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Shields Demesne Winery

Shields Demesne Winery
374 Smith Creek Road
724-435-7246

Open: year Round

We officially opened our winery on January 1st, 2008.  The story really began though with Dr. Ferenc "Frank" Androczi and his Little Hungary Farm Winery.  Using knowledge and experience he gained in his home land, Frank planted a vineyard and started keeping bees in Buchkhannon, WV.  He began making a unique type of wine branded as "Melomel" consisting of honey, grapes, apples, and pears.  In 1994, after tasting Melomel and hearing about the old man, Leigh Shields volunteered to help him.

     Working over several seasons provided an opportunity to see the methods used by an old-fashioned European type winery.  No stainless steel tanks, chemical stockpile, or sophisticated bottling line.  Just oak barrels, the natural ingredients, and a manual corker.  The volunteering continued until 2001 when Frank suffered a stroke and could no longer work.  Without any known relatives or formal apprentices, it seemed that Melomel might disappear for good.  Frank didn't want this to happen and urged us to keep making it.  Based on the same formula and process, we experimented and were extremely satisfied with the result.  In fact, we've expanded upon the original red, white, and rose Melomel blends to create many distinct varieties.

Shields Demesne Winery is not affiliated with AmericanTowns Media