Christian W Klay Winery

I bought this Group On to check out this location for a friend that was thinking of having a wedding at a vineyard, and to enjoy a Fall ride from Pittsburgh to the mountains. First the positive: Ray, who drove us on the hayride to the vines and talked about his craft of cultivating the vines and harvesting the grapes to prepare for fermentation was humble, knowledgeable, passionate about his work and sweet. I felt honored to hear him talk about his work for the Klay family. The winery is in a beautiful part of Pennsylvania, and we were lucky to have a few snowflakes. The two stars are for Ray.
On the downside, the women working at the shop and at the buffet seemed indifferent. Not overtly rude, but no effort made to engage with guests– kind of like they hated their jobs or something. Ray did a beautiful job of introducing each wine and describing them, and answering questions. The tasting area was low-​brow, and no– frills, an unfinished basement. No rustic charm. We were surrounded by boxes and storage items. After the tasting, the buffet was available– there were signs on the table forbidding taking the food until the tasting was over. Another low-​brow touch. The buffet consisted of hot dogs, tortilla chips and shells, supermarket salsa and lettuce and shredded cheese. Seriously? For $ 12 a person, I suppose that is marginally acceptable, but a Group On is supposed to provide a higher value than paid. This was not a $ 50 dollar per couple tasting, as billed. My impression of this was a cheaped-​down offering for Group On, and that the staff resented the Group On patrons. Christian Klay missed an opportunity for us to recommend the site for a wedding, missed the opportunity to inspire us to buy more wine than we did, and missed the opportunity to recommend the place to friends, or return with friends. They provided an un-​elegant environment and presentation. They are lucky to have Ray to class the place up.

We almost passed this place because of the bad reviews. I am very glad we didn’t. We saw 3 younger girls working there. All 3 were very pleasant knowledgable and helpful. We tasted several wines a piece and it was a FREE TASTING. WE HAD A GREAT TIME A BOUGHT 3 bottles. Also, you MUST also travel across the street to the Distillary and at least try the Apple Pie Moonshine. SOOOOOO GOOOOOOD‼ they also have vodka and moonshine. I did not try those.

Came to Christian W. Klay Winery on Mother’s Day to redeem our Groupon. For the $ 25 Groupon we got a hayride (missed it though) 10 wine tastings, an hors d’oeuvres buffet, and souvenir wine glasses for 2. A good deal despite a few shortcomings.
Let’s get the negatives out of the way. The shortcomings referenced above would be the somewhat unfriendly staff and mediocre buffet offerings…
To be honest, the ladies at the winery the afternoon of our visit – the one who poured the tastings, the one who explained the buffet, and the one at the counter in the gift shop – weren’t very nice at all and seemed as though they’d rather be just about anywhere else. The gentleman who gave the presentation, on the other hand, was fun and seemed to love what he does.
The buffet, well, it was odd to say the least. I wasn’t expecting an extravagant or extensive spread, but I also wasn’t expecting such strange items as stone cold fried mozzarella sticks and slices of cucumber topped with runny guacamole.
The tastings were on the small side, about 2 sips each, but the fact that we got to taste 10 different wines was a treat. I was fond of the semi-​sweet wines, especially Chestnut Ridge Sunset ($ 14) – we purchased a bottle to enjoy on-​site – White Swan Tavern ($ 14), and Stone House Red ($ 16). All ideal for sipping chilled on a warm sunny day, which it was.
The drive from Pittsburgh took longer than expected, so we missed our group’s hayride. No worries though, there’s plenty to see on this property. We enjoyed the sun – and when it got too warm, the shade – in the covered and uncovered outdoor seating areas adjacent to the tasting room. We also felt comfortable and welcome to just walk around the pretty 200+ acre property and take photos – check ‘em out, such a wonderful spring day! I think the glorious weather and my company had a lot to do with the 4-​star experience.
Finally, a fun fact: this casual winery, located at 2,300 feet in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern PA, has the highest elevation of any winery east of the Rocky Mountains. Consider visiting via Groupon like we did or perhaps to attend one of the many events this establishment coordinates and hosts.

