Holiday winery events

Make your plans now to attend the various holiday events taking place at several of our wineries this coming weekend, December 4 & 5.

Clover Hill Winery, Breinigsville - Saturday, December 4 from 2 - 5 p.m.
Celebrate the holiday season with Clover Hill Winery. Our holiday open house will be packed with an afternoon of fun, activities, and entertainment. Craig Thatcher will be here to entertain you. The Clover Hill elves will offer food and wine pairings, recipes, holiday craft ideas, and prizes to win. There will be will cheese and meats available for sale. Do not forget to bring a gently used coat, to be donated to The Caring Place, and receive a 10% discount on your wine purchases. Happy Holidays!

Galen Glen Winery, Andreas - December 4 from 12 - 4 p.m. - Visit with Santa! Have your photo taken with Santa! Bring a new unwrapped toy for "Toys for Tots" and take as many pictures with Santa as you like. Please bring your own camera.

December 4 & 5 - Dickens Holiday Open House - Decorated and dressed in authentic costumes from days gone by, we're ready to help you select the perfect wine for dining or gift giving. Sample mulled wine paired with an old fashioned treat!


Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards, Easton wine shop location - Join us for the "Easton Shines" event in downtown Easton December 4 & 5. Each store in downtown will feature a special discount or offering, and gift wrapping will be hosted by a charitable organization in the center square. Our store in Easton will be offering 25% off baskets, free hot mulled apple wine, and free custom labels for the weekend. We will be open 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Blue Mountain Winery, New Tripoli - Annual Christmas Open House - December 4 from 5 to 9 p.m.
Please join us for some Christmas Cheer!  Enjoy our delicious wines accompanied by hors d'oeuvres while listening to live entertainment by the Red Light Runners. Reservations preferred. There is no charge for this event.


Sunday, December 5 from 2 - 5 p.m. Blue Mountain welcomes back Scott Marshall & The Hillbilly Souls for another intimate afternoon of original music and the stories behind the songs. For this special holiday performance, we ask that everyone that is attending bring an unopened toy or donation to serve as a Christmas Blessing for the unfortunate children of the Pediatric Unit at the Lehigh Valley Hospital. We will have a selection of gourmet cheeses and fresh baked breads available for purchase or you may bring your own snacks. Reservations recommended - please call 610-298-3068 or email info@bluemountainwine.com.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown - Case Club Christmas Casual - December 4 and 5 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cherry Valley Vineyards shares holiday plans

Our friends at Cherry Valley Vineyards in Saylorsburg shared their plans for the holiday season in the latest edition of their e-newsletter which came out yesterday. Here are some highlights.

Limited time Nouveau Blush!

Thanks to all you joined us during this past Nouveau Weekend, where we released our very first Nouveau Blush wine. It was a huge hit!

Our Nouveau Blush was bottled fresh from stainless steel, and tastes crispy, clean, fruity and slightly tart. Only a few cases are available at the winery and will likely be sold out this week. If you didn't make it this weekend for your bottle, stop by right away! In addition to it's fresh, young flavor, it's lovely commemorative label makes it stand out!

Attention fans of Mary's Chicken Florentina! The recipe has now been made available on our website. Click here to start cooking!
          
HOLIDAY SALE EVENTS!

At the Winery:

Come join us the weekend before Christmas for our blowout basket sale and holiday party!

All baskets will be featured at 25% off the original prices, and we will be giving away free hot mulled wine, holiday treats and cookies all day! Look out for our holiday wine with special label to be released for that weekend.

Winery:
RR5 Box 5100, Saylorsburg, PA 18353
Phone: 570.992.2255

At our new Downtown Easton location:

Join us for the "Easton Shines" event in downtown Easton, December 4 & 5. Each store in downtown will feature a special discount or offering, and gift wrapping will be hosted by a charitable organization in the center square. Holiday greens will be for sale as well.

