Experiencing central Pennsylvania’s outdoor adventures is great, but there’s always room for shopping. Take home a bit of local color, culture and flavor with these retail highlights.
Care and commitment are at the heart of Happy Valley Vineyard and Winery, located in State College. This nine-acre vineyard grows more than 15 different varieties of grapes, which become more than two dozen types of locally produced wine.
Since 1999, the vineyard has tripled its harvest, and is dedicated to sustainable growing practices. Many of Happy Valley’s wines have won state awards, including the 2015 “Best of Show” for sweet grape wine. The facility welcomes group tours, tastings, receptions and other events.
The Goot Essa (800.490.4387) cheese shop doesn’t have a website or an Instagram account, but it makes up for all that with the best in local, Amish-made cheeses crafted by hand. Located on Wise Road in Howard, the shop carries Stilton, cheddar, alpine and other delights.
The cheeses are made with ingredients that come from small Amish farms, where everything is done by old-fashioned methods and the animals are well-treated. Available in gift baskets or blocks, these artisanal cheeses are cave-aged and full of flavor with every bite and live up to the store’s name, Goot Essa, or “good food” in the Pennsylvania Amish dialect.
Tait Farm Harvest Shop in Centre Hall is a one-stop cornucopia of handcrafted items, from the functional art of hand-thrown pottery, wooden toys or woven baskets to the farm’s many varieties of jams, relishes, dressings and other treats for the table. At least 50 local artists are represented here with a variety of items from jewelry to books and candles, making it a self-contained, permanent craft fair.
Seeds and herbs are also available for the avid gardener who wants to jazz up his or her own kitchen creations, along with a variety of native plants and decorative heirloom flowers. It’s impossible to walk out the door without buying anything; the cozy atmosphere and amazing array of local products will make any gourmet or craft lover shiver in delight.
For the art connoisseur, the Douglas Albert Gallery in State College carries everything from fine-art paintings to sculpture to hand-blown glass. Many of the items are perfect for sprucing up the home.
