But in the winter, simply wandering leisurely is a rare act.  In the bitter cold I rush everywhere in the hopes to get to the next warmer place.  However, there’s something uplifting about being outside.  Feeling fresh air on your face, basking in the sun’s light and looking out as far as the horizon brings a calmness to my soul.  When everything is covered in dazzling snow, that especially helps the dreariness of winter slip away . . . at least a little.

One of my goals for 2016 is to get out on a date with my husband at least once a month. Before we got married, I thought this would be easy and just happen.  I’m not sure how it works in other marriages, but in ours, date nights are seldom.  If we do go out, I’m usually exhausted by 9:00 p.m.  What was first going to be dinner and a movie has more than once become “dinner and let’s go home, I’m tired”.  Pathetic, I know.

But good news, we did go on a date in January! My parents watched our son from lunch time until a little after dinner; and we headed out from our suburb of Philly home and stopped at Peddler’s Village for soup and wine.  From there we took a very short drive into New Jersey where we enjoyed our own little “taste of Napa” at Old York Cellars. To our delight, Old York Cellars comped our wine and chocolate tasting!  I had planned on writing about this date no matter what, so this just made me love this vineyard even more!

We had such an amazing day, I want to encourage everyone I know to embrace the Day Date and head to a Vineyard!  If you live within an hour and a half of Ringoes, NJ, I strongly recommend Old York Cellars.

5 Reasons to Go on a Day Date to a Vineyard

1. The View.  Looking out at the vineyard was calming and peaceful.  The brightness of the snow added joy to my mood.  Plus, it was daylight, so not only can you see more of the view, if you are like me, your out before you are exhausted!  Old York Cellars had a gorgeous patio set up and welcomes guests to bring snacks or a meal and purchase a bottle to enjoy outside!  Three women were out there embracing the day, soaking up the view -and the cold didn’t seem to bother them at all!  
2. The Tour of the Winery.  The tour of the winery was both educational and entertaining.  My husband was fascinated by the details of growing and harvesting the grapes and learning about the entire wine making process.  I found it interesting that it takes 600-800 grapes to make one bottle of wine and was laughing out loud when the tour guide spout out a ton of information that Matt understood, then ended with, “It’s a beautiful thing monks figured this shit out years ago”.  Matt favored the education, I enjoyed the entertainment
3. The Wine.  The wine.  The wine and cheese.  Then Wine and Chocolate.  When we went to Old York Cellars all three were available!  Most wineries not only host tastings, but also have wine and food pairings as well.
4. It’s Both Unique and Romantic. Don’t get me wrong, I love going out to dinner – but a change of scenery is nice – and maybe even adds some spice.  The time you spend together at a vineyard provides an opportunity to walk outside, taste new wines, discuss likes and dislikes and learn something new.  Many wineries also have other forms of entertainment like an art gallery and host entertainers like comedians and musicians. (Old York Cellars has a free art gallery and monthly wine and comedy nights).
5. The Date will Continue.  You’re probably going home with some awesome wine which will allow the “party” to continue that night or provide for a fun date night later in the week or month.  I’m not sure we had any intention of buying a bottle of wine . . . but we ended up buying 5 bottles of wine!  It seems that no matter what winery we visit, Matt and I discover there is at least one that is so good we want to enjoy a bottle at home.  At this particular tasting we were both floored by how “clean” the wine tasted.  WE loved the cabernet and their “What Exit White”.  Plus, Old York Cellars donates $1 from every bottle of their “What Exit” line to charity.

So if you you’re looking for a new date idea, may I suggest Winter Windering?  Dress warm, go out in the daylight, and wander around the grounds of a vineyard.  Enjoy the view, enjoy each other, enjoy the wine.  Cheers!

If you live in or around PA and New Jersey (or plan on visiting sometime soon), enter to win tasting coupons to Old York Cellars!  Enter today!  Contest ends on February 22, 2016.  To enter, click here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Winter Winedering: 5 Reasons to Go on a Day Date to a Vineyard appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.