Nissley Vineyards Review
Address: 140 Vintage Dr. Bainbridge,Pennsylvania 17502.
Phone Number: 717-426-3514
Tasting Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00-5:00, Sun 1:00-4:00
Region: Lancaster Valley AVA, Pennsylvania
Reviewer: Joanne Dunne
Review Date: 10/17/2015
Reviewer: Joanne Dunne
Rating: 4
The Review
The Place:  Nestled towards the edge of Lancaster County and the Susquehaana River, you’ll find Nissley Vineyards located down a quaint road on a beautiful property. One usually makes a special trip to visit to visit here, but nearby Marietta and Columbia offer a few nice restaurants to make a nice afternoon trip. Nissley wines are well known in this area, and they are known to donate to local events as well. The winery, first opened for visitors in 1978, was originally owned by J. Richard Nissley until his sons assumed ownership. The property seems untouched by the modern technologies of making wine. A large barn sits on the grounds, and it is a serene environment. When you arrive, you enter into the gift shop on the main level of the barn. Cozy tastings are sometimes held here at the counter, and at other time, customers will be ushered outside and upstairs to the 2nd level where the production process occurs. It isn’t as pretty as the gift shop area, but the experience is still a good one, surrounded by vats and learning about all of the behind the scenes magic that goes into Nissley wines. Nissley Vineyards is a wedding and special event venue as well.
The Experience:  On this particular tasting day, the tastings were held on the second level of the barn where the production occurs. Long, wooden tables are set up to accommodate the tastings, and two pourers were available on the day of our visit. Nissley always seems to offer excellent customer service, and one always feels welcome with every member of the staff. There is no tasting fee for up to six tastings. You will be walked through a selection of wines from the whites to reds to fruit and specialty wines. The winery also offers tastings of their featured wines at no fee. The wine list from which to choose offers a wide variety, plenty to satisfy both sweet and dry wine lovers. On the day of our visit, the pourer was very knowledgeable, and though it was a tad on the busy side with many guests arriving, we never felt rushed, and every question was answered. Nissley cares about its guests and its wines, and our experience provided further confirmation. I’d venture to say there is never a disappointing experience when visiting Nissley Vineyards.
The Wines: Nissley Vineyards is home to many award-winning wines, most are estate-bottled, and all are pleasing to a wide variety of tastes and preferences. On this day, the Vidal Blanc was a drier, oaked white that caught my usually sweeter tasting palate, and it’s definitely worth a taste. The Rhapsody in Blue, with its semi-sweet taste and blue bottle, is a favorite among visitors. I found the Candlelight Rose to be a great all-around table wine.
Most of the red wines are on the sweeter side of red, but the dry Chambourcin was incredibly smooth, and I’ve become a fan. The Naughty Marietta, a red semi-dry wine, is always on the tasting menu, and it is pleasing to taste. All of the wines mentioned above were within the $10-$12 price range.
Nissley offers several holiday wines that aren’t just run-of-the-mill or put out as a marketing gimmick. You can create personalized wine labels, even for just one bottle. Nissley offers a thorough learning experience and the feeling of personalized customer service as well. Nissley is a wonderful destination for any wine lover, and the trip is well worth it. Nissley Vineyards also has several satellite tasting stores in the Lancaster area, allowing for last-minute gifts or first-time tastings.