Tour de Tanks counts 12 wineries in 2009

While preparations focus on this holiday, a number of wine trails are looking ahead to next year, including those that are members of Uncork York. Essentially a passport event similar to what they do on many other regional trails, this fourth annual Tour de Tanks will take place every weekend in March at the 12 regional wineries.

These stretch from around Harrisburg south to almost the Mason-Dixon Line, and from the Susquehanna River to west of Gettysburg. The cost, once again is $15 per person, which will allow access to any of the wineries as many times as one wants for all five weekends in March.

Generally, all the wineries have put out a sampling of food. In some cases it has been home-made, in other cases the wineries have used a caterer. Next year, the trail is also pairing with restaurants in York, Pa., on the Fridays in March for exclusive Meet the Winemaker Dinners.

Tickets and additional information is available at this link.

The core of this group of wineries has been together since the beginning in 2006, when the price of a ticket was $10 for the then 10 participating wineries. Allegro, Adams County, Nissley, Naylor and West Hanover have been among the original wineries that have been involved. Next year, Marburg in Spring Grove isn’t participating, but Hauser Estate in Biglerville, which opened just a couple of months ago, is taking its place and will be joined by Reid’s Orchard and Winery in Ortanna, which will make its grand opening during Tour de Tanks. That will put three wineries – Hauser Estate, Adams County and Reid’s – in very close proximity.

Alison Smith, of the York County Convention & Tourism Bureau, wrote in an e-mail that 1,400 tickets were sold for the 2008 Tour de Tanks. Wineries saw an increase in the number of bottles sold reach, in some cases, 300 percent, and 256 room nights were booked either by phone or at the Web site.