I've been here twice. The wine is small batch and made with love. The cheese is from the local area and they pair it with the wines. It's pricier than most wineries in the area but well worth it. I've had a wonderful experience here every time! read more

Va La Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

We had visited black walnut winery earlier this month and we asked which other winery to visit and hands down they said va la. We asked of it would be okay to bring in kids (with backup MIL) and they pointed to their backyard over looking the vines. The tasting was 20 for four wines but it includes three perfectly paired cheeses, bread with olive oil and a "house" chocolate truffle. We tried Prima Donna, a white wine with a fruity nose but dry to the palate. Two of their silk reds which were both great in their own right and the epic mohagony wine which they recommend decanting for at least 12 hours!!!! The staff were a pleasure to talk to and very informative. All the wines are blends of very rare grapes. They also sell you wine by the glass and have a nice picnic area. Hands down coming back again! read more

How does the horrendous smell of the mushroom farms not get mentioned? No possible way I could enjoy any kind of food or drink with that unappetizing, stomach turning and utterly foul odor permeating throughout the whole town. read more

Wow, the tasting room looks like something right out of Napa Valley. The decor is very cool, lots of wood and stone and a very long tasting bar. They give you 4 or 5 of their wines to taste, and you can progress from white to red. They even pair the wines with dips, bread and cheeses. Amazing! The pourers are knowledgeable and friendly. The wines are all Italian varietals and they stunned us, when compared with any other Pennsylvania wines. They even hold their own against some Italian counterparts, and the interesting thing is that the winemaker does some unusual blending. We were extraordinarily pleased and left after making purchases. Which is good because you can only buy at the winery! read more

The tasting experience was great! They provided delicious cheeses with every pour. The wine itself was bland and lacked character.

Despite my frugal tendencies I was drawn to Check out this place since it has such a different approach. All grapes from their own premises here but do is on the different soils and allow the grapes to select themselves out. They do 4 wines with cheese for 20 dollars. Decent pours and cheeses are nice. First two were goat last 2 we're sheep and there was also a chocolate truffle to first is on. I thought all 4 were unique and unlike other wines I have had in the past. They were slightly expensive so we didn't it any but enjoyed the tasting very much. Friendly and knowledgeable people pouring wine . Would recommend this to anyone who is a wine lover looking for something unique . They sell the chocolates and cheese they serve . Also they serve a bread and olive oil that's nice to absorb some of that alcohol ! read more

Va La Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

Think you can't find good wine in PA? Think again. Va La vineyards has shockingly good wines. I've been here about 4 times- 3 times for tastings and once with a group of friends. We bought a few bottles and sat upstairs in the lovely room looking over the vineyards with a cheese plate and some other snacks. I was just recently there for a tasting with my husband, and enjoyed every wine we tried. The woman who guided us through the wines was pleasant and knowledgeable. The local cheeses paired with the wine were excellent as well- my favorite was the honey goat cheese. After the tasting, we relaxed outside in the lounge chairs. So peaceful. Great place! read more

Stumbled upon this amazing vineyard three years ago and returned for a nostalgic trip this past weekend. Va La continues to impress with their quality wines and perfect pairings. (The Mahogany is unreal.) Dave and Jane were incredibly friendly and knowledgable. After your tasting, enjoy a glass of wine out back! read more

Va La Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Avondale, Pennsylvania

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Outstanding! The wine here is out of this world and the ambiance is perfection! The cheese pairing with the wine is delicious! My only complaint is that the should offer to sell the home made bread with the cheese. For example, after a wine tasting you definitely want more of cheese and homemade bread. You can buy the cheese( in a larger quantity) but need to bring your own bread... My suggestion is that you offer a cheese plate that includes the cheese from that tasting and homemade frocaccia bread to take outside with your wine. That would be faaaaaanbbbuuuulllloooouuus! I bet a bunch of customers would buy that for sure! I love this place and will be a costumer as long as I'm alive:) read more

