Ice wine debut, Earth Day event and Cheesecake & Wine Fundraiser for ACS at Galen Glen

We are excited about the arrival of spring in the vineyard! We welcome you to come and visit Galen Glen for a tasting. On Wednesday, April 2 our expanded hours will begin. We will be open Wednesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 pm., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.  We encourage you to visit and drink in the beauty of the vineyard.

Ice Wine Debut Weekend

On Saturday, March 29 from 10 am to 5 p.m. and Sunday, March 30 from noon to 5 p.m. we will be offering this season's only complimentary tasting of our 2013 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine. We will pair it with our own home-made Riesling Bread Pudding topped with with Ice Wine Cream (recipe provided).

Ice Wine is a dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen on the vine. Please join us this weekend and don't miss your opportunity to taste and purchase this limited-quantity wine.

Cheesecake & Wine to Fight Cancer

Plan to join us at the winery on Saturday, April 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. as we help Dr. Rehrig and our local Relay for Life Team. The team will be selling slices of home-made cheesecake and daffodils. Cancer strikes without discern across all races and creeds. Everyone knows someone who has or had cancer. Galen Glen is proud to partner with this team and The American Cancer Society to support the scientists who search for a cure. We will be donating $1 for every bottle of wine sold during Dr. Rehrig's event on April 12 to The American Cancer Society. We invite you to support this worthy cause by enjoying a glass of wine and some dessert while drinking in the spectacular views.

Earth Day - Sow Into Spring

On Saturdays, April 19 and 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 27 from noon to 5 p.m. we will celebrate Earth Day at the winery. Each visiting family will receive a special spring gift and recipe (while supplies last) to make a garden favorite of our winemaker, Sarah. Spring is the perfect time to enjoy some of our locally-made cheeses and a glass of wine while enjoying the multiple hues of green in the vineyard.

Discover Galen Glen Winery and experience our majestic panoramic view of Pennsylvania's natural landscape. Our location is dazzling every season, and tasting wine while gazing over our manicured vineyard will enhance your appreciation of the effort required to grow and craft award-winning wines. For more information about our hours, tours, and enjoying our property please visit: http://www.galenglen.com/winery/hours.php or call 570-386-3682.

Tolino Vineyards in Bangor, Pa. joins Lehigh Valley Wine Trail as newest member

We are excited to announce that the region’s newest family-owned and operated winery, Tolino Vineyards in Bangor, has joined our Wine Trail, bringing our non-profit organization’s membership to nine wineries.

Situated on a 76-acre farm, the nine-acre winery is committed to growing the finest grapes and preserving the rural landscape and handcrafting artisanal wines. The Tolino Family’s passion for creating high-quality wines is enhanced by Owner Carl Tolinio’s Italian heritage and agrarian roots. The winery makes several wines including Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Mama’s Rose, Papa’s Red, Chambourcin and Ice-style Wine.

Its 2010 Cabernet Franc was awarded the Double Gold medal and the Governor’s Cup at the 2014 Pennsylvania Farm Show Competition as the Best of Show Dry Grape Wine in the state. The winery is located at 280 Mt. Pleasant Road in Bangor, Pa. It is open for tastings and sales Monday - Friday from 3 – 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon - 6 p.m.

“We are honored to be part of one of the oldest and most prestigious wine trails in the state of Pennsylvania,” said Carol Tolino. “Our family is excited to work with the other members to celebrate our wines and offer an unforgettable experience for the wine drinkers of the Lehigh Valley and beyond.”

“Carl and his family hit the ground running,” said Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Board President Dominic Strohlein. “The vineyard is very impressive, well thought out, and beautifully executed. Great grapes make great wine and this is the case for Tolino Vineyards. I think the Tolino family is going to be a great addition to the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail.”

Galen Glen in the news, and two new wine releases

It's time to taste two new vintages at Galen Glen:

Erin's Auslese
This semi-sweet white is the essence of Germanic wine, immense floral fragrance with a green apple finish.  Dangerously pleasing any time of the day and with all types of cuisine.

