Patricia Althouse is our winemaker and Mistress of Fermentations here at Four Quarters, and has been perfecting her wine making skills for 6 years, first as a hobby, and now as a profession.
    "Pitty Pat" brings a very rare combination of skills to winemaking. Her deep commitment to Earth Based Spirituality and Ecologically Sustainable Living informs every decision she makes in her winemaking craft. And as a 1996 graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a Master's Degree in Food Science, she balances cottage crafting with a firm foundation in the science.
    Her talent for blending unique combinations of fruits, herbs, and ciders is not limited to our wines. Patty is just as likely to be in the garden raising peppers for her rather wild hot sauces, pressure canning a year's worth of tomato juice, or worrying over the fruits that go into her stovetop jams and jellies. She loves to share her knowledge, so feel free to call her with your questions. That's 814-784-3080, ask for Pitty Pat.
    Just like her smile, her skills shine in our wine. 		 

 

 



    Our vintner, Patricia Althouse, first began making wine at Four Quarters in 2002, drawing upon her background in food science and her commitment to sustainable living, to create a cottage business supporting the monastery of which she is a member. From her simple beginnings of hand-crafted five gallon batches we have grown; receiving our Pennsylvania Limited Winery License in 2006, and our Federal License in 2007.
    We are organic and sustainable farmers ourselves, and we grow much of the food that supplies our monastery's table. This commitment to local and sustainable agriculture is a part of our winemaking too. We search out local suppliers whenever possible and purchase our ingredients without regard to cost. Our grape juices are pressed at the vineyard, and brought back home in our 1972 pickup truck. Our ciders are pressed to our order only when our experience tells us the apple harvest is at its peak for these mountains. Our raspberry and fruit purees are simply the finest we can procure, from anywhere.
    We take our winemaking very seriously, and are continuously striving to improve our technique and the quality of our wine varieties. Because we create our wines in very limited quantities, each batch receives tender, hand-crafted care. And we believe that our use of local ingredients, and our schedule of harvest and fermentation, tied directly to the natural agricultural cycles of our region, reflects a tradition of cottage crafted winemaking that is literally thousands of years old.
    It also results in clearly superior wines.


 

    Four Quarters is a non-profit Interfaith Sanctuary of Earth Religion, and exists to promote all of the world's Earth Based and Indigenous Spiritual Traditions. We are a church and retreat camp on 150 beautiful acres, a center for ecologically sustainable living, and a monastery; "The Community of Service at Four Quarters."
    We are open every day of the year, and really do enjoy visitors, so feel free to call us and plan a visit. During the summer season you can visit our extensive gardens, sample our wines, swim in the river and take a tour through our retreat camp to visit our widely known Circle of Standing Stones.



    Because Four Quarters is a non-profit organization, 100% of the profits from your purchases go towards sustaining the 150 acre tract of land that is Four Quarters, held in perpetual trust, and listed as the most ecologically diverse tract of land in Bedford County, Pennsylvania by the Western Pennsylvania Nature Conservancy.
    Your support makes a real difference in preserving this land and our Interfaith Sanctuary.  We hope you will have the satisfaction of helping to maintain this special and sacred place, while you enjoy our very special wines.
    You have our deepest thanks.
 


For more information about Four Quarters, please do visit our website.

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