This West Chester tasting room is launching two wines ahead of America’s 250th
The California winery that sells its bottles in its West Chester location will offer commemorative red and white wines for the 250th.
For Allison Owen, wine has always been one of the greatest communal beverages. And as the region prepares for a number of celebrations around America’s founding 250 years ago, it made sense for the Turks Head Wines founder and president to develop a wine that would commemorate that, too.
The fact that the author of the Declaration of Independence was, himself, a big fan of wine is a nice touch, too.
“It felt just appropriate to be able to roll out something that people here in this region could really kind of rally behind,” Owen said. “Wine has always been part of our country and our nation’s history throughout time.”
Turks Head Wines — a wine producer in California that sells its bottles in its West Chester tasting room, restaurant, and event space — is rolling out limited edition white and red vintages on April 23. There will be 250 cases of each wine produced.
Owen, who herself has collected wines from the year she got married and when her children were born, thinks the bottles will be a nice collectors’ item for years to come.
“Somebody could buy a bottle of our red blend, as an example, and lay it down for years to come and be able to bring that bottle out and reminisce and story-tell of where were they that year, and how did they celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday?” she said. “There’s a lot of memories then and storytelling that really come from a bottle of wine.”
But if you’re looking for something to drink for this summer’s festivities, “they’re delicious now,” she added.
“The Semi Q” wines will feature a red-and-blue twist on the brand’s usual gold logo. The red blend, which retails for $55, is primarily a cabernet franc, with other varietals, including malbec, petit verdot, and cabernet sauvignon. It opens with notes of black cherry, cedar, sage, leather, and cigar box. It’s light on tannin, which typically gives wine its bitter taste. Owen said it’d pair well with traditional barbecue fare during the summer holidays — burgers, steak, and even a chicken.
The white bottle, $45, is a blend of sauvignon blanc, melon de Bourgogne, and sémillon, with opening notes of honeydew, melon, honeysuckle, crushed white flowers, and wet stone. It’s crisp and fresh, pairing well with white fish, shrimp, oysters, and a hot summer day, Owen said.
Owen said that she and the winemaker wanted to curate an offering commonly enjoyed and approachable. The red blend comes from the 2023 harvest, and the white is from the 2025 harvest, Owen said.
The bottles will be available at the Turks Head Bottle Shoppe and online for direct shipping to 36 states. They’ll also be in the Total Wine & More in Claymont, Del.
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