Galen Glen Winery gears up for the holidays with special events and extended hours

Winter Wine Release
Saturday and Sunday, November 2 and 3

The holidays are fast approaching and these are the times that we celebrate with our families and friends. Winter makes us want to come in from the cold, seeking warmth for our bodies and souls. During this weekend, our staff will warm you with a tasting of our mulled wine. It's the perfect time to start thinking about your holiday gift giving needs. We offer custom labeling and beautiful gift baskets that make great gifts for family, friends, neighbors, clients, and staff. Let us help you select the perfect gifts and take the stress out of holiday gift giving.

Love Hot Dog Company & The Lemonade Brothers
Sunday, November 10 from noon - 5 p.m.

Enjoy the gourmet sausage and dog stylings of Jason and the crew of Love Hot Dog Company and The Lemonade Brothers when they make their monthly pilgrimage to the mountains. If you haven't been to the winery when Love Hot Dog Company has been there, you don't know what you are missing. Jason serves everything from 100% beef dogs, to wild-game sausages and his own special toppings. Rumor has it the bacon jam may soon be bottled and available for sale. Arrive early in the day for the best selection. We will have some indoor seating for your dining pleasure.

Bird-to-the-last-drop
Saturday, November 16 and 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 pm..
Sunday, November 17 and 24 from noon to 5 p.m.

Are you looking for the best wines to serve with your holiday meal? How about a bonus recipe for those leftovers? Accomplish it all in one place when we offer a complimentary food and wine pairing of bird-to-the-last-drop (recipe will be available) and the perfect wines to pair with your Thanksgiving or other holiday meals.

Upcoming events:

Black Friday Sale:
On Friday, November 29 we will open at 10 a.m. for our once-a-year sale.  All case purchases made that day on-site at the winery will be 15% off. This is a one-day, in-store only sale, no exceptions.  
(Custom labels and shipped orders are not included.)

Saturday, December 7 - Santa Visits Galen Glen
We will again be collecting for Toys-for-Tots, so please bring an unwrapped toy or a monetary donation to help those less fortunate.  Bring your camera for a photo with Santa too.

All upcoming events can be found on our website at www.galenglen.com.

HOLIDAY HOURS:
Beginning Wednesday, November 20 we will be open seven days a week (exception: closed Thursday, November 28 for Thanksgiving).

Our extended holiday hours will be:
Sunday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
We will close at 3 p.m. on December 24 to celebrate Christmas with our families. We will be closed on Christmas Day.

POLICY CHANGE:
Beginning November 1 all wine that is sold to be consumed on our premises will be by-the-glass only. This will not affect wine tastings at the wine bar. We welcome you to visit, enjoy a tasting, take in our breathtaking views, and savor some snacks and a glass of wine at a table on our outdoor patio or inside the tasting room.  

If you are planning to come for a tasting or to any of the listed events with a group of six or more, we require reservations. These may be made by calling the winery at (570) 386-3682 during our normal business hours. Please note our weekend reservation openings fill fast, so please plan early.

Make your weekend plans at our wineries!

Just because it's not an official Wine Trail event weekend doesn't mean there aren't good reasons to visit our wineries. Here are a few events and promotions going on now:

Cast a spell to end hunger

Help Galen Glen Winery "Cast a spell to end hunger" by attending this weekend's Verhext Weekend event. Please bring along a donation of non-perishable food items (or a financial contribution) to be donated to Shepherd House.

"Hallowine" Tasting
October 26 from 5-9 p.m.

Come in costume to add to your fun. Prizes for best costumes in numerous categories. Enjoy our delicious wines while listening to live acoustic entertainment by Jake Kalegis & Mike Rausher's Dynamic Duo. Reservations preferred. Admission is $7.50 and includes a souvenir glass.

Lehigh Valley Harvest

Three of our member wineries - Vynecrest, Franklin Hill, and Blue Mountain - will be participating in this Sunday's Lehigh Valley Harvest event at Allentown Brew Works to benefit Buy Fresh Buy Local Greater Lehigh Valley.

October Owner's Selection at Clover Hill

Save 10% on your purchase of Concord during the month of October. Close your eyes and sniff this wine. Your glass will be full of grapey (better known as ‘foxy’) flavors that will take you back to eating grapes from the arbor. Try it with your favorite spicy chili or blend it with your favorite fruit juices for a refreshing sangria. Now only $8.55. Receive an additional 10% discount when included in a case purchase.

October Specials at Vynecrest

* Wine of the Month - Chambourcin, 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)

And now for something completely different...

Franklin Hill Vineyards was featured in a new commercial filmed at the winery recently. Check it out and see owner Adam Flatt in action!