It’s a beautiful venue, I’ve been here in the summer and it’s quite lovely. The upstairs room is able to be rented out year round apparently, but if you in any way like your guests, please please please don’t rent this place in the winter. It’s absolutely miserable. The upstairs is basically just a barn. It’s not insulated. They have heat lamps in places around the room, but they were woefully insufficient, despite the body heat created by having a room full of people. Your dinner gets cold before you can eat it, which is really depressing. I kept my coat on but that did nothing for my poor feet. We ended up leaving really early because I couldn’t take it anymore.
Not only that, but the bathrooms downstairs in the tasting room can only be accessed from outside. In the summertime this wouldn’t be terribly unpleasant, but in the wintertime it means going in pairs so you have someone to hang onto as you carefully pick your way down an icy driveway to the room downstairs.
I’m not letting this bad experience affect my review, because although I think it’s stupid of the winery to even rent the place out this time of year, it is truly beautiful here in warmer weather.
AND the wine is great. Once you get to the tasting room downstairs, there’s a friendly woman that will let you try the whole dang wine list without charging you a penny. The standouts to me were the lavender wine (which won some prestigious award in 2013) and the Summit Mist, it has a cherry base, and it was very tasty. During events, you can buy by the bottle or the glass and take it up to the party. Although I would have laughed at anyone who would attempt to carry a glass of wine up an icy driveway.
So if you get anything from this, it should be that the winery is a great place to hold an event, just NOT in the winter.

I first became acquainted with Christian Klay during one of Trax Farm’s wine festivals. I fell in love with their wine and knew I wanted to take a little road trip to visit the winery and see what else they had to offer.
Fast forward to the present. My boyfriend and I just came back from visiting their winery and we had a nice time. We purchased their Groupon (2 admissions for $ 25) which included a hayride, winery tour, wine tasting, light appetizers and wine glasses.
The hayride was really just a short trip to the vineyard. The tour guide (who also was the man in charge of pretty much doing everything when it comes to making the wine) explained the history of the grounds and went into detail about the process of what he does. It lasted about 30 – 45 minutes before he took us back to the winery and showed us the equipment to actually make the wine. He was very charming and old school. He had a very blue collar feel to him which makes me love their wine even more. It’s great knowing that they haven’t sold themselves or went on a more commercial route. Everything is done right in their storage room by hand. It’s awesome knowing each bottle is handled personally, giving it a more intimate feel (is that even the right word? You get the point!).
After the tour, we all sat down and tried about eight different wines ranging from sweet to dry. Our favorite included the Stone House Red and Blanc de Lafayette. He explained each wine in depth and also answered any questions.
After the tasting, a chef from a nearby restaurant prepared some light appetizers for our enjoyment. The spread included Cesar Salad, pita bread (dipped in apple butter and topped with Swiss cheese and an edible flower), chili, and chips/​dip/​salsa. Everything was very good. We loved the chili!
After we decided to look in the gift shop and make some purchases. They also allow you to try as many other flavors of wine as you like. We tried the Spiced Apple and WOW! Amazing. I’ve tried many apple wines before but this by far was the best. CK is also known for their Lavender Wine. It’s hard to explain the taste because it’s something like no other. It’s extremely rare to find. It’s very good, but I can only do a glass of it. When all was said and done, we bought three bottles of the two listed above from the tasting and an apple!
A huge bravo to the staff for being so friendly and accommodating. I wish I got her name, but the blond woman who helped out with our tastings was great. She even offered my boyfriend and I quick tastings before out hayride started! I must say, after reading some of the negative reviews on here (especially the one regarding the same-​sex couple), I was a bit apprehensive. However, in no way did I feel my business wasn’t appreciated.

I had purchased a groupon for a hay ride/​wine tasting/​appetizer buffet. The groupon said to call and make a reservation, but I had not because I was not sure how our timing would work with also having tickets to Fallingwater later that afternoon. My husband and I got to the winery around 1pm hoping to just do a tasting, buy a bottle or so, and be on our way to Fallingwater.
First of all, we were not greeted upon our entrance to the tasting room. One of the women was on the phone with a customer (my husband noticed she was even being rude on the phone) and the other woman was helping another customer with a tasting. We have been to nearly 50 wineries between Pittsburgh and the Finger Lakes, and a simple smile or «hello, we’ll be right with you» is all I expect from staff assisting other customers. We walked around the disorganized gift shop for 10 minutes before anyone spoke to us. I explained that I had a groupon and that I did not make a reservation because I was unsure of our timing. The one woman shoved a binder in my face with hay ride times on it and said «this is what we have today, and we have openings next weekend» I told her we had Fallingwater tickets and that we only had time for a tasting and asked if I could put the purchased groupon toward a wine purchase. She said that they couldn’t do that. She obviously does not know how groupon works. The value of a groupon is always valid for the purchased amount… even after it expires. My husband was ready to walk out at this point, but I thought maybe their wines would be worth the stay. Meh. Nothing special. And the woman doing our tasting hardly said a word. During the tasting, a hay ride had returned to the tasting room for their appetizer buffet… in a storage closet!
We will not be returning on our yearly trip to the area.
Also, if I would have read reviews before going there to see that they turned away a same sex couple to have their wedding/​commitment ceremony, I would have never even walked into the place. Turning away patrons willing to give you money is a great way to fail in business.

