Galen Glen offering vineyard and wine cellar walking tours, and Sangria Saturday in June

Steuben, Cayuga and Riesling, oh my!
As you may have read in Clemens' recent blog, the Polar Vortex was not a good friend this winter.  Because we suffered some minor damage, we recently planted an acre of Cayuga and some additional vines throughout the vineyard.  Our staff was busy digging and planting and as one of our Facebook fans put it, "more vines = more wine."

Have you ever wanted to plant your own grapevines? Opportunity may be knocking on your door (or saying, "you've got mail.") We have some vines available for purchase. Currently we have Steuben and Cayuga at $3 each and a limited amount of Riesling at $5 each. If you are interested in purchasing some vines. Please call the winery at 570-386-3682 during normal business hours. If you haven't been reading and want to catch up on our wine lab Clemens' perspective click here for Clemens' Blog.

Walking tours of the vineyard and cellar
Throughout the summer months we offer walking tours of our vineyard and wine cellar on scheduled weekends. These tours are held weather permitting and we strongly urge you to wear sturdy foot gear (sneakers, hiking shoes, etc.) While the vines thoroughly enjoy it, stilettos and flip-flops to not bode well on our rocky soil. The tours usually last about one hour and offer the opportunity to see how our wine develops from the vines in our vineyard to our crush pad and tank room, and finally to the bottles that you take home. While in the cellar you will learn our famous Hollywood connection too.

The tour provides a great opportunity to ask questions and learn more about our history, our wines, our awards and why we are passionate about what we create. Tours are complimentary and no reservations are required. Tours depart the tasting room at noon on the following dates: June 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, and 29. View an aerial view of the vineyard in this video.

Sangria Saturday
On Saturday, June 14 from 10 am to 5 pm we will be serving complimentary samples of our classic Cellar Red Sangria on the wine bar. We will be offering glasses of sangria for purchase for $4 per glass for you to enjoy on our patio while you drink in our spectacular view. We will also have our locally-made cheeses and chocolates, as well as crackers and dipping mustard for sale so you may create the perfect picnic. Can't make it on June 14 but would love to try our sangria? Click here to get the recipe.

Show Dad the Love
Love Hot Dog Co. and Love Food Truck Company

On Sunday, June 15, bring the special man in your life out to the vineyard for a lunch he will never forget. Love Hot Dog Company will be on site on Father's Day from noon to 5 pm selling gourmet sausages and dogs and delicious toppings like the now-famous bacon jam. Ladies love the dogs too so everyone is welcome to purchase a little lunch to enjoy with a glass of wine on one of our patios while drinking in our spectacular views.

On Saturday, June 28 from 10 am to 5 pm, Jason and Bob return with the Love Food Truck. On this truck they serve hot and cold sandwiches and salads, ribs, and many other gourmet menu items that are different from the dog truck. Bob is a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef and he and Jason enjoy putting their own loving spin on every menu item. If you missed their last visit in May, mark your calendar and plan to visit this month.

Sunshine and Riesling

On Saturday, June 21 summer officially begins. After the lingering winter and the slow-to-start spring, summer is a much appreciated guest in the vineyard. Not everyone may know this but if our winemaker, Sarah, had to name her favorite grape or wine, can you guess what she'd say? It would be a resounding Riesling! What are some of Sarah's other favorite things? Organic vegetables, supporting local agriculture and business, and delicious hand-made ice-cream.

So in celebration of the start of summer and Sarah's favorite things, we will be offering a special complimentary Sunshine & Riesling pairing. We are teaming with O Wow Cow who is creating a Galen Glen Riesling Sorbet. If you are not familiar with O Wow Cow, they were recently named one of the Top 10 US Ice Creams by The Huffington Post and they are located in Upper Bucks County and part of New Jersey. They only use locally-sourced organic ingredients to make their ice creams and sorbets. As Kenny Chesney says, "It's a smile, it's a kiss.  It's a sip of wine, it's summertime."

