Two Trails, One Region

• Formed in 2008, the Endless Mountains route is the more northeasterly of the two trails in Upper Susquehanna. Most of the wineries on the route are conveniently close to the PA Route 6 corridor. The second, slightly more southerly route -- the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail -- combines 10 estates that specialize in wines drawn from the region's hardy native grapes. Both trails bottle several varietals but specialize in riesling, chardonnay and pinot noir.

Endless Mountain Tasting Rooms

• If you move quickly, you can sample at Endless Mountain's open-to-the-public tasting rooms in one action-packed day. Start at Antler Ridge Winery: the farm setting appears rustic, but its offerings are seriously sophisticated. Drawn from hand-picked harvests, the estate's wines regularly nab top honors at regional wine shows. Move on to Grovedale Winery, which focuses on small-lot production of riesling, as well as rare Minnesota French hybrid varietals such as Frontenac Gris and St. Pepin. Afterward, head to Wood Winery, which specializes in small batches of fruit-forward offerings accompanied by nibbles from local producers. After Wood, drive to family-owned III Ponds Winery. The mountainous terrain that III Ponds is perched on is worth a visit for the view alone -- and the tasting room sweetens the deal, serving wines by the class aside a big fireplace. Finally, head to Nimble Hill. There, the vintner combines grapes from far and wide -- even vineyards on Long Island -- to create a notably diverse selection of offerings.

Susquehanna Heartland Tasting Rooms

• The Susquehanna Heartland trail's 12 tasting rooms are too numerous to take in over the course of a single day; to get the most out of your tour, edit the list according to your proclivities.

  Local history aficionados might enjoy the tasting room at Armstrong Valley Vineyard -- located inside a 200-year-old barn on farmland first established in 1769. Brookmere Winery is located in a similarly heirloom environment: a 19th-century stone-and-wood bank barn, converted for use as a tasting lounge and luxury inn.

  Serious oenophiles can head for the unique and award-winning estates on the trail. Fero Vineyards specializes in snappy, Alsatian-style whites, complex reds and a smattering of sweet offerings, many of which are only available for direct purchase from the winery. Mt. Nittany Winery boasts scores of medals for their wines -- perhaps due to their vineyard's uniquely excellent microclimate for the the European and hybrid varietals in which they specialize.

  If you're looking for a picnic and a view, head to Hunters Valley Winery, where the tasting room opens up to a wide, picnic-friendly deck overlooking the river below. Alternatively, crack open your picnic basket on the porch at the woodsy Seven Mountains Wine Cellars -- which also boasts the only wine cave in the state.

Packaged Wine Tours

• Predictably, most of the elegant little bed-and-breakfast operations in the region offer package tours of local estates. One of these, historic Lewisburg's Copper Beech Manor, offers one- or two-day stays inclusive of a bespoke Susquehanna Heartland tour. Another, the Pheasant Field B&B, houses guests in a 200-year-old farmhouse, laying out a full country breakfast to start the tasting day -- and including a complimentary bottle of local wine with each stay. The southern-style mansion of Brookmere's Vineyard Inn, which nestles within a valley of vineyards, tailors each package to the season and the stated tastes of its guests.

Safe Wine Touring

• Naturally, no wine-tasting day should begin without the establishment of a designated driver -- or the hiring of a car service. See the Resources section below for car services local to each trail.