We were visiting from out of town and are huge wine lovers so we decided to pay a visit to Va La Vineyards because of their outstanding reputation. Va La really is like no other vineyard we have ever visited. The wines are all (or perhaps the vast majority) blended wines featuring grapes native to northern Italy (lagrein, barbera, nebbiolo,etc). The grapes are all grown on property on less than 7 acres of land. The result is AMAZING! Every single wine that we tried was extremely unique from orange wine (skin fermented whites) to dark rose featuring nebbiolo, barbera, and several other grapes found at very very few vineyards in the United States. To top it all off all of the wines are perfectly paired with amazing cheese, bread, olive oil, and chocolate. All of the cheese is from a local farm and there is a specific wine that corresponds with each cheese. This winery is a MUST VISIT!!! Truly a hidden gem! read more

Wonderful! The service during the tastings, explanations, and quality is outstanding! Thanks for a wonderful experience!!!! read more

Amazing people amazing wine! What an amazing small estate vineyard so helpful and amazing cheese and wine pairing! Such a unique blend of wines and so so so knowledgeable. Only makes dry wines but worth a visit for a chocolate and cheese wine tasting! Dave's tasting was amazing we loved him and left with many many wines and cheeses and chocolates! Will be back! read more

Was really excited to go to this Vineyard with friends who had been there countless times before. When we are arrived we were instantly greeted with a bad attitude from Jane. She informed us that we could only come in with a group of six or less, but later in the evening asked us to move for a group of 10. We had a large group that was willing to spend a lot of money and I regret to say that some of her actions seemed a bit racist. The wine was awesome and it was a great environment but the attitude we received from Jane will not have us returning. We were made to feel uncomfortable and unwanted in an environment that could've been made very welcoming. I felt like my group and I won't even given the chance to experience what the winery had to offer. Very disappointed. read more

Read the other reviews regarding the wines, atmosphere, location etc. They are dead on. I'm writing a review for 2 things...1) their website and 2) an event they held that didn't go the way they planned. First off the website is just damn interesting and fun...check it out Secondly, the event was a wine tasting and brick oven pizza night which a group of us looked forward to all week. When the day came guess what happened? The pizza people didn't show up. Now, understandably it is a Vineyard, not a specialty pizza place. MANY businesses in this situation would have simply rescheduled the event or called it off or made a wrong move. Va La did the best they could with the hand they were dealt and we ended up ordering pizzas for delivery and had a wonderful night. Yay for Va La Vineyards making something great out of something that could have been quite bad! Kind of like a vineyard in Pennsylvania. I guess they do that sort of thing day in and day out! read more

The tastings are a little expensive but worth it- the wines are all wonderful and get pairings to help show how the wine can change with the right food. The tasting room is small, so we had a bit of a wait, but the grounds and location are beautiful. The tasting room/barn area is cooled and has a lot of seating besides the tasting bar so waiting want so bad. read more

Visited VaLa yesterday afternoon. Jane was our host and she was awesome. The wines were excellent and Jane's knowledge and helpful hints were great. Jane had so much useful and fun information on the wines, pairings and VaLa in general. Great time. Can't wait to go back read more

I came here with my husband and a couple of friends. The weather was a bit dreary, so we couldn't sit outside to take in the view. It was a good relaxing place to visit though when sitting downstairs for the tasting. I would come back again especially when the weather is nice. read more

Perfect spot for a date! Great wines and I love how they pair every tasting with a piece of cheese and/or chocolate. It was a little toasty out so the jazz band wasn't playing after all. It would have been nice to sit outside and continue enjoying their wines, music and scenery...next time! ; ) read more

A place of true winemaking skill right here in philly's back yard. This is excellent wine made by a clearly passionate person who is not afraid to try me things. I chose to do the tasting and tried the zafferano, the silk, the mahogany and one other. I did not love everything I drank because i am not a fan of the carmine varietal, but I did really love a few of the wines. Both the zafferano and the mahogany were down right excellent. I'm not going to go all wine snob jargon bs about leather and fruit forward on you. This is lovely wine period. Not lovely wine for pennsylvania but just lovely wine. Va la. Go there. read more