According to this recent Express-Times article, a new wine bar opening in Easton will be serving Pinnacle Ridge wines:

Galen Glen Winery and Pinnacle Ridge received a mention this past week by Elaine Labalme on a radio program on WESA 90.5 in Pittsburgh. Listen to it here:

Franklin Hill winds up harvest season while celebrating the Chambourcin wine grape

Franklin Hill Vineyards invites you to this weekend's Chambourcin Weekend event along the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail. Chambourcin is grown by all 8 wineries on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail which is why we dedicate this weekend to celebrate the grape. We use this versatile red grape in several of our wines including Simply Red, Fainting Goat, Redhead, Trio and, of course, Chambourcin.

This weekend we will be featuring creamy mushroom soup from our friends at the Broadway Pub, apple cake from Buttercup Bakery, dips from Robert Rothschild farms and complimentary tastings. We will also have an apple cider sangria for sale by the glass. Tours of the winery will be offered at noon and 2 p.m. Groups of 8 or more - please contact the winery for more information.  

Harvest news
Harvest 2013 is now in the books. This year we picked over 54 tons of white grapes and 16 tons of red, which Bonnie and Maria will turn into over 10,000 gallons of wine. In fact some of our 2013 Vidal and Cayuga grapes are already in a batch of Kiss. We will finish pressing our red grapes early next week and then our harvest equipment will be put away for another season.

The Winner is...
Congratulations to our Where's Walter competition winners. We got so many great entries from around the world. It was such a fun event that we're doing it again. We won't tell you the theme yet but think "tabletop."

Rave Reviews
Franklin Hill Vineyards hosted "Dinner in the Vineyard" on October 11. Abe Lopez of Valenca in Easton put together a spectacular four-course culinary experience for 22 very lucky guests. The tables were set with a harvest theme and the whole winery was turned into a five-star restaurant setting including acoustic music from Abraham Weaver. Our event coordinator, Amanda, outdid herself once again with this very memorable event. Keep your eyes open for our next "Dinner in the Vineyard" event. Reservations are very limited and sell out fast.

Clover Hill toasts the end of harvest with Concord wine for October

Beautiful  fall colors are blanketing the rolling hills, the air has a fresh chill to it, and the wine is being served warm. Welcome back to our fall tradition of serving the Spiced Apple and Holiday wines warm as you sip a glass with friends or family.

The Spiced Apple is a deliciously sweet wine made from local apples and spiced with cinnamon and cloves often described as ‘liquid apple pie." The Holiday is a blend of grapes spiced with cinnamon, cloves and a touch of citrus. Pull the cork, place the entire bottle in a slow cooker, warm on low heat, and serve a fun fall tradition.

The 2013 grape harvest is now complete. The netting you may have noticed on our vineyards caused quite a few comments. It was used to help keep the birds (mainly Starlings) away from our precious fruit. Those few rows of Vidal Blanc that were skipped... well, keep your eyes open for a Clover Hill Ice Wine next year!

October Owner's Selection

Save 10% on your purchase of Concord during the month of October. Close your eyes and sniff this wine. Your glass will be full of grapey (better known as ‘foxy’) flavors that will take you back to eating grapes from the arbor. Try it with your favorite spicy chili or blend it with your favorite fruit juices for a refreshing sangria. Find Concord Recipes Here

Now only $8.55. Receive an additional 10% discount when included in a case purchase.
 
Wine & Food Inspiration
Allentown Fairgrounds Farmer's Market
Saturday October 19 from 11 am - 4 pm

Visit the Clover Hill Wine Shop for a special wine and food pairing featuring a harvest wild rice soup from Hildy’s Soups, Subs and Salads, and Miche bread from the Bread Brokers, paired with the Chambourcin. It is a delicious, warm, comfort-food perfect for a chilly autumn dinner.

Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail
The Winery in Breinigsville
9850 Newtown Road, Breinigsville, PA 18031
October 19 & 20 - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm and Sunday noon - 5 pm

Cheers to the Chambourcin grape! The Chambourcin grape is the only grape all eight wineries on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail grow, but it is produced in many different styles. So take this weekend to travel the trail and sample various styles of wine made from the Chambourcin grape. Each winery will celebrate this special grape in various ways.

Clover Hill will hold cooking demonstrations paired with our 2012 Chambourcin and our Turtle Rock Red (also made from 100% Chambourcin grapes). Chef Mark from the American Café, 7450 Tilghman Street, Allentown, will be on-site preparing Chambourcin-marinated London broil with a black raspberry Chambourcin reduction and ratatouille made with Turtle Rock Red. Our cooking demonstrations will take place at 1, 2, 3 and 4 pm both days.

Visit www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com to find out what each winery has in store for the Chambourcin grape celebration.

