly and they have done a great job with making their operations adhere to COVID social distancing requirements. Definitely a great place to visit if you are looking for a relaxing day outside! read more

Va La Vineyards - Tasting the "silk" red - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

Wife wanted to do some wine tasting so I looked up vineyards on Yelp. Va La popped up, we had never heard of them and they were not to far away. So the day was planned we were gonna go for a tasting. The tasting was $20 a piece but they paired artisan cheeses with 4 samples of their wine. Dave was behind the bar and was very informative. Of the 4 wines we sampled, our favorite was their Silk blend. It was so smooth and full of flavors. After chatting up with Dave for a bit, we decided to enjoy a glass outside, they had a Jazz band for the Holiday weekend. We ordered our glass and headed outside, the smell was awful. We decided to head back inside and just people watch. Honestly I do not know how people could sit out there but others said after 10 minutes you become immune to it. Sorry but No Thanks! After our glass we purchased 2 bottles of Silk, for home use. It was a nice vineyard with great tasting wines. If you are in the area and are looking for something to do, give them a try, they will not disappoint. I know for a fact that we will be back again! read more

Va La Vineyards - Silk - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

Don't bother showing up 47 minutes well before closing. They turn you away because they don't feel like serving you. Wow. Horrible customer service. read more

I've never felt so unwelcomed in my life. Wine was delicious but staff was rude. We came in with a group and staff immediately looked at us and told us they would not serve us bc our party was too large. Despite there being no one else there and having enough seating for us. Told us they ONLY HAVE DRY WINES and proceeded to tell us how we would not like their wines (dry wines happen to be my favorite!) Now this is a group of 30-40 year olds married couples celebrating birthdays and anniversaries together and this was the first stop of the day for a self guided wine tour, and we're treated like we were unruly teenagers. Would not recommend. read more

A little pricey but very quaint. The inside is really nice and it's on a very pretty vineyard. They have won a bunch of awards. The owner is very kind. They do their tastings with cheese which is fun. read more

Va La Vineyards - Fun with the family. - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

Very disappointing experience at Va La. Way different from my many visits years ago. The first two employees we encountered upon our arrival were unwelcoming and rude. They were clearly annoyed that we didn't have a reservation. It should be clear on the Va La website that reservations are preferred. After being scolded for not having a reservation, we were told they had no sweet wines so if we were looking for sweet wines which we weren't, we should go elsewhere. My first thought was, I guess that's nice for people to be aware of a head of time, but after I processed the remark I realized it was pure arrogance. The employee went on to say that he could send us to many other wineries in the area that have sweet wine. (As if there was something wrong with making or liking sweeter wine). To me, that was the biggest turnoff of the bad Va La experience. I have found that most businesses in the area support each other so I was surprised to hear his disparaging comment. We should have walked out at that moment but we chose to stay. They give you a 1 1/2 hour time limit which starts when you walk in. We waited 20 minutes for our flight to be served so our time was ticking. It doesn't take a lot of time to drink four 2oz. samples of wine but if you enjoyed the wine and wanted to order a glass or two, you'd be out of time. We encountered two very nice employees and two very rude employees. There was definitely a vibe of be lucky we allow you to be in our place of business and let you spend $100.00 which I stupidly did. I bought a bottle of red wine as it was very good and a local Lancaster cheese which was delicious and the best thing I tasted at Va La. Unfortunately, it was two very rude employees who made wine tasting at Va La a two star rating. I have no plans of returning or recommending Va La in the future. read more

Great service, beautiful and serene place to drink great wine. Our server, Andy, was a pleasure and had excellent suggestions.