Our store in Easton will be offering 25% off baskets, free hot mulled apple wine, and free custom labels for the weekend. We will be open 10 am - 8 pm on Saturday and 10 am - 6 pm on Sunday.

Easton Location:
22 N. 3rd Street
Phone: 484.373.3208


         

Thanksgiving wine offerings from Clover Hill Vineyards

The Skrip family, owners of Clover Hill Vineyards in Breinigsville, recently shared their wine pairings for Thanksgiving Day in their November e-newsletter. What local wines will be on your holiday table?

The air has turned cold, the leaves have fallen, and our grapevines are beginning their deep sleep through the winter months, but the same is not true for the winery side. John, our winemaker, is busy in the winery working on the beautiful 2010 wines. The rest of the Clover Hill family is preparing for the holidays. Below are the Skrip Family wine suggestions in preperation for Thanksgiving.

Pat Skrip will be drinking Sparkling Pinot Noir this Thanksgiving. Why, because it is now back in stock. Also because Pat drinks bubbles with just about everything. She loves to celebrate life with a glass of sparkling wine.

John Skrip Jr. will be sipping Turtle Rock Red with his turkey. You can’t select a better wine to pair with your turkey, cranberry relish and stuffing. Serve your Turtle Rock slightly chilled and it is certain to please everyone in the crowd.

John Skrip III has a sweet tooth and no doubt he will be heading to the pumpkin pie served with a glass of Vignoles. This luscious dessert wine is a match made in heaven with pumpkin pie, apple pie and other delicious desserts.

Kari Skrip will have her glass filled with the Generations Riesling which is also recently released. This dry, zesty Riesling is powerful enough in flavor to stand up to all the different foods served.

All of us at Clover Hill wish you a joyous Thanksgiving. We are honored to have a Clover Hill wine grace your table full of friends, family and love.

Owner's Selection for November:
Enjoy a 10% discount on Cabernet Sauvignon.
Big, flavorful and ready to knock your socks off! Rich oak flavors of vanilla and spice mingle with ripe fruit flavors of raspberry, blackberry, and cherry. Pairs well with grilled steak topped with sauted mushrooms. Receive a 20% discount on the Owner's Selection when included with case purchases.

What's going on this holiday season at Galen Glen

Here's the latest from Sarah and Galen at Galen Glen Winery in Andreas. 

Thanksgiving Greetings!
This weekend, try our Riesling with authentic Pennsylvania German Potato Filling and Gravy.
Hours: Saturday, November 20 from 10 am -5 pm and Sunday, November 21 from noon - 5 pm.

Let our winery family help you select the perfect wine for your Thanksgiving Meal!

Black Friday Sale!
November 26 from 10 am - 5 pm.
Once a year, we put the winery on sale. 15% off case sales only. Custom label orders and shipped orders are not included. All wine must be purchased at the Winery day of sale. ONE DAY ONLY. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Winery hours for the Holiday Season:

• Open every day beginning Friday, November 19 through January 2, 2011
• Sunday through Friday noon - 5 pm and Saturday 10 am -5 pm
• Closed: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day
• Special Exceptions: Christmas Eve and New Years Eve - 10 am -3 pm

Nouveau Weekend highlights

Here is what each of our nine wineries has planned fror Nouveau Weekend, November 20 & 21:

Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth - will serve assorted hors d’oeuvres along with tank samples of 2010 Cayuga and Chambourcin.  As an added treat they will feature their latest release – Rapport – their own unique version of port wine.

Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville - will feature Mini Maize Muffins with their Nouveau Red. This year their Nouveau style wine will be made with Marquette, a fairly new grape variety with great potential in their vineyard.

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli - Sample their 2010 Nouveau paired with glazed ham. Watch professional blacksmith Luke, a Farrier by trade, demonstrate his hobby of ornamental metalworking with live demonstrations at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. He will be joined by other artisans displaying and selling their work. Live entertainment on Sunday by Leechboy from 2 – 5 p.m. Admission is $5 per person.
Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville - will be releasing two new Generations wines: 2010 Generations Riesling and a 2009 Generations Sparkling Pinot Noir.

