Valentine’s Promotions, Specials and Wine Recommendations

Amore 

For Valentine’s Day, it is Amore wine and chocolate. Our Blackberry Bliss and dark chocolate is the perfect combo for a Valentine surprise. If you like it on the lighter side, try Strawberry Seduction with white chocolate. If chocolate is not your thing, a bottle of Rapport (sweet and potent) and the hot tub are a perfect paring. For those who just want to celebrate, a bottle of Celebration (sparkling wine) will make for the perfect cork-popping celebration.

Big Creek

Big Creek has three great choices, depending on your particular tastes.  For a sweeter wine we have the ever popular Apple Raspberry, great with chocolate-covered cherries.  For the dry wine crowd we have just released our 2012 Frontenac, a deeply colored, full bodied red that can tame the richest chocolate around.  Our Vin di Pasqualina is a Rose' that sits gracefully between dry and sweet, great aroma, great taste, lighter body.

Blue Mountain

Wine lovers will enjoy a range of flavors this Valentine’s Day at Blue Mountain Vineyards. With its raspberry undertones, our Victoria’s Passion brings out the best in any chocolate dessert. For something drier you can try the award winning Merlot grown at our Leaser Vineyard. Sample these and other wines February 16 and 17 along with a delicious chocolate fondue. 

Clover Hill

Celebrate the Love in the Air with Wine and Chocolates at Clover Hill Winery

Saturday, February 16 from  noon – 5 p.m.

We will be pairing heavenly chocolates with our wines in celebration of Valentine’s Day. We have invited master chocolatier Moussey Mouse Chocolates to sample their artisan chocolates with premium Clover Hill wines. We will pair a Moussey Mouse Ravishing Raspberry Bonbon with Clover Hill’s big and bold Cabernet Sauvignon and a Luscious Lemon Bonbon, in the shape of a heart, with our sweet Vignoles. Moussey Moose Chocolates is a gourmet chocolatier right in our own back yard at 315 W. Broad, Quakertown (www.mousseymoosechocolates.com). They will be on-site with gift boxes of their chocolates.

We also have all four sparkling wines in stock - Brut, Cuvee, Blackberry Sparkler and Sparkling Pinot Noir.

 

Franklin Hill

Bring your sweetheart to Franklin Hill Vineyards on Valentine’s Day Weekend 2/16 and 17 for Passion, Desire and  a Kiss.  Buy a bottle of each and get 10% off all three (No substitutions). We will be featuring treats from our friends at Chocolates on Broadway, delicious dips from Robert Rothschild Farms, and The Broadway Pub in downtown Bangor will be creating a delicious pasta dish to enjoy with your Valentine.  Tours will be offered at noon and 2 p.m. and, as always, complimentary tastings will be available.

Galen Glen

Galen Glen toasts cupid February 9 and; 10 and February 16 and 17 for our annual St. Valentine's Affair.  Celebrate love with our decadent pairing of Barrel 29 and Sarah’s favorite Chocolate Lover's Indulgence drizzled with a Strawberry Barrel 29 Reduction.  Desiring a little more debauchery? We’ll offer our pairing to purchase. Barrel Twenty-Nine is reminiscent of the old world, a velvety cask aged Chambourcin dessert wine. The perfect ending to every evening, especially with chocolate.

Pinnacle Ridge

What could be more appropriate for a holiday of love than our Sweet Seduction paired with chocolate? Or how about a glass of our Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine?

Vynecrest

Valentine’s Day Wine and Chocolate in the Vyneskeller

Friday, February 15 from 7-9 p.m.

• Live Music

• Splash of Sparkling

• Pairing of 5 wines and 5 chocolates

• Gift of chocolate for the ladies

• $25 per couple

• Call 610-398-7525 to make reservations with credit card (table for 2 or 4)

• Raffle for a chocolate house

In addition, we have chocolates from Sweet Indulgence by Christina to pair with our Sparkling Chardonnay, First Blush, or Cherry DiVyne. Our Piano Bar will be playing romantic music all weekend from 1-5 p.m. in the Vyneskeller.

March Passport Program food and wine pairings announced

Here is the list of food and wine pairings that passport holders will enjoy during the four weekends of our March event.

Amore

Week 1 - Beef stroganoff w/bow tie pasta paired with Chambourcin

Week 2 - Chicken Marsala medallions served over wild rice paired with Chardonnay

Week 3 – Beef burgundy w/bow tie pasta paired with Cabaret Amore

Week 4 - Chicken medallions and pasta Florentine, roasted red peppers, artichokes and mushrooms in a light garlic wine sauce paired with Cayuga

Big Creek

Big Creek will be offering Old Fashioned Tomato and Rice Soup a la Millie with an additional treat on the last weekend, compliments of Lisa.

