The Fruition of a Dream
The realization of a nearly two-decade long goal here at our estate vineyard
When I first came to Allegro in 2001, I was in awe of this place. The soils. The slopes. The rocks. The vines.
As new stewards of Allegro, we worked to overcome many financial difficulties so that we could live in this place of wine and raise our family. But in the back of my mind, I always held on to a dream of establishing a special vineyard here with rootstocks that respected the soils and scions that synthesized the terroir.
In 2015 we started to shape this dream into a reality with the planting of 5.5 acres of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot at a density of 1,895 vines per acre (nearly unheard of in Pennsylvania). Then, in 2016 we added 3 acres of Sauvignon Blanc, Viogner, Semillon, and Albarino. Our first harvest of reds was in 2017, and the first whites were harvested in 2018. These plantings join the original blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay planted in 1973.
The first wines were released under our our Cadenza Vineyards label in 2019.
Carl Helrich, Winemaker