Family run Yori Wine Cellars & Brewing Co. (YWC & BC) is a PA Preferred® destination in Erie County that just keeps getting better. What began as hobby winemaking in 2003 has transformed into a beautiful portfolio of award winning wines that guests enjoy in YWC & BC’s cozy, artisanal eatery in downtown North East.
As a PA Preferred winery, YWC & BC’s wines are made with at least 75% PA-grown grapes, farmed in the renowned Lake Erie American Viticultural Area. This region’s unique microclimate and lake effects lend to exceptional grapes, from Concord table grapes to the vinifera like Riesling and Cabernet Franc and hybrids like Chambourcin and Traminette. YWC & BC grows 14 different grape varieties in its vineyards. Owner Michael Yori says, “Growing the fruits of our labor in Pennsylvania and then vinting that into bottles give us the pleasure of seeing our customers enjoy top quality wines that are equal or superior to fine wines you’ll find in other parts of the world.”
Michael Yori
The wines of YWC & BC run the gamut of dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet and sweet reds, whites and rosés. Those with sweeter palates love its Famiglia Red, a light bodied blend of local grapes, while dry wine lovers enjoy its Riesling with fruit and mineral flavors and its full-bodied Cabernet Franc. And, of course, YWC & BC meets the growing demand for sparkling wines with its Aromella, a crisp, citrusy wine and an aromatic hard apple cider.
While the wine production happens upstairs in YWC & BC’s downtown headquarters, guests enjoy the fruit of Yori’s labor downstairs in the full-scale tasting room and eatery. The menu includes tasty small bites like charcuterie, fried zucchini and meatballs as well as fresh dough pizza with your choice of toppings. Guests can cozy up inside or sit by the firepit on the breezy patio.
“It is a wonderful feeling to tend to the vineyards, mature the fruit and then turn it into the finished products,” Yori says. His passion for viticulture and the family’s commitment to excellence shines through in every glass.
Find and purchase Yori Wine Cellars & Brewing Company’s wines online or by visiting its tasting room and eatery at 18 South Lake St., North East; (814) 725-8466. You also can follow YWC & BC on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop!
This series was created in collaboration with PA Preferred.
PA Preferred® is Pennsylvania’s statewide branding program that promotes locally grown and processed food and other agricultural products.
- Photos: Yori Wine Cellars & Brewing Co.