Blue Mountain Vineyards celebrates fall with great winery events

"Hallowine" Tasting
October 26 from 5-9 p.m.

Come in costume to add to your fun. Prizes for best costumes in numerous categories. Enjoy our delicious wines while listening to live acoustic entertainment. Reservations preferred. Admission is $7.50 and includes a souvenir glass.

German Night
November 9  from 5-9 p.m.

Join us for an evening of German music and dancing and a delicious German Meal with all the trimmings. $19.50 per person includes souvenir glass. Reservations preferred. Limited seating.

Custom Labeled Wine

Makes a great gift for any occasion. Blue Mountain can scan your logo or artwork and create the perfect label for your company or personal gift giving.

*Full and half bottles
*Affordable pricing
*10% case discount

Join us for live entertainment 
2-5 p.m. every Sunday

Oct. 13          Sunsets North
Oct. 20          (Sorry, no music)
Oct. 27          Jake Kalegis & Mike Rausher's Dynamic Duo

Save the dates
Winetober Fest - October 12
Bear Creek Harvest Wine Festival - October 20
Lehigh Valley Harvest - October 27

Get To Know The Official Wine Grape of the Lehigh Valley During Chambourcin Weekend Event

The eight locally-owned and operated wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail will introduce wine lovers to the region’s official wine grape during Chambourcin Weekend on Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20.  

The Chambourcin is the only wine grape that is grown by all eight wineries. In the greater Lehigh Valley, there are more than 40 acres of Chambourcin which ferment into approximately 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.

Each winery will feature its own activities such as wine tastings, live entertainment, tours, or food and wine pairings. (For a detailed list, see below.) Event hours at all of the wineries are Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. Chambourcin Weekend is a free event, however some wineries charge for wine tastings.

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.

For more information on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, visit www.LehighValleyWineTrail.com, connect with them on Twitter and their Facebook page.

CHAMBOURCIN WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth - will be serving beef barbecue prepared with Chambourcin wine.

Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville – will be slicing some of their family’s favorite cheeses and releasing their 2012 Regent.

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli - will be hosting a Chili Cook Off on Saturday at noon. They will be offering their signature chili prepared with the International Award Winning 2010 Chambourcin and paired with Chambourcin.  Anyone interested in entering a chili in the Chili Cook Off should email info@bluemountainwine.com.  First, second and third place prizes will be awarded.  Customers will be the judges, so bring your appetites and plan to have lunch. They will pair Victoria’s Passion with a chocolate fondue for dessert. Also, from 1 - 4 p.m. there will be live musical entertainment. On Sunday they will offer Victoria’s Passion paired with chocolate fondue and a delicious mulled Chambourcin. 

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville - The Chambourcin grape is the only grape all eight wineries on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail grow, but it is produced in many different styles. So take this weekend to travel the trail and sample various styles of wine made from this grape.. Clover Hill will hold cooking demonstrations to be paired with their 2012 Chambourcin and Turtle Rock Red (also made from 100% Chambourcin grapes). Cooking demonstrations will take place at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. both days. Visit their website for more details on what the chef will be cooking.

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor - uses the hearty red Chambourcin grape in several of their wines including Simply Red, Fainting Goat, Redhead, Trio and, of course, Chambourcin. They will be featuring creamy mushroom soup from the Broadway Pub, brownies made with Fainting Goat from Buttercup Bakery, dips from Robert Rothschild farms, and complimentary wine tastings. Tours of the winery will be offered at noon and 2 p.m.  (Groups of 8 or more - please contact the winery for more information.)

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas - is featuring Nonna Flo’s gravy over pasta with Chambourcin. In her Philadelphia neighborhood, gravy meant a homemade red marinara sauce. Nonna Flo always had wine when cooking; sometimes it even went in the recipe! They’ll be recreating her gravy (recipe available), which uses red wine as her ‘secret’ ingredient, and toasting her memory with a glass of Chambourcin.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown - Pinnacle Ridge will be pairing their four interpretations of Chambourcin - 2011 Chambourcin, 2010 Chambourcin Reserve, Sweet Seduction and Chambourcin Rose - with smoked meats from the Berks County iconic butcher, Dietrich's Meats.

Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville - will be highlighting the versatility of the Jewel of the Lehigh Valley, the Chambourcin grape, by pairing the 2012 dry Chambourcin wine with sticky chicken - slowly cooked chicken basted in a flavorful sticky marinade that clings to the chicken.  The sauce, made with their Chambourcin wine, (recipe available) can be used for sticky chicken over rice or sticky chicken wings.

Spiced Winter Red is back for the fall at Vynecrest

Spiced Winter Red is available starting today.