I have tasted wine all over the country. I have probably been to 500 wineries (at least) from CA to NJ to VA to NY to Canada. I have been to Va LA twice and had the same experience: 1 The folks pouring the wine seemed knowledgeable and friendly. Enjoyed talking with them. Didn't get to talk to the owner but saw him and he seemed to have a really good rapport with other guests. 2 Got there about 5:30 and they wouldn't do their Galleria (upper end) tasting anymore as they were "shutting down". They actually close at 6 so this didn't feel good to us at all. I had driven from NJ (1.5 hours) to try their wines. 3 The cost of this winery is really insanely high. $10 for 3 wine tastes downstairs and $20 for 4 tastes upstairs. Honestly, this is one of the highest charges I have seen in the country and the cost makes the whole winery experience seem quite pretentious. Yes, they give you a couple of tiny pieces of cheese but that doesn't change anything. There are word-class wineries in CA that don't charge that much. $5 downstairs and $10 up would still be a high price but would not feel like they are gouging you. Deducting the tasting cost if you make purchases would also be a nice gesture and would encourage you to buy wine. 4 The wines are all blends. They are probably the best PA wines you will find and maybe some of the best outside of Long Island on the East Coast. The wine maker is very talented at turning PA grapes into really good wines. That being said, they are still PA grapes so don't expect miracles. I would love to see what he could do with CA grapes (or even single PA varietals.) Summary: Great winery for PA ruined by gouging the customer with exorbitant prices and shutting down early. read more

Beautiful decor and very showy. Not impressed with the wine. We tried four, one white, Prmia donna I think, and three reds. One was Silk and I don't recall the other names. One was from their select or higher priced wines, yet the least enjoyable. Actually I don't think I could say I enjoyed any of them. They were all bizarre blends most of which did not blend well. The server was very nice, but was much more comfortable with sharing the owner's story than explaining the thinking behind the wine blends or where the grapes were from. Great presentation. I wanted to be impressed, but charging $35 for wine and serving it with expensive cheese doesn't a good wine make. I may still return. I am still amazed with the many great reviews they have received, so I am inclined to try the higher priced tasting of the 'high end' wines. I want to make sure I am not missing something. Overall, tastings and wines are way overpriced. I'm not expecting Tuscany or Napa Valley here, but I've enjoyed better wines at other local wineries, you just have to be willing to go off the beaten path. read more

After all the buzz about this winery, I thought it would be a nice destination for a countryside outing. The tasting room of Va La Vineyards is beautiful, as are the surrounding vineyards. I paid the $10 fee for tasting three wines - a white called Prima Donna made of five different grapes, with the fruity sweetness of Tocai, Malvasia, and Viognier balanced out by the rest of the grape varieties, pinot grigio and petit manseng. The second wine, Silk, had the color of pinot noir but neither the nose nor the taste were any good - thin and with various unintegrated flavors, I could not even drink the miniscule amount served with the tasting. The server mentioned that this was "a wine made for people who don't like red wine" and explained that the tannins were kept at a minimum. From the purported responses from non red drinkers, it seems to be a great success with that crowd. The last wine was the Siranetta, again made with a long list of grape varieties. It reminded me vaguely of an Italien Vino da Tavola, better with food than simply alone in a tasting. I am a big supporter of local farms whether they produce wine, goat cheese, or pawpaws and the story of Va La is a good one, told with great effect at the winery. Having said that, I do not understand why wines need to be blended with so many grape varieties, with an end result that is more muddled than exciting. Would I even dream of paying the prices this winery charges for those wines ($35 for the blended white, $25 for Silk, some other wines in the $45 plus range)? No, not really. The tasting itself is overpriced, with miniscule amounts of wine and three pieces of local cheese cut so small, a post stamp could cover all three. read more

Excellent! I especially love Silk and Mohagony, which I bought. The accompanying cheeses were perfect. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. I don't understand the lower ratings. I'll return and order more. read more

Greedy Bastards! $20 for a tasting in PA? Have you lost your minds? Like the cheap Riedel glasses are going to make it right! Obnoxious snooty-ness way beyond rude! Used to visit twice a year and have liked you wines but no more...I'll pass on the slap in the face. Regardless of your costs, what you selling is simply not worth anything close to what your asking. See ya! read more

I really love going here. The wine is always great and they have a nice area out back to sit in the sun (or shade) and enjoy the wine.