Blue Mountain

Week 1 - Meatball Stroganoff with Chambourcin

Week 2 - Spicy Peanut Capellini (peanuts optional) with Vignoles.

Week 3 - Pasta Fagioli with Merlot

Week 4 - White Bean Chicken Chili with Riesling

Chocolate fondue will also be offered for dessert all month long.

Clover Hill

Weeks 1 and 2

Clover Hill Cabernet or Concord paired with spicy chili

and

Limited Release Chocolate Cabernet paired with Pat’s Famous Double Layer Cheesecake

Weeks 3 and 4

Oak Vidal Blanc or Cayuga White paired with Chicken Pot Pie with homemade noodles

and

Spiced Apple Wine paired with apple dumplings


Franklin Hill

Week 1
Our Simply Red will be paired with Bethlehem Brew Works' Pulled Pork.

Week 2
Broadway Pub's Creamy Mushroom soup will be paired with our Cabernet Sauvignon.

Week 3
Widows Tavern will be making their White Bean Chicken Chili to pair with our White Jade.

Week 4
Back Door Bakeshop's delicious peach bread & zucchini bread paired with your choice of our Pomegranate Peach wine or our newest release, Thin.

Galen Glen 

Galen Glen is thrilled to feature the culinary prowess of farm-to-table Chef Mark Muszynski, owner of Curious Goods at the Bake Oven Inn. Mark will prepare smoked pork belly served over a Riesling-braised red cabbage, splashed with pickled mustard seed vinaigrette and garnished with a pumpernickel crisp. The wine offering will be our dry or half-dry Riesling.

Pinnacle Ridge

1st weekend:  Apple Wood Smoked Pork with Mango BBQ Sauce paired with our 2011 Riesling.

2nd weekend:  Grilled Chicken with creamy Traminette Sauce paired with our 2011 Traminette

3rd weekend:  Beef Pot Roast - tender beef in rich brown gravy paired with our 2011 Chambourcin

4th weekend:  Chicken Cordon Bleu - cheesy chicken and ham paired with our 2012 Naked Chardonnay

Vynecrest

Vynecrest Winery’s wine pairings will feature two PA Farm Show Silver Medal Winners. Our food pairings are made by two fellow vendors at the Macungie Farm Market, a Buy Fresh, Buy Local market.

Weeks 1 and 2 - Pairing Vynecrest White, our house white wine, with Blackberry Bliss - A moist vanilla white wine cake featuring Vynecrest White Wine, filled with a fresh blackberry filling, and topped with a blackberry lemon frosting. Food by Sugar So Sweet Cupcakes.

Weeks 3 and 4 - Pairing Vynecrest Red, our house red wine, made with the Chambourcin grape, with Triple Mushroom Lasagna a rich and savory dish with gorgonzola cheese sauce. Food by Hereford Country Store.

Upcoming events at Clover Hill Vineyards

Superbowl Sangria Taste Off
January 24 - 27

Stop in the winery in Breinigsville to sample three different Sangrias and vote for your favorite. The winning Sangria recipe will be revealed on our Facebook page on January, 27. It is a great drink idea to make for the Super Bowl.

Snowy 6 Pack Sale
February 7 - 10

Visit any Clover Hill location or shop online at www.cloverhillwinery.com for the Snowy 6 Pack Sale. Select any six bottles and receive a 10% discount on your purchase and a free eco-tote. If you really want to stock up, gather 12 or more bottles and receive a 20% discount on your purchase.

Celebrate the Love in the Air with Wine and Chocolates
Saturday, February 16 from noon -5 p.m.

Be sure to visit Clover Hill Winery in Breinigsville where we will be pairing heavenly chocolates with stellar wines in celebration of Valentine’s Day. We have invited master chocolatier Moussey Moose Chocolates to sample their artisan chocolates with premium Clover Hill wines. We will pair a Moussey Moose Ravishing Raspberry Bonbon with Clover Hill’s big and bold Cabernet Sauvignon and a Luscious Lemon Bonbon, in the shape of a heart (how perfect), with our sweet Vignoles.

Moussey Moose Chocolates is a gourmet chocolatier located at 315 W. Broad St. in Quakertown. They will be on-site with gift boxes of their chocolates.

Annual Wine Rack Sale
February 21 - March 3

Save 10-60% off all in-stock wine racks from February 21-March 3. We have a great variety of wine racks holding one bottle up to more than 50 bottles, different sizes, shapes and colors. Visit any Clover Hill location and enjoy this opportunity to save on your wine rack!