Join us for this complimentary pairing on Saturday, June 21 from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday, June 22 from noon to 5 pm. Once this sorbet kisses your lips and you sip a little Riesling, you are sure to agree there is nothing like Sunshine & Riesling.

Join Blue Mountain Vineyards this Saturday evening for the Candlelight Barrel Tasting event

Planting season at Blue Mountain Vineyards

Yes, that's Joe in the vineyard planting a Cabernet vine with his crutches beside him. It's been a long road back since his injury in late December and he is happy to be back in the vineyard working.  Usually the vines make it through the winter because we have grafted vines that our disease resistant and winter hardy. However, due to the harsh winter we are replacing over 2,000 vines.

Candlelight Barrel Tasting event this Saturday
May 31 from 5 - 9 p.m.

Join us for the Candlelight Barrel tasting of the 2013 vintages which was one our best harvests. Enjoy our wines accompanied by hors d'oeuvres while listening to live entertainment. We will be taking orders for futures of these wines that evening. Reservations preferred. Admission is $17.50 and includes a souvenir glass. You may order your tickets online at http://bluemountainwine.com/events or call the winery for tickets. Tickets are limited, so order yours now.

Sangria Sundays are back! 
The weather is finally getting warmer and we are excited to move our Sunday entertainment to our outdoor deck. Pick one of our delicious wines to make your own Sangria at your table. We always have a wonderful selection on DiBruno Bros. cheeses available and freshly baked bread but feel free to bring your own snacks and share around the table.

Call for a reservation or buy your tickets on line at http://bluemountainwine.com/events.
 
Farmers Market news
We are pleased to announce that we have added three new farmers market locations:

• Hatboro - Fridays from 6 pm to dusk 
• Chestnut Hill: Saturdays from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm 
• Head House: Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm

Follow this link to see details of these markets and other farmers markets where we sell our wines. http://bluemountainwine.com/farmers-markets

Spend Memorial Day Weekend at Lehigh Valley wineries

Here is what a few of our member wineries have planned for the holiday weekend:

Galen Glen
Join us for one complimentary, enlightening walking tour of the vineyard and wine cellar. Tours depart from the tasting room each day at noon. Please wear sturdy foot gear. No reservations required and tours are held weather permitting.

Also, Summer Slushy season starts! Sample a sweet frozen wine treat. One taste of our legendary Peach Melba and you will be imagining pitchers of slushies at your next party. Slushies will be available for sampling on the wine bar and for purchase.

Saturday – 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday – noon to 5 pm
Monday May 26 Memorial Day Hours – 11 am - 4 pm

Vynecrest Vineyard and Winery Tour
In conjunction with Jazz Sunday, featuring live jazz music the last Sunday of every month, our Winemaker Vineyard & Wine Cellar Tours will be held May 25 at noon for $5 per person. Come tour the “backlot” of Vynecrest where the wine is grown and made… and then come taste the finished product. Enjoy some wine sitting in our Vyneskeller wine bar or patio. Our winery will be open regular hours - 11 am - 5 pm.

Sangria Sundays at Blue Mountain
The weather is finally getting warmer and we are excited to move our Sunday entertainment to our outdoor deck from 2-5 p.m. Pick one our delicious wines to make your own Sangria at your table! We always have a wonderful selection on DiBruno Bros. cheeses available and freshly baked bread but feel free to bring your own snacks and share around the table.

Call for a reservation or buy your tickets on line at http://bluemountainwine.com/events. This Sunday May 25 will feature a performance by Jake Kaligis and Mike Rauscher. Music admission is $5 and includes wine tasting.

Pinnacle Ridge House Concert Series 
It kicks off Saturday, May 24 with The James Supra Blues Band from 2 - 5 pm. James has been known to rock the barn a time or two so come check it out. Great music, great venue, great wine! www.jamessuprabluesband.com

Clover Hill
Memorial Day Weekend is a great time to shop the Allentown Farmers Market. You can find all of your picnic needs and grab a bottle of Clover Hill wine!

