So this blog really isn’t a food and beer blog. I swear. I truly intend to post primarily about my hiking, backpacking and travel adventures, but it is St. Patrick’s Day and recently we’ve had the opportunity to visit some awesome restaurants, breweries and wineries that are (in my opinion) worth blogging about. First it was the Harpoon Brewery. Then it was Blue Hills Brewery/WinterFest. And this past weekend, we visited wine country in…Bucks County, Pennsylvania?

That’s right. According to the Bucks Country Wine Trail website, this region just north of Philadelphia has “the gentle rolling hills, deep well-drained soils, and moderate climate that make it one of the premier grape growing regions of the East Coast”. OK, so its no Napa Valley, but within the borders of the suburban county, there are nine wineries that offer tastings to locals and tourists who stop by for a drink. Fortunately for us, Lisa’s parents live right around the corner, so last Saturday we decided to “hit the trail” and stop by one of these charming destinations. Our selection was The New Hope Winery in New Hope, PA.

The building itself was pretty neat. While the winery has only been around for only 40 or so years, the barn that houses the tasting room and gift shop is over 200 years old.

For $7, you get to sample five wines and keep your glass as a souvenir.

The wines were pretty good. Everyone seemed to like the pinot gris the best. We even bought a bottle to enjoy on a hot summer day later this year.

In addition to the wine tasting, the barn offered lots of other curiosities to look at, including antiques, gifts and signs for purchase. Not to mention the clowns hanging from the ceiling. Yes, I said clowns.

So maybe he’s more of a court jester? I’m really not sure. Anyways…like I was saying, the wine was good, but after sipping on a few samples, we were all ready for a full-sized drink. We debated about whether to visit another winery in the area, but instead choose to get some beers and grub at nearby Triumph Brewery in New Hope.

The decor inside the pub was really cool – kind of that refurbished warehouse look with lots of exposed brick and wood beams.

The place is more of a brew pub than a brewery. While they do make their own beer on site, there are no tours and no tastings. Its basically a restaurant that makes its own craft beer. However, patrons can order an amazing “beer sampler” which features all seven of their homemade beers in 5 ounce glasses. Of course we had to try that!

The beer was wicked good. I think our favorite was the amber beer, but the most unusual had to be their “smoked” beer, which literally smelled like a campfire. It wasn’t awful, just unexpected. It was also nice sitting by the window and watching families outside jump aboard the scenic train that takes people on rides along the Delaware River.

All in all, it was a fun day with family along the Buck’s County Wine (and beer) Trail. The next time you’re in the area, check out these great spots.