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor - will be pairing for the best part of Thanksgiving dinner......dessert! They'll be releasing their Nouvelle Seyval Blanc and pairing it with pumpkin bread, apple crisp and chocolate.

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas - will feature Silver Medal Riesling tasted with their family’s Thanksgiving favorite, Pennsylvania German potato stuffing and gravy. Locally grown golden yellow potatoes are their secret ingredient.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown - will be featuring neighbor Dietrich's Meats' Bratwurst (veal, pork and parsley), Knockwurst (Garlic Wurst) and German Weiners (all beef and seasonings.) Homemade Cabbage and Noodles (vegetarian) will be the perfect side. Sample these German classics with their Traminette or Vidal Blanc. For red lovers, they’ll be pouring their 2007 Veritas.

Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards, Saylorsburg - will be pairing a Nouveau Blush with a commemorative label and Mary’s new creation, Chicken Florentina.

Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville - will be pairing their 2010 Vintage Nouveau Beaujolais made from the Gamay grape with pulled roast turkey barbeque sliders. In the Vyneskeller wine bar, Arianne Rox will be playing on Saturday and Rob & Marty on Sunday, 1 - 4:30 p.m. Free admission.

Vynecrest Winery offers free shipping through November 22

Get your holiday shopping started early when you give the gift of local wine from Vynecrest in Breinigsville.

The winery is offering free shipping on three or more bottles starting today for online orders only.

To place an order, go to www.vynecrest.com and use the coupon code "vynecrest" at checkout.

• Get a 5% discount on 6 to 11 bottles and a 10% discount on 12 or more bottles.
• This promotion is for online orders only. Phone-in orders will be subject to normal shipping rates.
• Sorry, but we can't ship to AL, AR, KY, MD, MA, MS, MT, NH, UT.
• Must be 21 or older to order. Adult signature required for delivery of wine. 
• All wine will be shipped via FedEx.

Taste the first vintages of the harvest at Nouveau Weekend

The nine wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail will debut the first vintages from their most recent harvest at Nouveau Weekend on Saturday, November 20 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday, November 21 from noon – 5 p.m. Wineries will feature food and wine pairings for visitors to sample.

March Madness 2011 passports will also go on sale this weekend. Passports are $30 each if purchased before 12/8, and $35 each after that date.

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail is a non-profit organization of wineries whose mission is to promote agri-tourism and to create a premiere wine destination and grape growing region while promoting Pennsylvania wines from the region. All of the member wineries have won numerous awards at state, national and international levels.

The nine wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail are:

• Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth 
• Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville 
• Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli 
• Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards, Saylorsburg 
• Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville 
•  Franklin Hills Vineyards, Bangor 
• Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas 
• Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown 
• Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville

Updates from Vynecrest Winery

If you didn't receive the latest e-newsletter from Vynecrest Winery in Breinigsville, here is what you missed:

Our 2010 harvest has come to a close at Vynecrest, and our vines are settling in for a long winter's nap. The colors throughout our vineyards are spectacular and well worth a peek over the next few weeks. We will continue to be open seven days a week, 11-5pm, through the end of the year.

November Wine of the Month and 3-pack of the Month:

Stop by throughout the whole month of November and take advantage of the following specials
* Wine of the Month 2009 Chambourcin (new release) 10% off all month
* 3 pack of the month Late Harvest Vidal 3 for $30.00 (over $9.00 off)

Have no fear Blueberry is Here!!! November 6 & 7

Vynecrest Winery is excited to announce the release of our first ever Blueberry Wine. Our Blueberry wine will be officially released this Saturday. Stop by the winery this weekend for complementary samples of the Blueberry wine ($13.99) along with a lemon poppy-seed pound cake made by Hereford Country Store, a fellow vendor with Vynecrest at the Macungie Farm Market, a Buy Fresh Buy Local Market.

