Greendance Delight

June 5th, 2009

Greendance, The Winery at Sand Hill Berries

Greendance, The Winery at Sand Hill Berries, is situated on a beautiful, scenic farm in Mount Pleasant. The owners of Sand Hill Berries, Susan and Rick Lynn and Amy and Rob Schillings, have been growing gourmet small fruits since 1986. Red raspberries, red currants, black currants, gooseberries, yellow raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries are some of the specialties produced on the farm. Gradually they began to recognize that the highest use of their small fruits was pure fruit wines, and that their expertise in cultural practices would accommodate production of quality hybrid vinifera grapes to provide a full spectrum of wines. During the final development of Greendance, the Sand Hill Berries partners discovered Walter and Roxanne Vinoski. The Vinoski family has been making wine and growing grapes for years. Walt had carried forth his years of tradition with a zeal for quality using both his family experience and his technical abilities as an engineer. Because of their dedication and award-winning success as private enologists, the Vinoskis envisioned a winery to make their passion available for all to appreciate. Opened in 2007, Greendance is the perfect place to experience the pleasure of superb wine and the beauty of the countryside. Whether you prefer a dry red, sweet blush, or sparkling gooseberry wine, Greendance will certainly please your palate.

Ranging from dry, sweet or sparkling, there are plenty of options at Greendance.

Winemaker, Walt Vinoski in action

Words of wisdown from the winemaker, Walt Vinoski:
“My winemaking philosophy requires discipline in maintaining continuity and balance from the perfectly-ripened fruit to the wine in the glass, preserving characteristics that excite your palate and cause your memory to reflect back to the berry you remember tasting. God has given us this fruit and each season it differs from the year before so we labor to maintain its balance, create wines that are pleasing, full of fruit and full of life. And before any wine is bottled we stop and question each other ‘Is this the best wine that we can make?’ Making certain our quality is high and from our many types, our friends will find at least one favorite. I like to make wine that you can enjoy with food but I take gratification in knowing that you’re sharing it with friends.”

Saxophonist James Boggs at Greendance

If you’re looking for something to do on a weekend afternoon, be sure to stop by Greendance for Music in the Nectar Garden Saturdays: 10am-6pm, Sundays: 12-6pm. Listen to the sounds of various musicians while sipping your favorite Greendance wine. Don’t forget to check out the Sand Hill Berries Farm Store next door for fresh berries, pies, cookies and specialty items!

For more information on Greendance, visit www.greendancewinery.com or look at their photos on Flickr
Check out Sand Hill Berries at www.sandhillberries.com