Lancaster winery earns international recognition

A Lancaster County winery has earned international recognition.

Waltz Vineyards Estate Winery, located on a seventh-generation Lancaster County farm in Manheim, was recognized at the Judgment of Davis wine evaluations.

Waltz’s 2023 Old Line Chardonnay advanced from nearly 300 international entries to become a finalist, competing alongside wines from Burgundy, Napa Valley, Australia, South Africa, and other wine regions, according to a release. The wine was also recognized as a Leading Wine by the Audience Panel consisting of wine professionals, symposium participants, and individuals representing a range of wine knowledge and tasting experience, placing among the highest-scoring wines evaluated during the competition.

“The question is no longer whether Pennsylvania can make great wine,” Waltz Vineyards Director of Operations Zach Waltz said in a statement. “The Judgment of Davis placed our wines in the same conversation as some of the most respected producers in the world.”

Each wine was judged with no labels, no price tags, no producer names, and no regional reputations. The evaluations were hosted at the University of California, Davis, and co-organized by the Harvard Data Science Initiative, the UC Davis Departments of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Viticulture & Enology, and the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

The Judgment of Davis brought together sensory scientists, economists, statisticians, wine professionals, and consumers to evaluate wine quality, according to a release.

The Lancaster County farm has operated since the mid-1800s, and in 1997 the family planted its first wine grapes, per the release. Waltz Vineyards farms 35 acres of estate vineyards, produces wines exclusively from estate-grown fruit, operates three tasting room locations, and serves a wine club community.

“For most of wine’s history, greatness was associated with a relatively small number of regions,” said Waltz. “Today, consumers are more adventurous than ever. They’re discovering wines from places they may not have considered before. Our hope is that this recognition encourages more people to explore Pennsylvania wine and experience what our region is capable of producing.”