Remembering Naylor Wine Cellars
Naylor Wine Cellars was the oldest winery in the York region, and since its opening in the late 1970s, owner Richard “Dick” Naylor could be seen there every day, sitting in the tasting room and waiting to greet everyone.
“Naylor was the pioneer,” said Susan Ewing, owner of Balla Cloiche Vineyards, in North Hopewell Township. It wasn’t until 1968 that wineries as they are today could even exist in the state, said Carl Helrich, winemaker and owner of Allegro Wine Cellars — which opened in 1980, about eight air miles from Naylor.
After 40 years, it was the end of an era in York County as Naylor’s winery, at 4069 Vineyard Road in Hopewell Township, provided its last bottles of wine on Saturday, Aug. 24.
Following Naylor’s death in December at age 90, his family continued operations until Helrich purchased the winery building and vineyard property. Naylor’s winery will add 7,000 square feet of Allegro’s production space.
It will allow Helrich to double or even triple the amount of wine he makes now – which has been in high demand with a changing market, he said. He hopes to open in a few weeks.
“We’ve been neighbors for 40 years; I’ve known them for 17 years.” he said of the family. “It’s the perfect partnership with this transition.” One reason he decided to utilize the same space was to keep the memory and tradition of Naylor alive, Helrich said.
Naylor didn’t begin winemaking until his 50’s, said his granddaughter, Amanda Brimfield. He was an established box salesman who kept getting complements and winning amateur contests for the wine he made in his basement, she said.
Before he opened his vineyard, he flew Chambourcin grapes from France into Canada to bypass a quarantine at the time, Brimfield said, adding, “He saw something he wanted, and he went for it.”
Many who knew him spoke about his larger-than-life character, including tales of Naylor sitting at his special table under the pavilion during music nights and talking to attendees.
“He drank Traminette.” said John Stewart, of Glen Rock. “If you went over and you had a glass, he would ask what you were drinking and say, “That goes really well with Traminette.” and pour it into your glass.
“He treated everybody the same – whether he knew them or not.” Brimfield said. “People would come visit the winery just to talk to him.”
Ewing, Naylor’s closest neighbor in the wine scene after opening a tasting room a few miles down the road, said there’s a real sense of camaraderie among the York County wineries. Each has its own niche, so they would often refer customers to each other, borrow needed items and shared skills. Naylor’s grandson, Dan Potter, “taught us how to prune,” she said.
It’s fitting that the last day at the winery had a final Summer Sounds – the big band music series – which was a well-remembered tradition of Naylor’s.
“Dick’s one of those rare guys who actually got to live out his dreams.” said Tom McLaughlin, musical director of Unforgettable Big Band, from York County – a longtime performer at the event.
For at least 20 years, Naylor got to see his favorite style of music played at the summer series – which saw between 300 and 800 people at each event, McLaughlin said.
Gene Gruver, a former principal at Eastern York School District and a big fan of the Unforgettable Big Band, was there Saturday celebrating his 90th birthday and called it, “a great place to be – very sociable.”
“To think not to have this around, it’s going to be a void.” said John Manley, Gruver’s longtime friend and former principal for Eastern and Littlestown high schools.
Ron Trayer noted that Naylor always sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” at the start of each night – and the band gave a tribute to him that evening with “God Bless America.”
As the winery is ushered into a new era, the Naylor name will not die. Although wine production has come to an end, his family will continue furthering his original business selling wine carriers and shippers all over the country.
“I just feel really fortunate that I was a part of it for a little bit.” Brimfield said.
(Lindsay C VansAsdalan. York Dispatch. Published Aug. 25, 2019)