The 2013 harvest is going great. We are picking Lemberger and Merlot this week. Just a few more weeks and all of the grapes will be in; we just need this great weather to hold out until then.

It is just about time to set our sights on the holidays. Christkindlmarkt opens in just a few weeks on November 21 and we will have a booth there as always.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Vynecrest is donating $1 to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition for every 3 pack of the month sold.

October Specials 

* Wine of the Month - Chambourcin, 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

• October 3 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 - 7 pm
• October 4 - Artist Harvest, Kutztown, 5 - 8 pm - Throughout downtown Kutztown the Artist Harvest is a celebration of art at multiple locations. Come explore the town and meet our artists and photographers while enjoying the bounty of the season. For more information and a complete list of participating vendors click here.
• October 10 & 17 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 - 7 pm
• October 19 & 20 - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Chambourcin Weekend - Vynecrest will be highlighting the versatility of our Jewel of the Lehigh Valley, the Chambourcin grape, by pairing our 2012 dry Chambourcin wine with Sticky Chicken - slowly cooked chicken basted in a flavorful sticky marinade that clings to the chicken. This sauce, made with our Chambourcin wine (recipe available), can be used for Sticky Chicken over rice or Sticky Chicken Wings.
• October 24 & 31 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 - 7 pm

Glass Half Empty
by Jan Landis

In 1999, our son Ben was studying for his MBA at Lehigh University and had contact with ArtsQuest staff members who are involved with Christkindlmarkt in Bethlehem. One thing led to another and we signed on to be the winery at this festival for the four-week Christmas season.

Since we prided ourselves in making wines similar to those of Northern France and Germany - Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Lemberger -we felt strongly that we needed to develop a German Gluwein for Christkindlmarkt. We already grew the Baco Noir grape in our vineyard which had a wonderful complex nature, so we researched recipes for a Gluwein and began to develop our own Spiced Winter Red.

Our other son, Sam, was home at the time and John, Sam and I spent an afternoon in my kitchen trying various recipes adding spices to our Baco Noir wine and heating cups of it in the microwave. Various amounts of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and orange extract were tried until we came up with a winning combination.

We chose a black and white Currier & Ives-like photo of the winery for the label, and bottled about 100 gallons. We thought it was a great wine warmed up in a crockpot and served with shortbread or spice cookies; if only it would sell. And sell it did! So well, in fact, it only lasted for the first two weeks that first year at Christkindlmarkt.

Greatly encouraged, we made more of it the next year and again it sold out. We seem to keep making more of this holiday favorite each year as it is also popular with campers in the off-season. We take pride in using freshly ground spices in our recipe which hasn't changed very much since that first time in my kitchen. The only difference is now we make about 1,100 gallons of Spiced Winter Red, and we don’t make it in my kitchen.

Harvest season at Pinnacle Ridge brings new wine releases, a special event and live music

Harvest is here!

Happy harvest season to all of our wonderful customers! Thank you for all of your support and your passion for what we are doing. As we begin to undertake the always daunting (and equally rewarding) task of harvesting our vines, we would like to invite you all to come out and enjoy the sights. The fair weather is fleeting, the grapes are coming off of the vines and we have begun to process our fruit.                                  
There are going to be a lot of great events and happenings at Pinnacle Ridge this fall, and we want to invite you to come out and take part. Want to be a part of the team that helps harvest our fruit? Give us a call at (610) 756-4481 or shoot us an e-mail at pinridge@aol.com.

House Concert Series  - October 12

Steve Brosky and Jimmy Meyer will be jamming in the barn that Saturday afternoon from 2-5 p.m. They will help to kick off the release of our brand new 2012 Cabernet Franc. Also, check out some vintage gifts and notions from Bee Stung by Melanie Tatasciore that will be available throughout the afternoon. They will include everything from homemade jewelry, to artisan bath and body scrubs

Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Event: Chambourcin Weekend                                                            

Join us October 19 and 20 for the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail's annual Chambourcin weekend - an entire weekend of food, fun and cheer devoted to one of the Lehigh Valley's signature grape varieties!                                
New Wine Releases

2012 Pinot Noir
This lighter-weight red has aromas of vanilla, cherry and pie spices. The moderate tannins give way to cherry fruit flavors coupled with the wood influences derived from aging the wine in French oak barrels. A perfect wine to enjoy with lighter pork and chicken dishes.

2012 Cabernet Franc
Our Cabernet Franc displays herbal aromas, hints of vanilla and crushed berries. The flavor profile follows that of the nose and this wine displays moderate tannins, indicating an aging potential of anywhere between 3-5 years. The Cabernet Franc does very well in the Lehigh Valley and this particular wine is an excellent example. Pair this wine with wild game, like pork or venison, or with a light blush pasta sauce.