Cellar Red
This semi-dry red captures the taste of freshly harvested Chambourcin, young and full of berry flavors.  Serve it with pizza, burgers, or pasta with red sauce (like Nonna Flo's Gravy):
For a special spring/summer treat use Cellar Red to create your sangria.

What's Pressing at Galen Glen?  This week in the news...

In February, we were visited by Craig LaBan, Restaurant Critic with The Philadelphia Inquirer.  His article was published last week on the same day that Zagat, a world-renowned guide book, listed Galen Glen as one of "The Ten Reasons to Drive to the Lehigh Valley." We were honored to be the only winery on the list. You can read both articles here:
Zagat: http://bit.ly/1l5sq53
Craig LaBan, Philadelphia Inquirer: http://bit.ly/1iarnPl

And Sarah also participated in Craig LaBan's weekly live chat.
See the replay here: http://bit.ly/1iAlf34

Get your favorite Galen Glen wines shipped right to your door:

Can't make it to the winery but want to enjoy your favorites at home? We can ship to many places.  Inside PA, order online at http://www.galenglen.com/wines/white_wine_list1.php
Outside PA, call the winery at 570-386-3682 during normal business hours to verify shipping information and place your order.

Do you have a favorite restaurant where you wish they served our wines? If yes, please email us the name and location to: gruveegruner@galenglen.com. Thanks!

It may be spring, but Franklin Hill is thinking ahead to summer wine festivals

HAPPY HOUR IS ROCKIN'!
Get to any one of our locations on Fridays for our free Happy Hour.

The creations our crews come up with are amazing! Catawbatini Cakeshots, Pomegranate Peach Bellini's and Fainting Goat Martinis are just a couple of the drinks we've featured so far. Too yummy to miss. See you Friday.

Wine Festivals
Think it’s too early to think about spring and summer wine festivals?
Not for us! Here's where we'll be:

Bear Creek Wine Festival
April 4 & 5

Taste of PA - York Wine Fest
May 17 & 18

FlavorFest
May 24 & 25

Taste of Kutztown
June 7

Split Rock Great Tastes of PA
June 21 & 22

Wine on the Mountain
July 26 & 27

Gettysburg Wine Festival
September 6 & 7

Cocktail Corner

Catawbatini

3 parts FHV Catawba
1 part Cake Vodka

Add some sprinkles to the rim of the glass for a little fun.

Late Harvest Vidal Blanc debuts at Pinnacle Ridge this month

First Fridays - Case Club Members evenings in March

The first two Fridays in March, 3/7 & 3/14 from 6 - 7:30 pm, are special event evenings for our Case Club Members. We have special food and wine pairing evening that will feature each of our new Vidal Blancs along with some special snacks to pair with them.

We also are introducing our newest sparkling wine, as the Blanc de Blanc returns to the line up. This crisp, refreshing bubbly is made from 100% Cayuga grapes and in the traditional method champenoise. This sparkling wine is slightly sweet and the perfect start or finish to any event.

Reservations are required as space is limited. Call (610) 756-4481 for more details.

Everyday Oenophile: A Winemaker Uncorked  
   
This month we are discussing a unique and special part of the wine experience with our winemaker,  Brad Knapp - dessert wines. We are doing so in honor of our soon-to-be-released Late Harvest Vidal Blanc. In our discussion, Brad points out an important distinction when it comes to what are tradtional dessert wines and what are simply sweet wines.

The Late Harvest Vidal Blanc is produced in a traditional method. The grapes are hung until December, the time of year during which the grapes begin to raisin. The leaves of the vine fall off in October and the process of photosynthesis and natural growth cease. The grapes begin to lose water and the concentration of the juice, sugars and acidity begin to increase. The result of picking these grapes at this point is a wine that only has natural sugar left behind after fermentation (it is illegal to call a wine "Late Harvest" if you add sugar post-fermentation). New and unique flavors and aromas come forth as well, like tropical pineapple and honey.    
       
