Football Hall of Famer Dick Vermeil visits King Solomon's Vineyard near Orwigsburg

Oct. 7—ORWIGSBURG — Former NFL head coach Dick Vermeil received a warm welcome Thursday when he visited a local friend, Dr. Solomon Luo, at King Solomon's Vineyard.

Dressed casually in a brown jacket and khakis, the former coach sipped wine and chatted with a variety of local political and business personalities in the winery.

Vermeil, who was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has been actively pursuing his second passion — winemaking — since retiring from the game of football in 2005.

He shares this love of wine with his friend Luo, a local ophthalmologist, and the two operate their own wineries with an extensive selection of original wines.

Vermeil's business, Vermeil Wines, is based in the Napa Valley, while King Solomon's Vineyard is at 81 Hemlock Drive near Orwigsburg.

Though Vermeil had tried Luo's wine before, Thursday was his first time visiting the winery, and he was not disappointed.

"If you haven't tasted this wine, you'll enjoy them," Vermeil said. "They're easy to like. No rough edges."

About 15 people attended Vermeil's reception on Thursday, including state Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Twp.; state Rep. Tim Twardzik, R-123, Butler Twp.; and Tim Holden, chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and former U.S. representative for the 17th Congressional District.

King Solomon's Vineyard, established in 2009, is situated on a picturesque 90-acre expanse surrounded by rolling hills and sprawling farmland. The vineyard produces over 40,000 pounds of grapes each year from 11 different varietals.

The winery offers a selection of eight wines, including Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay, Chambourcin and Pinot Grigio; all wines can be purchased online at kingsolomonsvineyard.com.

Luo said the proximity of nearby water sources and farmland make King Solomon's a good location for winemaking.

"Our vineyard is surrounded by the origin of the Schuylkill River branches, and they eventually become the Schuylkill River," he said. "The Little Schuylkill River, the Schuylkill River and then all the way down. So, the water is good.

The soil is good, the people are good. ... That's why we have good wine."

Vermeil, 85, met Luo through a mutual friend, Daniel Polett, a longtime car dealer and a member of the Temple University board of trustees.

Vermeil Wines, established in 1999, offers a selection of 11 wines produced in three vineyards across California's wine region.

The Vermeil family's love of wine dates back several generations, as Vermeil's great-grandfather, Garibaldi Iaccheri, settled in San Francisco in the late 1880s and went on to create a local wine company called the Calistoga Family Co. Vermeil credits his father, his grandfather and his great-grandfather for passing on their love of wine to him.

Vermeil's wine is French-influenced, with a stronger concentration of grape flavors than oak.

"I like it French style," he said. "The way we make ours, it's only a percentage at a time in the new French oak barrel, and then the rest of the time in what we call a neutral French oak barrel, which was used last year. So it cuts down on the oak flavors, and then you can enjoy the grape."

Before he dedicated himself full-time to winemaking, Vermeil was among the brightest football minds in the NFL, serving as head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. He led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl appearance in 1980 and the Rams to their first Super Bowl win in 1999.

Vermeil now lives in East Fallowfield Twp., Chester County, where he continues to generate ideas and advance his wine business. Vermeil Wines makes its wine through a custom crush facility, meaning the equipment and resources for making the wine are provided by the facility management team.

"It's worked out pretty well for us," he said.

Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085