I think most people think of Chaddfords vineyards when they think of Brandywine Valley vineyards. A place where people listen to music and hang with friends- also 6 tastings for $10. So you can get drunk easily! It is not a place where you think about high quality wine. As someone who only visited Brandywine once before, I assumed that is what PA wineries are all about. I don't think of PA as high quality wine. When we visited Va La Vineyards, we were pleasantly surprised at the caliber of the tasting. The wines were sophisticated and the tasting was about quality vs quantity. You were not surrounded by mobs of people like the feeling you get at Chaddfords. The bar tenders were knowledgeable and pleasant to talk with. You also got a food tasting with the wines. The only negative was that I wish the wines were less pricey or I might have purchased a bottle. read more

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I really, really love this place. I've been to wineries in quite a few places, and I see how they can get to be pretentious, pompous, and just generally full of themselves. Va La is a complete opposite from the superficial nonsense wineries. Their wines are really, really good. And while the owner and staff know the high quality wine that they sell, they are still down to earth and humorous about it all. What I like best about Va La is that they don't follow the trends. No wine trails, no competitions, and no nonsense. Tony (the owner) uses grapes that you won't find and other run-of-the-mill wineries, to great success. Seriously, how boring is it when you go to a winery, only to be greeted with the same old flight of chardonnay, merlot, cab franc, and so on? Tony blends some special varieties, in special ways, in relatively small batches, and gives them names like "Cedar," "Mahogany," and "Cinderbox." He strives to make wines that are a cut above, and he succeeds. Sure, the prices aren't like what you'd see on the shelf in your local grocery store or liquor store...but these wines are special. I have no problem paying $40 for a bottle of wine that will knock my socks off. Trust me, you won't be disappointed with any of Va La's product. read more

Va La Vineyards - Reserve tasting upstairs. Awesome. - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

Overall an okay winery. My wife got read the riot act because we had a party of 6+ where their web site mentions no such cap (upon further review, their said "cap" is buried at the bottom of their site. Not the best place to put such language in my opinion). Plus, we're purchasing wine from you. Why would you would complain about a large group when we're bringing money to your winery?!? It's completely mind boggling. Unless you hate making money. It's common sense. I personally wouldn't come back after this experience. The wine was good, but the rude reception we received was a definite deal breaker. Maybe reevaluate your rules? Especially when the winery isn't THAT busy. read more

I've been to quite a few vineyards mostly throughout Europe but have never experienced the hospitality that Va La offers. If you don't know much about this vineyard or its owners, I recommend taking a peak at their website and maybe you'll see what I mean (seriously do it!). The owner Anthony and his wife are both very sociable and mingle with vineyard guests all while offering a little wine 101. During the tasting, a few of the wines are accompanied by an assortment of chocolates and cheeses. These are all local and available for purchase within the vineyard. My personal favorite combination was the silk wine and wine infused chocolates. Very good. It is a bit pricy but you're paying for quality all while supporting a local business. I'll most definitely be back! read more

So my friends thought I was crazy when I suggested that we visit a winery in Southeastern PA... but once we arrived at Va La, they quickly changed their minds. The winery is located in a quaint little area of PA, the city of Avondale. There's a slew of wineries in the area, but what drew me to Va La was their humorous and quirky website. These people have a lovely sarcastic sense of humor. I figured it might be an interesting visit! For $10 you can get a taste of three of their wines accompanied by "matching" cheeses. YUM. This tasting is given at their main bar on the bottom florr. For $25, you can get a more intimate tasting experience upstairs at a private bar. The wines you get are part of their "signature" collection. My friends and I opted for the $10 deal and which usually includes a wine glass embossed with Va La Winery. Because they were running low on glasses, we were given a 4th wine to taste from the signature wines. Each of the wines was GREAT. I honestly could not tell you which one I liked more than the others because they were all delicious. The bartender was knowledgable and gave us a different cheese with each wine. There's homemade olive oil and bread all over the place to munch while you taste. The grounds of the winery are just under 7 acres, which is tiny by winery standards. You'd be surprised by the array of grapes that they grow there though. One of the red wines we tasted (the "Silk" I believe) was made from 6 different grapes. It was GLORIOUS! The wines run from 25 and up, so they are not exactly the cheapest out there... but they are definitely high quality. The grounds are beautiful and there are a few tables and chairs out back that you can relax on. I loved it here! read more

Va La Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

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When in Lancaster, PA for a friend's wedding the SO and I decided to take on the local wine scene. We were told that Va La was the best that the area had to offer so we drove on over. Although the wine was "fine," the price was not. $20 per person for a tasting? That's nuts. Yes, they pair the wine with a bite of cheese, but even in the heart of Napa or Sonoma I can get a better deal that this. Spare me the pomp and circumstance - just let me taste the wine for a much smaller fee, you keep the cheese, and we'll call it a day. read more