Absolutely wonderful winery and grounds. Everyone including the vendors at their Lavender festival were polite and helpful. Bev, our pourer was knowledgeable about the stock and made good suggestions. I loved the sparkling Lavender mist and their Spiced Apple in a red bottle. I look forward to going back.

Stopped here while passing through on a business trip. Good selection of wines and a few were tasty. Ended up with a bottle of Summit Mist. The blonde lady working was NOT friendly even after I asked some questions about the winery and made a small joke while checking out. Sad they have poor customer service or I would have visited more often when in the area.

I read the last review and was hesitant to come here but like all places I wanted to give it a chance.
Drove up the road and when we pulled up, i instantly fell in love with the building, patio and countryside view.
When we walked in, the staff was extra friendly. There were no charge for the tastings. I basically tried the whole list except for the sweet wines (I’m more dry reds). I ended up purchasing 2 dry reds and two whites.
I didn’t feel rushed with the tasting. She was very knowledgable and passionate. The staff was even helpful on what to do in the area and visiting the hot/​coolest spots.
The only con was that there was an outside patio and could not purchase a glass of wine to enjoy it outdoor or even inside the building.
Overall a great experience a must visit if in the area.

We went for the wine and cheese tour (we had a LivingSocial deal). Ray was informative and nice, but unfortunately we did not get to go on the actual tour. I’m not really sure why — it was drizzling that day, but I would have rather been out in the light rain than crammed into the basement. There was also no sort of compensation offered for this (i.e. «come back another time and we’ll take you through the vineyards»). I was much more interested in the tour itself over the wine tasting (you can do that anywhere for free). Basically I paid money to be lectured at in a basement.
The wine was good though. The woman pouring the wine started off with extremely tiny pours (I couldn’t get a second small sip out of my first few glasses). They became a little more generous. She was not very friendly though. We tasted 10 wines in total. There were a few cheeses, meats, crackers, and olives for us to enjoy with the wine.
They definitely made a ton of money off of this deal though. There were a lot of people in our tour group and almost everyone bought at least one bottle of wine. I think it would be very reasonable for them to offer us to come back another time for another tour since we missed out.

I also went to the wine and cheese tour. I found the tour of the winery very nice. Ray was informative and helpful. Sure you didn’t get a lot of cheese but the tasting itself was very nice, set up outside, with wine glasses, it was a great setting over looking the country side. We tried 8 wines and Ray told us about each one. The staff was polite and very helpful. I liked the ride up to the vines on the hay wagon. Ended up buying a few bottles of wine and plan on stopping back soon! VERY NICE!

I bought a winery tour and cheese tasting for 2 from Livingsocial for a total cost of $ 25 (meant to be a $ 50 value.) It was difficult to schedule a tour partly because of the dates available (Very few Sundays after late September) and partly because the customer service stinks. Since I prepaid for my tours, I don’t think I should have had the difficulty I did scheduling.
I called to confirm my reservation in the morning on the day of the tour. The staff on the other end, someone I hadn’t talked to before, was just as brusque as the first lady. I confirmed and went to the site.
The site was lovely, although it would have been nicer if they had been able to schedule me when there were still leaves on the trees. 20 of us were taken on a hayride promptly on time by our tour guide and all-​around Winery-​Guy Ray. He was very knowledgeable and personable, which was a welcome change from everyone I had talked to at this point. We returned to the pavilion for a wine tasting and some cheese and crackers. We also rejoined the three couples who missed the hayride because they were a few minutes late. They weren’t happy!
The wines were tasty, especially if you like sweet wines. The cheese was a snack, not meant for pairing. Each person got one wineglass for the tasting, and they were not rinsed between different wines, so getting the bouquet and tasting the subtleties was kind of a joke. The prices on the wines were reasonable and guests were in no way coerced to take a bottle home with them. The small pours were appropriate size for a tasting.
Overall, after talking on the phone and trying to get information prior to visiting, I had a sour taste in my mouth and actually regretted buying the tours. The tour and tasting would have been appropriate and worth the $ 25 for 2 people, but the staff (apart from Ray) need some major lessons in courtesy, hospitality, and customer service. If people are paying for a service that you have offered, then have people available to schedule tours, answer questions, and respond to phone calls and emails. The general feeling was unwelcoming and unsophisticated despite having a nice site and being capable winemakers.

You do not get what you pay for. I went there for a wine and cheese tasting $ 50 for 2 people. Short story: ½ ounce pours that the owner (Sharon) said, «lighter pour please» ONLY 6 of these!!! AND NO CHEESE?! DO NOT GO HERE!!!