Tour two Wooden Door Winery locations in one day
Wooden Door Winery is a lovely place to visit, and so is Wooden Door Winery.
Krissy and Jeff Pollick started their winery in 2010 on their country estate in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, just more than a half-hour drive northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh. They still make their wines there with Pennsylvania and California grapes and serve them in an indoor and outdoor pavilion when the weather’s nice — usually at least through October, and then they open for some November sales, too, before closing until spring.
The weather was perfect on a recent Saturday fall afternoon when my wife and son and I drove up the skinny, steep drive
and parked on the expansive lawn in front of the main house. Wooden Door was holding its annual Sip and Stroll Artisan Craft Show, benefiting Children’s Hospital, and customers were strolling from booth to booth, holding glasses of wine — mulled and otherwise — and glasses of beer. Others sat on the patios at the pavilion, where a band played live music, and people were happily chatting and munching on catered food.
We bought a beautiful bracelet for my wife, and a secret Christmas present, and she bought a Christmas present for her sister. But we didn’t stay for anything to drink, because we wanted to go to — well, the other Wooden Door Winery.
I really wanted to see the new-as-of-2017 location, in the former First Lutheran Church church in nearby Vandergrift. It’s right on a curving, tree-lined street in a residential section of this little town, which was laid out as a uncommon “workingman’s paradise” by the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted — the father of American landscape architecture who helped design New York City’s Central Park among others.
The church was much quieter on this evening than the estate. I found it interesting that a couple of couples who were there also had been to, or planned to go to, the Wooden Door estate.
Unlike them, we didn’t do a tasting of some of the couple’s 30-some wines, but just ordered a glass of white — a “Vertigo” blend of Traminette and Diamond — for my wife, a beer — Erie Brewing Co. Railbender Scottish-style Ale for me — and a Sprite for my son ($12 total, plus a $3 tip for the nice lady working the bar). We sat in cozy spot on the former altar of this immaculate and beautifully finished church. The centerpiece wine bottle chandelier is something to see. You can even hole up in the balcony or at a few tables outside.
We’d had a big lunch down the road, so we didn’t order a nosh from the small menu that includes a meat and cheese platter, bruschetta and more. My wife and I like the idea of the Thursday night “Three for $30” special of a bottle of wine and two plates of pasta with salad and garlic bread. We’d love to go back.
If you’re looking for a classic fall trip to a winery — or to two — Wooden Door is a good one.
The Allegheny Township location is only open spring through fall, 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday and 3 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, plus some Sundays for events, so check in before you go.
The Vandergrift location is open yearround 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday and some Sundays.
It’s a 7-mile, 11-minute, and lovely drive from one — at 4087 Greenwood Road, New Kensington, PA 15068 — to the other — at 101 Custer Ave., Vandergrift, PA 15690.
Groups of eight or more must contact Wooden Door before arriving. For all the details, visit https://woodendoorwinery.com or call 724-889-7244.