Vynecrest introduces Vyneskeller Piano and Wine Bar

We are excited to announce our new piano and wine bar. Located in the Vyneskeller, it is open every Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Come downstairs, grab a glass of wine and enjoy yourself.

Recent Awards - 2013 PA Farm Show Wine Competition

2011 Traminette - Gold
2011 Vynecrest Red - Silver
2011 Vynecrest White - Silver
2011 Dry Riesling - Silver
2011 Cherry DiVyne - Bronze

January Specials 

Wine of the Month - Spiced Winter Red, additional 10% off
3 Pack of the Month - 3 First Blush for $25*
(*at winery only; 3 pack can't be combined with other discounts)

Upcoming Events

February 2 - Super Bowl Chili Saturday 
Although our Chili Saturday falls on Groundhog Day this year, rest assured that the two kinds of chili available for tasting and purchase will not be made from relatives of Punxsutawney Phil! So come join us to hopefully celebrate an end to winter while you warm up with homemade chili. You get to vote for your favorite, predict the Super Bowl score, and a chance to win Vynecrest gift cards. Admission is free; no reservations needed.

February 15 - Valentine's Day Wine and Chocolate Event 
7-9 p.m. Taste a flight of five wines and five chocolates with a special chocolate gift for the ladies. Live music. Make this your after-dinner dessert. $25 per couple. Reservations required. Call 610-398-7525. (Please let us know when calling if this is for a table of two or four. Credit card required to hold the reservation).

Weekends in March - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail's March Passport Program
There are still passports available for sale, but we are sold out here. Tickets can be purchased online here. The winery will be open for tastings but all food pairings are exclusively for passport holders only.

Vynecrest Winery will feature two Farm Show Silver Medal Winners. Our food pairings are made by two fellow vendors at the Macungie Farm Market, A Buy Fresh, Buy Local Market.

Week 1 + 2 - Pairing Vynecrest Red, our house red made with the Chambourcin grape, with Triple Mushroom Lasagna a rich and savory dish with Gorgonzola cheese sauce. Food by Hereford Country Store.
Week 3 + 4 - Pairing Vynecrest White, our house white wine with Blackberry Bliss - A moist vanilla white wine cake featuring Vynecrest White Wine filled with a fresh blackberry filling and topped with a
blackberry lemon frosting. Food by Sugar So Sweet Cupcakes.

Glass Half Empty
by John Landis

On Saturday, January 5 we spent the day at the PA Farm Show in Harrisburg. I went to judge chocolate cakes in the PA Preferred competition (tough job but somebody had to do it!). Sam went to collect five medals for our wines that we entered in the state competition. Winning medals in wine competition is both satisfying and silly. It is satisfying because a panel of judges picked your wine as an exceptional wine and it's silly because medals are transitory. They have a finite life - the life of that vintage wine. When you see a medal hanging from a bottle does that mean you should buy it?

Judging wines is a subjective process based on the judges' past experience and wine prejudice. The contest format can also impact results. Is a judge as good tasting 200 wines a day as they are tasting 20? All you can say about medal-winning wines is that they are well made and probably have no serious flaws.

So the moral of the story is: medals are good but tasting a wine and selecting one that suits your own palate is more important. And by the way, our Cherry DiVyne goes great with chocolate cake. Enjoy!

Lehigh Valley wineries bring home medals from PA Farm Show

Congratulations to four Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries who took home medals for their wines at the PA Farm Show last weekend.


Blue Mountain Vineyards:
2006 Meritage - Silver
2011 Vidal Blanc - Bronze
2008 Chardonnay - Bronze
2011 Riesling - Bronze

Franklin Hill Winery:
2011 Fiesta - Silver
2011 Sir Walters Red - Silver
2011 Chambourcin - Bronze
2011 Thin - Bronze
2011 Vidal Blanc - Bronze
Trio -  Bronze
2011 Fainting Goat - Bronze
2012 Seyval Blanc - Bronze

Pinnacle Ridge Winery:
2010 Melot - Silver
2010 Veritas - Bronze
2011 Chardonnay - Bronze
2010 Reserve Chambourcin - Bronze
2010 Chambourcin - Bronze
2011 Naked Chardonnay - Bronze
2011 Riesling - Bronze

Vynecrest Vineyards and Winery:
2011 Traminette - Gold
2011 Vynecrest White - Silver
2011 Dry Riesling - Silver
2011 Vynecrest Red - Silver
2011 Cherry DiVyne - Bronze

The PA Farm Show continues this week and weekend in Harrisburg. Be sure to stop by the Blue Mountain Vineyards wine booth for wine tasting and sales if you go. 

Mark your calendars for our six 2013 events!

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail has announced its 2013 schedule of events.

