It’s one of the simplest of mathematical equations: 14 adults + 1 van + 3 vineyards = a recipe for good times on a summer Saturday.

That was the case yesterday as a seven couples piled into the Tastings & Tours bus to visit three of Bucks County’s finest wineries. It’s a little known secret that our corner of Pennsylvania — right alongside the Delaware River where the Revolutionary War was fought and situated at a latitude equivalent to the vineyards of Southern France and Northern Spain – is home to nearly a dozen quality vineyards.

The first stop was Buckingham Valley Vineyards, one of the first wineries started under Pennsylvania’s Farm Winery Act of 1968. It is run by local politician Jon Forest and his family. Jon gave a great informational tour of the vineyard, as well as the modern processes they use to pick, process and bottle their wines. Group faves seemed to be the Diego Red and Blackberry, with several cases getting loaded onto the bus.

Next up was lunch at Copper Leaf Grill. If you’ve never tried brie on a burger, you’re missing out on a killer taste combo.

After lunch, it was back on the bus and off to Crossing Vineyard. They do a lot of outdoor events (jazz, etc.) and the vineyard’s grounds have a bit of history as the tasting room is less than a mile from the place where George Washington crossed the Delaware River in 1776. Crossing is a more polished, commercial winery, but a lot of fun (especially when you are pairing Pennsylvania fruit with Naked Chocolate from Philly).

Last was Wycombe Vineyards. Folks, it doesn’t get any better or hands-on than Wycombe. The vineyard has been owned and operated by the same family since 1925. In the fall, they invite the local community to help pick the harvest, throwing a party alongside of it. The vineyard and tasting room are tucked back away from the road where the winemaker does a masterful job of explaining his wines on a serene deck while you sip. For locals, note that Wycombe has a relationship with Andre’s Cheese Shop in Doylestown. More than a few bottles of Wycombe’s Smokehouse Red and Naked Chardonnay ended up coming home with just about each of us.