Backyard setting was beautiful as usual. Table service was seriously lacking- there were only a total of 3 tables and yet our server seemed to forget us for 30 minutes-while she was standing out front chatting with another customer. We were the only table remaining in the vinyeard-with another 40 minutes of open time- and yet we were forced to wave down an alternate server since ours had abandoned us. Poor service negatively impacted our tasting experience. read more

Often times when people visit vineyards in this area of the country (PA/NJ/NY), they will say something like "It's great..for a Pennsylvania wine." This is NOT the case at Va La. It rivals the top wine making regions in terms of quality, while still remaining unique. This is exceptional wine, made by true artisans. The wine tasting session gives you a chance to try all of their wines, along with expertly matched cheese from small local farms. The staff is super knowledgeable and friendly. Va La is the real deal. Excellent small batch wines, and a winery that supports other local farmers and producers in the community. read more

The winemaker is a vintners vintner. The Italian styled blends are unique and laudable. The artisan cheese pairings made our tasting experience a great pleasure. A $20 tasting charge would normally turn us away, but we are so pleased that we tried it. Gotta do it at least once. read more

Va La Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

First, I must say that if you have not yet visited their website, you must. Right now. No seriously, I will wait. OK, all done? Then you understand why I went to this winery with an Elite Yelp friend of mine. So entertaining! The first thing that struck me about this place was the curb appeal. So charming and rustic, and I love the big "V" painted on the old barn. When we stepped out of the car we noticed the pervasive smell of the local mushroom farms. They insulate the place well, so the smell ends at the door. Tastings were a little pricey, $10 for three on their "Signature" flight and $20 for the tasting paired with local cheeses and truffles, as well as four of their favorite wines. We went for the Gallery tasting, and got to enjoy it upstairs where there is an art gallery, piano, and access to the back deck. Lovely setting, great atmosphere. Cyndy, our tasting hostess, was very friendly and generous with the pours. All the cheeses were from the goat farmer down the road, the bread was made from "great-great grandmother's recipe," and the truffles, OH the truffles. Made by a Swiss chocolatier in the area, I tried to eat the first one as slowly as possible, it was so divine. After finishing the truffle, I told Cyndy how sad I was that it was all gone, and she, being wonderful, pulled out the box and gave us another! Then, to top it all off, gave us another pour of the wine she paired it with because, "can't enjoy it without wine!" Best moment of the day! Overall, this was a great winery, albeit expensive. Cyndy mentioned events that they have every Friday, so I think I will come back with the hubs for a date on the lawn. Maybe in the fall when the weather crisps up and we can bring a picnic basket with pumpkin bread and freshly picked apples.....OK, definitely coming back! read more

What a great hidden gem. Went on a "friend date" here the first time I went and was pleasantly surprised. Did the wine tasting for $20 and they paired it up with some great cheeses. I couldn't get enough of the goat cheese with honey. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. They had a live jazz band playing that day so we sat outside with our wine and enjoyed the music. They make some really good pizzas too. The wine selection is great so I recommend going to this place. read more

Va La Vineyards - Wine tasting ! - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

I agree with all the reviewers. I've tried a lot of wines outside of California. I lived in Charlottesville, VA, the center of Virginia "wine country" and have tasted many many disappointing and expensive wines. I had a classmate from France state that the wines were fine, they were just priced at 2-3x what they were worth. Va La is the only winery I've been to on the East Coast not in that category. The wines are truly good. This isn't Cakebread, but it isn't Taylor either. The winery is beautiful, if at times smelly (no reflection on the owners, what can you do, they're in mushroom farm country). The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The wine is great. read more

I absolutely adore this winery! The wine is delicious and I don't like a lot of PA wines. The staff is friendly and I always have a nice experience when I'm there. Can't wait to go back! read more