November New Releases:

• 2009 Blueberry $13.99
• 2009 Chambourcin $13.99
• 2009 Pinot Grigio $11.99
• 2010 Nouveau Beaujolais $10.99 (November 18)

November News and Events:

• November 6 and 7 - new release 2009 Blueberry and food and wine pairing
• November 13- Live music Art Tartara in Vyneskeller
• November 20 and 21 - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Nouveau Weekend - Vynecrest will be pairing our 2010 Vintage Nouveau Beaujolais ($10.99) made from the Gamay grape with pulled roast turkey barbecue sliders (recipe available). In the Vyneskeller wine bar, Arianne Rox will be playing on Saturday and Rob & Marty on Sunday, 1-4:30. Free Admission. Nouveau Weekend is also when passports for March Madness 2011 go on sale. Passports will be $30 each before January 1, 2011 and $35 after that date, so order yours early and remember, they make great Christmas presents for friends and family.
• November 26 - Christkindlmarkt Opens in Bethlehem Vynecrest Winery will once again be the only winery featured at this historic holiday festival which runs for four weeks every Thursday-Sunday.

Pinnacle Ridge shares Chili Cook-off recipes

The latest edition of Pinnacle Ridge's e-newsletter is out and it contains the recipes for the two chilis that owners Brad and Christy made and served to visitors as part of their Chili Cook-off. Here are the details (and the recipes!):

Last month's Chambourcin weekend was a blast. Our customers had a great time voting for their favorite chili. As many guessed, husband and winemaker Brad provided the meat chili recipe. Wife Christy made the  vegetarian chili. The results: Meat won on Saturday, Veggie on Sunday! Meat numbers were slightly higher overall: 180 votes to 167. Not a bad showing for either!
 
Special thanks to our daughter’s best friend, Cait Rodriquez, sous chef, for chopping all the onions, garlic and other veggies that went into two great chilis!

  NOT YOUR MOMMA’S CHILLI
  Serves 6-8

  1 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck cubed
  1 pound pork shoulder cubed
  ½ pound onions, chopped
  1 red pepper, chopped
  1 ½ cans whole plum tomatoes with juice (28 oz. cans)
  ½ cup of Pinnacle Ridge Chambourcin red wine
  1 cup of beef stock
  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  1 tablespoon cumin
  ¼ cup of chili powder
  Salt
  Black pepper
  1 can black beans (19 ounce can)

Brown cubed meat in small batches in a tall stockpot in vegetable or olive oil. Avoid putting too much meat into the pan at one time; the goal is to quickly brown the meat on all sides. Remove meat and saute onion and red peppers until just slightly soft. Add garlic and chili pepper and sauté until you can smell the garlic being careful not to burn the garlic. Add tomatoes, wine, pork, beef, and beef stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.  Simmer the chili for at least three hours or until meat falls apart.  Add the black beans and simmer another 20 minutes.  Enjoy with a glass of 2008 Chambourcin Reserve!

  VEGETARIAN CHILI
  Serves 6-8

  1/3 cup olive oil
  2 cups finely chopped onions
  ¾ cup chopped celery
  1 cup chopped green peppers
  1 cup chopped carrots
  1 tablespoon minced garlic
  2 cups chopped mushrooms
  (we used a mix of button and oyster mushrooms)
  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  1 tablespoon ground cumin
  ¾ teaspoon dried basil
  3 tablespoons chili powder
  ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
  2 teaspoons salt
  ½ teaspoon pepper
  2 cups tomato juice
  ¾ cup bulgur wheat
  2 cups chopped tomatoes
  2 cups (1 20-ounce can) drained kidney beans
  1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  ¼ cup Pinnacle Ridge Chambourcin red wine
  2 tablespoons chopped canned green chilies (or to
  taste)

Have all the ingredients chopped and ready. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Over high heat, add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the celery, green peppers, carrots, garlic, mushrooms, spices, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, stirring.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.  Serve with a bit of shredded jack cheese on top.  Enjoy with a glass of 2008 Chambourcin!