At Pinnacle Ridge we use the Vidal Blanc varietal to make our Late Harvest wine. We have also just released our 2013 Dry Vidal Blanc and are about to release our 2013 Vidal Blanc, a white table wine featuring notes of fresh peach and pear.

I asked Brad - "Why the Vidal Blanc?" The thick-skinned and late ripening grape is a French-American hybrid that was developed in the 1930s by French breeder Jean Louis Vidal to combine the flavor and complexity of Trebbiano (or Ugni Blanc) and the cold-hardiness and overall reliability of Rayon d’Or. "It holds up well," says Brad. "A lot of other fruit would rot and fall apart in our climate. Other varities in this area go to a very bad place if you let them hang. You will start to pick up a 'diesel' quality in them."
     
When asked about what he found enjoyable in making a wine in this style, Brad laughs and says, "They taste good! It's taking a lowly, easy to grow and robust grape then making something special."

How does Brad like to serve his dessert wines, like the Late Harvest? "If you've gone through the effort to really go all out on a meal, it's a great way to end the meal when you do pairings for each course." Brad goes on to say that he likes to begin with sparkling wines, like our newly released Blanc de Blanc, while pairing them alongside crunchy, salty or seafood-driven appetizers like calamari, sushi, or just some simple popcorn and nuts. To finish off the meal in style, Brad will occasionally pair the Late Harvest Vidal Blanc with something sweet, but not sweeter than the wine itself. As the Late Harvest wines age, they begin to brown in the bottle from a slow and controlled oxidization and develop more honey and caramel notes and a unique nuttiness, too. These qualities make for great pairings of baked peaches, crème brûlée, or flan.                  

Five new wine releases greet spring at Vynecrest

New Releases
2013 Blueberry
2013 Autumn Gold
2013 Bear Naked Chardonnay
2013 First Blush
2013 DiVyne Red

March Specials 
* Wine of the Month - Chardonnay, additional 10% off
* 3 Pack of the Month - three semi-sweet Riesling for $30

*available at winery only, 3 pack cannot be combined with other offers

March - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail March Passport Program

There are a few passports available for sale at Blue Mountain Vineyards for the last two weekends of the March Passport Program. The winery will be open for tastings but all food pairings are exclusively for passport holders.

When you arrive for your food and wine pairing, head downstairs to they Vyneskeller to have your passport stamped and get your food pairing. And don't forget to collect your gift - a slate beverage coster with our winery logo on it.

Week 3 & 4 Pairing: Chipotle Pulled Pork Sliders with Provolone Cheese on slider rolls paired with Traminette White Wine.

Glass Half Empty
Cellar update, by Malachi Duffy

The 2013 wines are starting to roll out. We have bottled and released Bear Naked Chardonnay, Blueberry, Autumn Gold, First Blush & DiVyne Red. The next wines to be bottled are Vignoles and Traminette.

This past week we put together the final blends of our dry reds. Everything tastes great so far. We will need to put some finishing touches on them before they are able to be bottled and released.

Along with Chambourcin, Lemberger and Pinot Noir, we blended a new dry red. We are aging this to-be-named wine in American oak barrels. It will likely not be available until the fall at the earliest. It is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc (predominantly Merlot). We aren't going to call it Merlot because we don't want to be forced to have 75% Merlot in it every year (by law, a varietal wine must contain 75% of the variety on the label). The goal with this wine is to make the best red blend our vineyard can produce for that vintage. This is an exciting wine and I look forward to monitoring (tasting) its progression in the cellar.

Ice wine returns to Galen Glen later this month

Ice wine time

While many have complained about the bitter-cold winter, remember every cloud has a silver lining.  Or in our case a liquid gold lining. These cold nights allowed us to again produce an ice wine. Sarah has just returned from Germany where she was told the wine is perfect. On Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30 you will have the opportunity to sip perfection. Join us for a complimentary pairing of our Ice Wine with a Riesling bread pudding with Ice Wine cream topping.