Such a joke! Went there with a group of friends for a birthday party. Purchased 8 bottles of over priced mediocre wine, only be told to leave for being to loud?! The place was empty?! Waited until we purchased the wine to ask us to leave?! read more

I will agree with fellow reviewers that a $20 per person tasting fee is pricey for the area. But I consider the price well worth it if you are looking for a nice relaxing afternoon. We did the tasting and that lasted about 40 minutes. Then we got a couple of glasses and just sat at the picnic tables and enjoyed the views and talked for several hours. Fortunately it was not very crowded and the weather was fantastic. If you are aiming for quantity of wine samples and trying to hit as many wineries as possible, then leave this off your list. But if you just want a nice relaxing afternoon, try Va La Vineyards. read more

We started out our tasting with the La Prima Donna paired with goat and honey cheese. Can I just say YUM! What a way to begin our tasting. Next up - the 2009 Silk paired with sharp goat cheese served on an herb foccacia. We were told this one can be served room temp or chilled and pairs well with meats and fish. On to our third wine - a more complex red - 2008 Siranetta paired with a local sheeps milk cheese 'The Last Straw' from a local farm in Landenburg. Lastly we enjoyed the 2010 Mahogany Red paired a Lancaster County cows milk cheddar noble cheese - delish! We were told to save some wine to wash down the Silk Wine filled, dark chocolate truffle - good advice! The truffle is fantastic! As we were finishing up we heard that they have an art gallery upstairs that we should check out. Don't waste your time rushing upstairs. The artwork isn't worth it. An additional tip - sign up for their mailing list. They occasionally have live entertainment. Bring a picnic basket or buy some of their wonderful cheeses - they'll recommend a pairing based upon which wine you purchase - and then head on out to the back patio! read more

Amazing wine tasting experience worth every penny. They take the experience to the next level with their pairings. I can't wait to come back again. read more

I have been to 3 other local wineries. Va La is the best in the area. Best local wines, best local tasting. Fresh local cheeses and breads compliment the wines wonderfully. Small, intimate tasting room makes you feel like they are showing wines just for you. They don't take themselves too seriously, the website and news letter are hilarious. And the dark chocolate? Oh. Mah. Gawd. This is way better than CF. read more

Great place! We're headed back tomorrow and wanted to check on option of bringing along a picnic lunch?

Wine just okay! However, they asked us to move from the tasting room when we hadn't finished our tasting, to accommodate other potential customers who hadn't shown up. Wouldn't go back. read more

Visited Va La on a Friday evening. Got there relatively early (~6pm) as we wanted to score a table out back to relax at, have some of the pizza being served and listen to live music. All in all a very nice evening but not inexpensive (which we were totally prepared for). This is where my complaints begin. We did the $20 tasting that coupled the wines with cheese and a chocolate. The wine was ok but the pours were quite stingy. Additionally we bought several bottles of wine (2 for drinking that evening and 2 to take home) and NO discount was offered - we are used to getting the tasting fee comped after buying some wine. A relaxing evening but a lackluster and disappointing wine experience. Would not go back for the wine. read more

Over the past several years, I visited Va La about once a year, with friends. The wines were great, the staff was friendly, and we always had a good time (and left with some wine and cheese). So when I went to visit today, I was disappointed. First, the tasting fee has jumped from $10 to $20. "Well," I thought. "Lots of wineries have $20 or $30 tasting fees, but they allow you to put that toward a purchase later." Turns out that is not the case. The tasting was lovely -- except when the server scolded us for saying we didn't like a wine, because other customers could hear us. I am not cheap. I often shell out more than most people would think prudent on food or wine, because you're also paying for the experience. But I do not think a glass of wine, a piece of cheese, and a snooty attitude is worth $20. The wines start at $27 and go up to about $45. They are good wines, but I've had wines that are just as nice from other local wineries (or the state store). After paying so much for a tasting, I wasn't about to drop another $40 on a bottle. read more

