The winemaking process starts with low-yielding, handpicked fruit from William Heritage estate vineyards. White wine grapes are harvested at optimum ripeness & whole-cluster pressed. The juice is fermented with selected yeast strains at cool temperatures to capture & enhance fresh fruit aromas & flavors. Wines are aged, typically 4-8 months, in stainless steel vessels or oak barrels to produce different styles. The reserve white program utilizes the more risky & time-consuming technique of barrel fermentation with French oak barrels.  This technique generates premium-quality varietals and single vineyard offerings.

For Heritage red wines, the goal is maximum capture & development of color & flavor. After harvesting at optimum ripeness, red grape clusters are de-stemmed and the grapes hand-sorted to remove any material not worthy of fermentation. The grapes are gently crushed & sent to stainless steel fermentation vessels where a small portion of juice is removed (a process called saignée or bleeding) to provide raw material for delicious Rosé wines.  The saignée method also allows for greater extraction, color and flavor in the primary red wines. Fermentation temperatures peak early at controlled levels to capture rich fruit flavors.

Extended macerations (juice & skin contact) follow to extract optimum color, flavor & tannin profiles. Red wines are separated from their skins to give both free-run & press fractions which are kept separate. Wines are aged exclusively in French oak barrels for 12-18 months. Judicious tastings & experience are used to determine various options for blending & ageing to enhance the wines before bottling.

Darrin Scott, Winemaker

Darrin received a Food Science degree from Penn State University. He brings over 10+ years of winemaking experience from regions across the globe including New Zealand and Tasmania along with gaining more local winemaking experience in New York and Pennsylvania. Darrin aims to make wines that provoke an emotional response and focus on quality and substance. He crafts wines that are appealing to both wine critics and enthusiasts. Darrin is excited to continue to make great wines here at William Heritage Winery and continue to boost the recognition for our Mid-Atlantic wine growing region.