The Story of Our 2022 Grande Rouge: A Vintage Years in the Making

Some wines tell the story of a single season. Others tell the story of a vision that took more than a decade to realize. Our 2022 Grande Rouge falls firmly in the latter. This wine represents not just the exceptional conditions of one harvest, but the culmination of everything we set out to achieve when we first planted our vineyard in 2009.

The Wine That Started It All

When Larry Kennel first tested the soil on our family farm and discovered its exceptional potential for grape growing, he had one clear vision: to create a premium Bordeaux-style blend that would transform what people think about Pennsylvania wine. Every grape variety we planted – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot – was chosen specifically with this wine in mind.

The Grande Rouge isn’t just our flagship wine; it’s our founding purpose in a bottle.

A Wine Worth Waiting For

Since we began harvesting in 2011, we’ve produced wines every year. The Grande Rouge is different. In fourteen years of winemaking, we’ve declared only three Grande Rouge vintages: 2013, 2016, and now 2022. This selectivity isn’t about marketing tactics but about integrity.

We only make Grande Rouge in seasons when everything aligns perfectly: ideal growing conditions, exceptional fruit quality, and the promise that the final blend will represent the absolute best of what our vineyard can produce.

An Exquisite Reputation

While we and our guests believed our 2013 Grande Rouge was something special, we wanted to put it to the ultimate test. We submitted our debut vintage to the San Francisco International Wine Competition, widely regarded as the gold standard for professional wine evaluation.

The results exceeded our expectations. Our 2013 Grande Rouge earned the competition’s highest honor: a Double Gold Medal. This marked the first time in over a decade that any winery east of the Mississippi River had received this prestigious award in the red wine blend category.

The recognition confirmed what we had hoped from the beginning – that wines from Lancaster County could compete with the finest offerings from California and international producers. Our 2013 Grande Rouge wasn’t just special to us; it was exceptional by industry standards.

The 2022 Growing Season

The 2022 vintage began with promise and delivered on every expectation. Our estate vines produced fruit with the depth, complexity, and character that Grande Rouge demands. By September, we knew this would be a Grande Rouge year.

The harvest began on September 16th, with our Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes picked within days of each other, followed by the Merlot. Each variety was hand-harvested at peak ripeness, ensuring only the finest fruit would make it into this exceptional blend.

The Art of Bordeaux-Style Blending

Our 2022 Grande Rouge follows the tradition of left bank Bordeaux, where Merlot takes the lead at over 50% of the blend, supported by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and a touch of Petit Verdot for structure and complexity.

This style creates wines with approachable elegance. It’s rich and complex enough to age beautifully, yet balanced enough to enjoy upon release. It’s the same approach we used for our acclaimed 2013 and 2016 vintages, but each year brings its own unique character.

Two Years of Patience

After harvest and fermentation, the 2022 Grande Rouge began its journey in French oak barrels, where it would age for nearly two full years. This extended barrel aging allows the wine to develop the complexity, depth, and smooth tannin structure that defines great Bordeaux-style wines.

In July 2024, after 22 months in barrel, we knew the wine was ready for the next phase. The barrels were emptied, and the final blend was prepared for bottling, which we did in August 2024.

The Final Year

Even after bottling, the journey wasn’t complete. Like all fine wines, the 2022 Grande Rouge needed time to recover from “bottle shock,” the temporary disruption that occurs when wine transitions from barrel to bottle. The molecules needed time to settle, the flavors to marry, and the wine to reach its full potential.

For an entire year, the bottles rested, developing the harmony and integration that marks a truly exceptional wine. Now, after this extended aging process, the 2022 Grande Rouge is finally ready to share.

Excellence in a Bottle

The 2022 Grande Rouge carries the hallmarks of our estate combined with the exceptional conditions of that vintage year. Expect the rich, jammy fruit character and elegant complexity that made our previous Grande Rouge vintages so memorable, with the unique signature that only the 2022 growing season could provide.

The Release

Wine club members will have the first opportunity to purchase the 2022 Grande Rouge during our September 11th pickup party. This pre-release allows our most dedicated supporters to be among the first to experience this long-awaited vintage.

Following the pre-release, we’re planning a special release dinner that will showcase the 2022 Grande Rouge alongside carefully paired courses, giving wine enthusiasts the full experience this exceptional vintage deserves.

Looking Ahead

As we prepare to release our 2022 Grande Rouge, we’re already looking toward the future. Our 2023 vintage produced fruit exceptional enough for a Right Bank Bordeaux-style blend—Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc forward—which was just bottled in August 2025. While it won’t be ready for at least another six months, it represents the continued evolution of winemaking here at Grandview.

More Than Wine

The 2022 Grande Rouge represents more than just exceptional winemaking. It embodies the vision, patience, and unwavering commitment to quality that has defined our approach since day one. From Larry Kennel’s early experiments with roadside berries to this sophisticated estate blend, every step has led to moments like this where we get to be genuinely proud of what we get to create here at our own local vineyard in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania.

In a world where speed often trumps quality, the Grande Rouge stands as a testament to the power of patience. Some things simply cannot be rushed, and when you taste the 2022 Grande Rouge, you’ll understand why we waited.

The 2022 Grande Rouge will be available for pre-purchase to wine club members on September 11th, 2025, during our quarterly pickup party. Stay tuned for details about our official release dinner celebration.