Courtyard Winery is one unique winery, offering two extraordinary brands. LaCourette offers distinctive varietal wines to please the dry palate. Barjo Bons (“Crazy Friends”) wines offer unique, and fun sweeter blends. The two brands carry through their distinctive architecture. The tasting room offers two separate tasting areas – one for each brand – creating a comfortable, welcoming environment. Enjoy a glass of wine in their tasting room, beautiful barrel room, or in the great outdoors on our vineyard veranda. Stop in, they would love to show you around!

For Courtyard, it all started with the love of good wine. And now, the enticement of each new discovery leads to a deep interest in the history of wine, the winemaking process and the never ending pursuit of the perfect pairing between a special culinary delight and a finely crafted wine.

Courtyard Winery founders are Randy and Laura Graham. Randy’s Lake Erie agricultural heritage started 3 generations ago as the “Lake Effect” was discovered – the weather pattern that provides an ideal climate needed to grow a variety of fruit crops along the south shore of Lake Erie. Randy was first exposed to grape growing through his great grandparents who packed baskets of fresh-picked grapes and sent them to New York City by railcar from North East. Laura’s grandparents were also fruit farmers who settled in the Bay Area of California.

It was in California that Randy and Laura met, and together their pursuit of the next great wine led them to many new experiences throughout California and finally to the decision to start growing grapes themselves. They decided to start this adventure not in California, but in the town of North East, Pennsylvania where the environment was also more to their liking for starting a family.

In 2007 after years of growing and selling grapes and making wine at home, Courtyard Winery decided to add a winery to their 125 acre vineyard farming operation. Winemaking is a long process, as great wines truly start with attention to every detail in the vineyard. Courtyard Winery’s first wines were released in July of 2010. The winery was built with an intense focus on quality winemaking from the incoming fruit sorting table to high tech lab procedures used to evaluate each wine.

Today, there are over 30 varieties of grapes grown on 10,000 acres of vineyards in North East, Pennsylvania. We receive 14 different varieties of fresh picked grapes, some used for dry varietal wines and some for blended sweet wines. We have been awarded numerous medals throughout Pennsylvania and New York wine competitions for our winemaking efforts. Courtyard Winery winery also provides a wonderful atmosphere for a relaxing visit, and we welcome you to enjoy a glass of wine inside or outside on the Vineyard Veranda.

Wines of Courtyard Winery

2016 Dry Rose Wine

PA - Lake Erie

$14.99 / 750ml

This Rose wine is made in the traditional French method, where a portion of the pink juice from early in the red grape receiving process is removed and separately fermented to produce a light fruit forward Rose wine.

0.2% Residual Sugar

 

 

 

2013 Merlot

PA - Lake Erie

$31.99 / 750ml

This limited release Merlot (78 cases) has soft and supple tannins from aging in French oak barrels for 26 months. Upfront aromas of toasted strawberry and black raspberry portray layers of flavors to be discovered. A supple mid palate of black cherry leads to notes of cocoa on the long, luxurious finish. With attention to every winemaking detail, this limited release Merlot represents the exceptional potential of Pennsylvania grapes from the south shore of great Lake Erie.

 

 

Great Lakes Beach Glass White

PA - Lake Erie

$10.99 / 750ml

Inspired by Relish of Erie, this semi-sweet white wine sparkles like a polished piece of beach glass. A blend of Traminette and Chardonnay grapes as remarkable as that special beach glass find. Treasure, share, and serve chilled!

Semi-Sweet

2.8% residual sugar

 

 

White Lies

PA - Lake Erie

$9.99 / 750ml

"Does this outfit make me look my best?"

"You don't look near your age!"

"Balding...not you!"

You know, a few white lies make the world a bit friendlier. Now you can get away with White Lies at the Courtyard. This is a sweet white wine blend with Geisenheim, Traminette and Vidal that will hold your secrets!

Sweet

6.0% Residual Sugar

 

Ruby's Rouge

PA - Lake Erie

$10.99 / 750ml

Heads always turned when Ruby walked in the room. Ruby's wine is a bold, distinctive blend of Concord and Catawba, with a surprise touch of Peach. Turn your guests' heads with Barjo Bons' Ruby's Rouge, the perfect sweet red wine for your next party!

Sweet

4.2% Residual Sugar