Oregon Hill Winery celebrates 42 years in business this year, and it is a story worth lifting a glass and toasting to.

Owner Karon Swendrowski gave all credit to her late husband, Eric, who, at an early age, learned winemaking from his father, Al Swendrowski.

Today, Karon operates the winery and two satellite wineries, one at McElhattan in Clinton County and another in Wellsboro in Tioga County.

“Eric was 12 and helped his father make wine in the cellar of their family residence next to the winery,” Karon said. “He made his first 50 gallons of wine when he was 16.”

His father and mother, Heiga, had turned a small country store and gas station just south of Morris into the Idlewood Inn, a popular restaurant serving German fare.

Al made wine for the family, just as his ancestors did, Eric told the Elmira Star-Gazette.

He helped his father and developed a special interest in science, wanting to use it in a creative way that would allow him to remain in the area.

In 1983, Eric, a graduate of Wellsboro Senior High School, formed the Oregon Hill Wine Company Inc. He spent the next two years experimenting with local wine-grape varieties and European species.

He pressed forward – not only overcoming the challenge of cleaning out a dairy barn next to the family home that would become the winery it is today, but also the climate of Morris.

Such altitude, late spring frosts and early fall frosts are hard on the native variety of the species and the European (venifera), which is more easily damaged because it does not withdraw its sap completely in the winter. Instead, he and his father tried to graft the venifera onto the native root stocks.

He and his father watched for well-established vines growing on farms or in backyards and if they saw one would ask the owner if they could have a root to use for grafting.

He placed hand-painted directional signs on Route 287. The burma shave signs consisted of the simple word winery and an arrow.

“Eric started the winery at 19, becoming the youngest vintner in Pennsylvania,” Karon said.

Whenever his father made wine one of those varieties was a raspberry Joli, a French word for pretty because of its vibrant color.

Unbeknownst to Eric it would become a wine carried on by Karon and the couple’s daughters, Katarina, 22, who has since become sommelier, and Alexandra, 20.

“Eric was teaching our daughters how to make wine when he died,” Karon said solemnly. “He died of a catastrophic brain event.”

“We had some local raspberry juice in the winery,” she said. “I wanted to make something special with it.”

Today, Oregon Hill Winery offers Raspberry Joli – a tribute to the Swendrowski family legacy.

Today, where cow stanchions once stood, customers can taste various wines in the taste room, Karon said.

Another portion of the barn is reserved for bottling, where the temperature is perfect for storage. Generally, customers can’t go past the tasting room. Some, however, are given an informal tour. “We show them around,” Karon said.

Karon also decided to make a chocolate cherry Joli, which is cherry wine with chocolate, offering costumes two dessert-style wines, and a Mountain Honey variety, using Dutch Gold orange blossom honey made in Lancaster and blended with a traminette grape, which offers those trying it a floral taste mingled with the orange blossom honey.

“It is a sweet, different and complex wine,” Karon said.

The McElhattan winery location is in a former horse barn at the old Shoemaker Estate. Karon officially opened it in June 2019.

It is different from the original barn where wine is made. Here, people bring their own food and sometimes enjoy live music events where folks can enjoy a glass of wine, a cocktail or a beer and listen to the entertainment.

Two months after McElhattan opened, Karon opened a Main Street Wellsboro storefront, which offers retail sales and tastings.

As for the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce impact on the wineries.

“We’ve been a member of the chamber since the get-go,” Karon said.

She noted how the folks at the Chamber are helping in networking, promotions and getting customers to visit the winery and sample and try the varieties.

She states her goal is to have people try it, become loyal and return customers and spread the word.

Karon has said she places her faith in managers of the satellite locations and a skilled winemaker and assistant winemaker who continue to use Eric’s and the family recipes to make up to 35 wines in stock.

So, take a trip to one of the wineries and buy a bottle or two. Pour a glass and be sure to offer your special someone a toast – and check on all of the events and special sales by visiting the Oregon Hill Winery website at oregonhillwinery.com and be sure to look for updates on their Facebook site.