I can't get much more helpful than Matthew B.'s very detailed review, but I can tell you that out of the last three wineries we visited on the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, Va La was by far our favorite. I had a feeling I was going to love this placed based solely on their website, which is interesting and FUNNY. Example: The "Location" page subtitle is, "Map & Directions Your Husband Will Refuse to Use." The vineyard did not disappoint in person. The man who ran our tasting was equally funny, and told us a lot about each wine we tried. The first was a dry white -- sadly, I forget the name -- that we all enjoyed. The second was the Silk, which our tasting helper (I need a title or something, what am I supposed to call these people??) referred to as "the red that teaches you to drink reds, without the pain." That's right, a red with NO TANNINS. We were so excited we could hardly contain ourselves. The third and last was the piece de resistance by all means. The Barbera, which paired equally well with cheese AND chocolate. Oh, that's right -- did I forget to mention that? Each wine was served with a sampling of locally-produced cheese, and our oh-so-helpful taster guy gave us extra cheese when we begged. The goat cheese, which was served with the Silk, definitely stood out as the best. But we also had to buy some of the PA noble cheddar that was served with the Barbera, as well as the dark chocolates, so that we could stage our own tasting at home later. Seriously! This wine tasted fantastic with both! Amazing. But that's not all. The tasting room also features samples of all different kinds of olive oil. Wine, cheese, chocolate, and olive oil all in one place? Could I be any more happy? I think not. There were so many interesting variations, including mushroom-infused, truffle-infused, and more. On the way up from the tasting room to the second floor, there were even MORE samples of all sorts of tasty items like mustards, sauces, and dips. The second floor featured local art and music, and seemed like it would be a very relaxed place to hang out and spend an evening. Though this winery, out of all 6 on the BVWT, featured the fewest wines, we did not care. With all the extras, it was still a great value. The only thing to regret about not trying more is that I'm sure they would have been fabulous. Oh, and if you're into this sort of thing, they also let you keep your glass. So, to sum up: Well-done local wines, paired with exquisite cheese and chocolate; samples of bread and dipping sauces in case that's not enough for you, AND a free souvenir. I think it's safe to say this was my favorite stop on the wine trail. read more

Ok, so I went back and this time I did the reserve tasting. One word: shocking. They are producing wines with complexity that you'd expect from the better vintners in California, not in PA. Seriously, I did 5 wineries today and Va La was head and shoulders above the others, including big time Chaddsford Winery. Not even close! Jim, the extremely well informed and cordial, pourer for the advanced wine tasting, was amazing. He knew far more about wine than any other pourer at the other Chester County wineries...far more. I tried quite a few of their wines (7 of them to be exact) and, overall, they were very well structured and had solid concentration, something most wines in PA fail to have for reds. The standouts were the La Prima Donna and the Cedar, an amazing nebbiolo/corvina blend that is a dead rnger for a 90+ point valpolicella. Amazing. Head here if you can. You will experience wine that is so far superior to other wines in the area that you'll only want to buy from here. PS Kudos for pairing the tasting with super nice artisan cheeses from the Kennett Square area. Phenomenal. read more

Have been here on a few occasions. Brought a group of 6 for wine tasting. Was told since we didn't have reservation we couldn't stay. The lady that came out after I mentioned I would like to at least purchase a bottle of Barbera said it was because of COVID regulations and they were full. Wrong, work at a restaurant in this area and there are no current regulations on number of people indoors. If so we would be enforcing that regulation. I will never be back to this winery. I have suggested this place to others but will not in the future. She never even offered another option. Can't understand turning away business, read more

I was pleasantly surprised when we pulled up to the vineyard! I was fore warned about the price of the tasting- $20 dollars and the price of the bottles of wine 40-55ish range. However considering the tasting came with tasty cheese pairing and a truffle, I thought the price of the tasting was well worth it. We were given adequate pours and learned of the vintage. The vines that this 6 acre farm uses comes from piedmont Italy. Learning about the history of the this small family run winery was truly a unique experience. I must say that their wine are far more superior than any other PA wine that I had. Their blush wine- Silk did not have a perfume taste, and the Cedar has a great nose on it. The cheeses are extremely tasty. Again they are a small batch winery and they disassociated themselves with the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail. As they want to focus more on the quality of the vino. Great place, I definitely will be back and next time, I will bring a picnic. read more