• March Passport Program – weekends only, March 2 – 24 – Customers purchase a $35 passport for access to wine and food pairings at each winery each weekend. Passports are stamped during each visit and can then be entered into a drawing for prizes. Passport holders also receive a LVWT picnic tote as this year’s gift. (Please note: A limited number of passports remain for sale. Please review the revised group guidelines for this event: http://lehighvalleywinetrail.com/rules_reg.php)  

• Wine in Bloom – May 18 & 19 – This event takes place mid-spring as bud break occurs on the vines. It celebrates the importance that terroir (soil) plays in the development of the grapes, their flavor and the resulting taste of the wine, and stresses the importance of the region’s American Viticultural Area designation in further legitimizing the area for wine making.

• Wine on the Mountain – July 27 & 28 - Held at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, this event includes wine sampling, local artisans displaying their arts and crafts, light fare available for purchase, and live entertainment. Tickets are required for this event and can be purchased in advanced at each winery or online, as well as at the door the days of the event.

• Harvest Weekend – The Butcher, The Baker and The Winemaker – September 14 & 15 –The wineries proudly promote the state’s “Pennsylvania Preferred” program by partnering with manufacturers of other Pennsylvania products to showcase their high level of quality. Wine pairings, vineyard tours, food, music and other special activities are featured.

• Chambourcin Weekend – October 19 & 20 - Taking place after the harvest is over, this event celebrates the “official wine grape of the Lehigh Valley,” the Chambourcin. The Chambourcin is the only wine grape grown by all eight area wineries. In the greater Lehigh Valley, there are more than 40 acres of Chambourcin, which ferment into 150,000 bottles of wine. Chambourcin is very versatile in the wine cellar and the wineries craft it into several styles of wine including Nouveau, Rosé, Semi- Sweet, Sweet, Dry Barrel Aged, Sparkling and Port.

• Nouveau Weekend – November 16 & 17 - This is the earliest chance to sample the vintage of the recent harvest. It’s also a great opportunity to purchase wines for the upcoming holiday season to give as gifts or to drink at dinner. March Madness passports also go on sale this weekend.

All events are free except for Wine on the Mountain at Penn’s Peak and the March Passport Program, which requires the purchase of an event passport. Event hours are Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon – 5 p.m. Download a PDF copy of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail brochure on the wine trail web site’s homepage www.LehighValleyWineTrail.com and connect with the trail via Twitter and their Facebook fan page.

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.

Members include:

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

The Lehigh Valley region is an official American Viticultural Area as designated by the Federal Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in April 2008. The Lehigh Valley AVA includes portions of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Schuylkill, Carbon and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania. In order to receive the designation a least 85% of the grapes used to make local wines must be grown within the region. Wineries in the region are permitted to list “Lehigh Valley” as the growing region on their labels.

Visit Blue Mountain Vineyards this weekend at the PA Farm Show in Harrisburg

Join us this weekend, Saturday Jan. 5 and Sunday Jan. 6, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show at the Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pa. Stop by our booth to sample and purchase our award winning wines.

January Sunday Blues
01/06 ~ Hank Jones and Ellyot H Ray
01/13 ~ Billy Patrick
01/20 ~ Ziggy Isaacs
01/27 ~ Jake Kaligis & Mike Rauscher's Dynamic Duo

$5 admission per person includes a wine tasting. Outside food is welcome. Please call or email us to make your reservation. We ask that you arrive no later than 2:15 p.m. or we may release your table to another party. Adults 21 and older only please.

January Specials

$1 off 2008 Chardonnay
$1 off Cabernet Franc

Stop by any of our locations to pick up these wines.

Print a discount coupon for our 2008 Chardonnay Reserve here. 

Franklin Hill starts the new year with a new bottling line

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As we say goodbye to 2012, we are looking forward to the new year and all the wonderful things to come. It's been our busiest year on record and for that we thank you, our customers. We wish you all the very best 2013 has to offer.

Cheers,

Elaine, Adam and the Franklin Hill Vineyards Family


Our Brut is back! Stop by any location for a bottle of bubbly to celebrate 2013! $12.

Always Moving Forward

Franklin Hill Vineyards has grown to another level. We welcomed our new bottling line earlier this month.  It's capable of doubling our production and its many features will help us become more efficient. Please stop by the winery anytime so we can proudly show you how amazing it is!

Vineyard News

Pruning is an art which our vineyard manager Scott Sandt has mastered. Scott has just started to prune back the vines which will take him most of the season to finish. Pruning allows the new growth to develop. Once he's done, he will tie the vines back which helps them withstand any weather we may receive and prepares them to hold all the beautiful fruit which will start growing in May. Bundle up, Scott... it's cold out there!