chosen wines are described as featuring "floral aromas of rose petals and honeysuckle" (Riesling) and a "nice full-bodied fruit in mouth" (Pinot Gris).

At this point, we need to get a little food in our bellies, so we pop into the college town of Kutztown. With most of the students home on summer break, we easily find a seat at the Basin Street Hotel (D), a local eatery. Each couple splits a $20 special with one appetizer, two sides, and two entrées. Local specialties include the school's mascot "Golden Bear" (hot roast beef topped with cole slaw and fries on a French roll) and hot wings with a selection of more than a dozen sauces.

Good wine praises itself. --Arabian proverb

From the expensive-looking vineyard in Kutztown, we move on to Calvaresi Winery (E) in Bernville, the county's first post-prohibition winery. It's even more out of the way than any other, but worth the extra drive. This is one winery not to be missed.

The tasting room shares its space with the large wine vats. Calvaresi offers only 11 varieties, but they include the tasty semi-dry Cayuga with its "orange blossom" nose and the "spicy and clean" Steuben Blush. Among the specialties produced by Calvaresi is a port so popular it was out of stock during our visit.

One barrel of wine can work more miracles than a church full of saints. --Italian proverb

After leaving Bernville, we head up to the northernmost winery in Berks. Across the street from the Stoudt farmer's market is the Bashore & Stoudt Country Winery (F) in Shartlesville. Easily accessed from Interstate 78, the winery is conveniently situated on the corner of Old Route 22. We pull up to the building and see the familiar sight of the white Mercury limo from earlier in the day.

Once we're inside, the friendly nature of our servers Oley and Todd make us feel right at home. Also comforting is the fact that our fellow wine tourers have five wineries behind them and are very happy people.

Bashore & Stoudt specializes in fruitier wines. Their 23-variety list is among the longest we've encountered and includes semi-dry Geisenheim and semi-sweet Niagara styles. Unique to this winery, Furmosia plum, strawberry, and red raspberry wines are offered, as well as seasonally available pear, nectarine, and peach flavors. Among the most notable was the Appalachian Spice, which over-whelms your brain in a flood of autumn and Christmas memories with its apple and cinnamon sensations.

Our tour is at its end, but our fellow wine travelers encourage us to extend the day to one more stop, just across the border into Schuylkill County. Ahead of schedule, we head to the Long Trout Winery (G) in Auburn.