Bottleology – A Pennsylvania Winery: Naylor

A lone Seattle to Baltimore red-eye flight was a surprisingly pleasant trip coast-to-coast, and one aided by late night rest.  A 9 a.m. rental car was my chariot (a Toyota Matrix), and the weather, a constant drizzle capped in thunder.  To my side was my alibi and lovely lady Danielle. I soon, and happily so, became her chauffeur, her chaperon and tour guide as we began our adventure into the southern Pennsylvania landscape. Our final destination was my northern Lancaster County home, but first our scheduled pit stop at Naylor Winery, to cure some curiosity and talk with their resident WINO, Ted Potter.

Edward “Ted” Potter is a winemaker. Ted, [his friends call him] is a graduate of the CIA (Culinary Institute of America), and served in the U.S. Navy during Vietnam. He also taught at the Western Montgomery County Area Vocational and Technical School in Limerick, PA.  While teaching there he was the Resident Resource Person for Temple University for ten years and credits his wine making career to his unique background and eternal love of food. His path began with a winemaking kit back in the mid-70s making cooking-wine from a grape called Marechal Foch. In 1985 he became the winemaker and partner of Naylor Winery in Stewartstown, PA.

I am certain that Ted Potter is doing much of the legwork for your United States wine-consuming population, making a staggering 37 different wines, on 80 acres, producing 8,300 cases. Ted uses many French-American (his favorite Chambourcin) and Classic European Vinifera grapes to due so.   Through this process, admittedly tedious, he’s trying to find the grapes most appropriate for the land in which he works. Ted comments, “Winemaking is about taking what the good lord gives you and turning it into what it was intended to be.” Ted also makes six different fruit wines (Apple, Cherry, Peach, Raspberry, Plum and Strawberry).

I asked him about the Pennsylvania wine scene and he mentioned “Uncork York,” a wine promotional commission who holds an event called “Tour D’ Tanks” yearly. Last year it garnered 2,500 attendees. “As winemaking technology catches up with the individual wineries, the more people follow, including the critics,” Ted said.

In addition to the annual wine events, there are two major competitions in the state: the Pennsylvania Farm Show has the Keystone Cup, and the Governors Cup.  Last year, Ted’s Raspberry wine won both awards. It’s the first time a wine in this competition has ever done so.  “The greatest thrill is not winning an award or having people buy your wine, it’s having them come back, take out their hard earned money and actually buy another bottle,” Ted said.  Well, last year Naylor Winery won 32 awards, which should have familiar faces coming back for more.

Ted says if he could make wine anywhere else in the world, it would be in Hawaii–frankly he’s making it work in Pennsylvania. He also mentions that he’s active with his church and believes in the concept that “a stranger is just another friend you’ve never met before.”

The Wine He Boasts Most About [runners up were his fruit wine of peach and raspberry]:

Naylor Winery/Reserve Chardonnay/2008

This is a wine sold on futures, of which 100 cases were produced.  The vineyard was originally a potato farm, a crop that’s always needed good drainage.  The 2008 vintage was a great growing year in PA. This wine is barrel fermented and the oak is from Keystone Cooperage. Its color is golden straw with some faint green hues. The bouquet is accented with mild oak, white clay, apple, chilled butter and smoky notes.  The wine on the palate is clean and simple, with upfront weight and balance–mild oak, again. Green and red apple, and an alcohol content that remains subdued. No offence taken, money well spent and a finish that is good, hallelujah!