Visitors from near and far

On Monday, February 17 Galen Glen hosted some special guests for a tasting. Mark Chien, Penn State University Vitaculturalist; an admired wine expert from California, Clark Smith, of Appellation America who enjoys writing, teaching and singing about wine (we were serenaded that day); and Craig LaBan, restaurant critic and drink columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.  It was a honor to share our wines and their company. Be sure to read Craig's newspaper article.

Important Case Club updates

Thank you to everyone who came in to renew their annual case club membership during February.  We trust you are enjoying the benefits of membership. Please mark your calendar for Friday, June 13 and Saturday, August 2 when we will host our exclusive Case Club events. We have not yet scheduled any winemakers dinners. However, as soon as we do, all 5,000 active Case Club members will be the first to learn of the dates, times and locations. That's right, locations. The new year is bringing some exciting changes to our winemaker's dinners. Not a member of the case club? Here's some info on it.

New vintages and upcoming events

March is a very exciting time in the tasting room as we debut many new vintages. Keep watching your email, inbox "like" us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter for updates on our new vintages that will soon be available for tasting.

2014 is a very exciting year full of fun events and opportunities to taste new wines, enjoy some time in the vineyard on a tour, and make new friends. Check out our calendar of events and plan to join us.

We invite you to be our guest and enjoy the tranquil beauty of the vineyard. We believe wine should be tasted where it's grown, with those involved in nurturing it from the soil to the glass. All wine to be enjoyed on our property is sold by-the-glass only. We require reservations for groups larger than five people. Reservations may be made by calling the winery at 570-386-3682. Please plan early as our reservation openings fill quickly for weekend dates.

March Passport Program and Wine & Food Inspiration this month at Clover Hill

What a long winter it has been, and if you are feeling anything like us you are looking forward to shedding your jacket and welcoming spring. At Clover Hill we are anxiously awaiting the snow to melt and the vineyard to return to life. Our first spring task will be to prune all six Clover Hill vineyards.

During the month of March we welcome friends of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail for the March Passport Program. The first four weekends in March we do a special wine and food tasting at the Winery in Breinigsville.  This year we are featuring foods from the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers' Market. Passports for this event are sold out at our winery, however if you would like to visit just Clover Hill and partake of the wine and food pairing, you can purchase a one-time pass for $5 per person. Or you can purchase an event passport at one of the other wineries on the trail until they run out.

Here is our wine and food pairing menu for the remaining three weekends of the event:

March 8 & 9
 - Jambalaya and homemade cornbread served with Sangiovese. Blackbottom cupcakes served with Concord.

March 15 & 16 - 
Meat & cheese plate paired with Cabernet Sauvignon and Vignoles. Baklava served with Vignoles.



March 22 & 23 - 
Black and Gold Turkey Filets with Mushroom & Onion Risotto served with Vidal Blanc. Baklava served with Vignoles.

We welcome spring with a glass of Clover Hill wine in hand, with fantastic farmers market foods and surrounded by our customers and friends. From all of us at Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, we look forward to your visit.

Owner’s Selection
Save 10% on your purchase of Pinot Grigio.

We make our Pinot Grigio in the Italian style, meaning it expresses crisp fruit flavors with fresh acidity.  This wine shows delicate flavors of citrus fruits, such as pink grapefruit and lemon. Pinot Grigio is the quintessential pairing with seafood. Try with steamed clams, mussels or smoked salmon.
Now only $12.14
Receive an additional 10% discount when included in a case purchase.

Upcoming Event

Wine & Food Inspiration

Allentown Fairgrounds Farmer's Market

Saturday, March 8 from 11 am - 4 pm 


Visit the Clover Hill Wine Shop for a special St. Patrick’s Day wine and food pairing. We will be sampling corned beef and cabbage paired with Pinot Noir or Clover Hill Rosé. The corned beef is from Peter’s Brothers Meat Market and the cabbage is from Bedway’s Fresh Produce. This food inspiration will be just in time to order the corned beef brisket for St. Paddy’s Day.