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A youthful vintage

When Joe and Wendy Staller talk about wine, their eyes dance.

The 28-year-old couple have opened Staller Estate vineyard and winery at W8896 County A in Richmond Township.

I've always enjoyed wine. I learned quickly that it's one thing to drink a glass of wine. It's quite another to swirl the wine around, releasing the aromas; to hold the glass up to the light, revealing the depth of its color; and to taste the wine in every part of your mouth, dissecting the varying flavors it developed during the fermentation process.

But even Joe and Wendy schooled me about winemaking and wine tasting when I met them Saturday.

That's the thing I think I enjoyed most about talking with them: they are smart and enthusiastic, and they want to share their passion with others. It's evident in their voices, in their body language and in the beautiful winery that now occupies a building on their property.

After talking about their journey from making fruit wines at home (before they were legally allowed to drink it) to opening a vineyard and winery, Joe and Wendy and I tasted the five wines available from Staller Estate.

Each and every wine is delicious. I left with a bottle of the Horizon Couvee, a light white wine that's bursting with grapefruit and other citrus flavors, and a bottle of the Richmond Rouge, a medium red wine made from Concord grapes.

Staller Estate opens for business Monday, and a grand opening event is planned for Memorial Day weekend.

Be sure to swing by the place. Not only is the wine wonderful, but the people who make it are, too.