Both the tasting room design/décor and the vineyards are understated, but the tasting experience is amazing. My visit was especially nice because owner and winemaker, Anthony Vietri, joined my companion and me for the tasting. Guests taste the four wines paired with local cheeses and chocolate. The wines are elegant blends of white and black Northern Italian grape varieties. The blends vary based upon what nature offers each vintage. The wines are meticulously made for later consumption, except for one, but all can be consumed now with decanting. They include the 2011 La Prima Donna - a white blend comprised of Malvasia Bianco, Petit Mansang, Pinot Grigio, and Tocai (Friuliano), the 2011 Silk - a dry rosato produced from free-run juice of Corvina Veronese, Barbera, Carmine, Petit Verdot, and Nebbiolo, the 2013 Castana - a special summer red blend of Barbera, Petit Verdot, Carmine, Lagrein, Sagrantino, and Teroldego, and the 2011 Mahogany - a red blend of Barbera, Malvasia Nero, Charbono, Petit Verdot, Carmine, Teroldego, Lagrein, and Sagrantino. The winery is very small production, so the wines are only available at the winery. read more

What a great place to unwind and wine. A great experience and the wine is second to none. They do not sell cheap wine here but you must understand that the adage "Life is too short to drink bad wine" is only too true. The flavors and aromas you will sense here cannot be beat and the price is well worth it. These wines should be savored, lived, experienced...do those things with someone you love at Va La and you can't go wrong. read more

The best tasting I've been to! Linda was great! Best $20 you can spend for a tasting ! The food pairings really gives you a true experience of the nature of each wine. read more

I was left speechless at the exquisite beauty of their wines! Don't let the location (middle of warehouses and mushroom farms) and potential manure smell scare you away. You MUST try these very limited production Italian wines. They are a very small vineyard that exclusively focuses on high quality Italian wines. The tasting is expensive at $20 per person, but once I tasted their wines, I would've paid double that. Different metaphors kept coming to mind while tasting their wines and pairing it with local cheeses, tomato sauce, chocolate, and Nonna's homemade Foccacia. They only had 4 wines available - one white and 3 reds. The white was La Prima Donna - fascinating and surprising. It was like laying in a grassy wheat field with a gentle breeze, bathing in silky honey while the sun warmed my soul. And that was the first wine we sampled! The three Reds were equally as captivating with Cedar being my favorite - silky, chewy, earthy, nutty, spicy, so much going on that I could've had smelled it and sipped it all day with different flavors bursting in my mouth. We bought all four wines and will definitely return! My only caveat? They only offer an industry discount to those who work at Brandywine Valley vineyards and not others. read more

We visited Va La this weekend and they had, by far, the best wines we've had from the East Coast. At first we were disappointed that the downstairs tasting bar was full, but we were sent upstairs where Doug gave us a one-on-one tasting and answered all of our questions and spent a good deal of time explaining the interesting and delightful history of Va La. He did a wonderful job and made the experience a lot of fun. The tasting room was beautiful and had a stunning view of the vineyard. The wines were paired with delicious local cheeses and breads. It was one of those unexpected moments in life that seems almost magical. read more

Paradocx and Ten Gallon Hat were fantastic. Va La on the other hand were snooty and rude. I'm very disappointed with their poor customer service. Arrived with 6 couples and were turned away for "being a group" despite having called ahead and discussing with the proprietor. Our ages are in the 40s and 30s so not a group of twenty somethings. We are regular wine drinkers and were surprised not just by being turned away but by the manner in which it was done. We immediately followed our visit by a trip to Paradocx and the contrast was night and day. They were welcoming, gracious, down to earth and have a gorgeous facility with terrific wine. I wish I can comment on Va La's wine but I can assure you I will not be returning. read more