Let me start by saying... there is a reason multiple publications have listed VaLa as the best Pennsylvania winery. Wow. Do not be discouraged by the price, it is totally worth it. If it seems steep to you, choose a special occasion or date night to visit, still totally worth it. The tasting consists of 4 wines, with approx 1/2 glass per pour, so you get 2 glasses total (approx 4-5 oz is a standard "glass" of wine), which would cost approx $20 at any restaurant in the area. Most wineries have stoppers in their bottles which allow for .5 or 1oz pours, not here! Each wine is carefully paired with a cheese, bread, and/or truffle. Each of these are made locally, and the truffle contains their wine! The honey chevre cheese, served with the Prima Dona wine was to die for! Even if you aren't a cheese connoisseur, you must try it. My favorite wine was the Barbara, oh yesss. If you are loving the wine, purchase a glass and drink it upstairs or on the deck... a lovely experience! read more

For fans of exceptional - not great, but *exceptional* - wine that rivals anything else you're likely to try, Va La will be your Shangri-La. Everything about Va La Vineyards challenges the status quo of winemaking, and does so with an ardent delight that is intoxicating. If you haven't already, please go to this winery's website, which embodies the quirkiness and originality that many businesses strive to cultivate but rarely achieve. It was a breath of fresh air, even if when stepping out of your car you're greeted by the pungent smell of manure from nearby farms. Just know that the manure is part of the vineyards success - the heat coming off the manure piles is great enough to create a microclimate near the one end of the farm, very much to the advantage of the grapes grown on that stretch of land. The tasting room, inside a rustic old barn adorned with a giant letter "V", has an intimate museum feel to it, while being deceivingly large. The wine maker's grandparents and great grandparents are hanging on the wall, looking out onto the large and inviting tasting bar. There is also ample upstairs seating and a bar for crowded weekends. You pay for your tasting up front with an at-first steep fee of $20. Many other reviewers have complained about this, but honestly it's worth every penny, as you get four generous pours (easily a glass in a half all together), four samples of local cheese from the area, and a piece of locally made deep dark chocolate made from their own Silk wine. We came on a day when it wasn't busy, and our pourer was a chill host, telling us about the grapes, the history of the farm, and what soil compositions work best with which wines. Va La specializes in blended wines, with each of the four composed of several different grape types all grown on the property. With the tasting we were able to sample a white, a rosé, and two reds. The first was the La Prima Donna 2013 - dry with hints of honeysuckle and a floral smell, it is certainly a step up from your usual white. Next out was their rosé, the Silk 2012, which surprisingly turned out to be my favorite of the bunch. A dark yet still clear red, the main feature is the smoothness of this wine, perfectly balanced to adapt to hot summer days or cold winter nights. Next out was the dark red Mahogany 2013. This wine had a strange smell on the nose, probably from the deep dark "mushroom soil" these grapes are grown on. That earthy smell deceives you as you take a taste of dark fruits - full bodied, complex, exceptional. Last was the Cedar 2012, a classic nebbiolo blend with a delightful floral smell and that bold and complex flavor that seems to improve every time you taste it. In conclusion, and I mean this without any hyperbole whatsoever - this is some of the best wine I've ever had, and by far the best wine in Pennsylvania. It's not even really close. You can taste the love and care that was used in the crafting of these wines, so much so you'll become a better person just by tasting them. If you're a step above a casual wine fan, it's worth the trip among the mushroom farms and marvel at the miracle that is Va La. read more

Va La Vineyards - The average pour and cheese tasting - it's worth the $20 - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

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What a good time! I loved their wine tasting and it was $20 per person for pairing with a small bite of cheese and 4 different wines. Loved the wine offerings, experience and the staff. The only recommendation I have is to off more then a tiny bite for the cheese tastings. We needed up spending $20 for two more glasses of the Silk and Mahogany wines. In addition, $100 for the prima Donna bottle of wine and the mahogany bottle of wine . Total spent there was $160. read more

Va La Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

Had a lovely time here....yes, it costs $20 for a tasting, but the pours were generous and the wine was tasty. Each wine was explained, too. I'm not a red fan, but both that we tried were devoid of the tannins I dislike. The 2 whites were lovely. Each wine came with a local cheese pairing. My husband hates cheese and surprisingly liked them all. They also served a bowl of bread cubes with olive oil and ended the tasting with a yummy (and also local) chocolate truffle. read more