Franklin Hill will be at The Great PA FlavorFest
May 24 & 25 - 11 am - 5 pm
Visit our booth at The Great PA FlavorFest - free admission, free parking and free wine sampling

Twenty wineries will provide complimentary samples of some of their most popular vintages, while food and craft vendors showcase their handmade delights. This festival provides a showcase of Pennsylvania’s diverse culinary, wine offerings and the finest in PA artisan crafts and is sure to be a weekend of fun and delicious entertainment for the whole family that signals the beginning of summer.

Summer wine slushies return to Galen Glen this weekend!

Memorial Day Weekend Slushies Return!
Slushies return as we celebrate the unofficial start of summer. On Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25, we will have samples of our Peach Melba Slushy on the wine bar, plus you may purchase your own frozen delight for just $4. Our peach melba slushy is the perfect combination of peach and raspberry flavors and honors Galen's favorite fruit. We will be offering one walking tour of the vineyard and cellar at noon on Saturday, Sunday and Monday (weather permitting). Please wear sturdy shoes. Our special Memorial Day hours on Monday, May 26 are 11 am - 4 pm.

Details on our next wine dinner
As you may have heard, Sarah is taking a culinary summer road trip and is inviting you to join her.  On Wednesday, June 4 at 7 pm she will be teaming with Executive Chef Zoraida Rivera of The Broadway Grille & Pub in Jim Thorpe to bring a five-course meal with our wine that is sure to delight anyone's palate. Tickets for the event are $70 and can be obtained by calling The Broadway at 570-732-4343.

Seating for this event is very limited, so call early. Payment via credit card is due at time of reservation.

The Broadway Grille & Pub is located at:
24 Broadway
Jim Thorpe, PA 18229

Planning your visit

Tasting:
We offer tastings whenever we are open for a $5 fee, which is refundable with a one or more bottle purchase. Our last tasting begins 15 minutes prior to closing.

Enjoying wine on our property:
All wine sold to be consumed on our property is by-the-glass only. No open bottles are permitted. There is a two glass per guest limit. Guests are welcome to create a mini-picnic from our selection of local cheeses and crackers or bring their own snacks.

No other alcoholic beverages (beer, competitors' wine, cocktails, etc. ) permitted on our property.

Groups:
Reservations are required by phone for 6 guests. Please call 570-386-3682 to secure a reservation time.  Please note that our weekend reservation schedule fills quickly and planning early is advised.  
For more information on planning your visit to Galen Glen go to:
http://www.galenglen.com/winery/hours.php

Clover Hill offers "Buck a Bottle" shipping special May 15-18

We are going to take one last look at this past winter, only because it brought us a rare jem of a wine. We are proud to introduce our Generations Late Harvest Vidal. The grapes were hand harvested on a snowy Saturday in January from "The Point" vineyard, located at the point of Schantz Road and Rt. 863. We gently extracted the juice using an old fashion basket press and began the fermentation process. Fast forward four months and the end result is like sipping liquid gold.

The Generations Late Harvest Vidal has a rich lingering mouth feel with complex and intense flavors of dried oranges and peaches. There is a strong acidic backbone that gives this wine a zesty finish.  Only 40 cases of this wine was produced so hurry, before it is all gone!

We look forward to you visiting a Clover Hill location in the near future. We have a number of fun events planned for the month of May, but if you can’t make a trip to Clover Hill, we are offering a shipping special May 15-18.

Please note: If you are traveling to the Winery in Breinigsville, Schantz Road will be partially closed until July 2015. Follow these directions around the road closure.

Owner's Selection
Save 10% on your purchase of Brut or Cuveé.

Brut : A dry sparkling wine; Brut is produced using the traditional method of making a champagne - Methode Champenoise. Brut showcases an elegant combination of yeasty and fruity flavors and is an excellent paired with smoked salmon or mussels.

Cuveé: Cuveé is a French word that translates to ‘vat full’ or ‘blend’. This Cuveé is effervescent, light and semi-sweet. Try this bubbly with sushi or Sunday brunch quiche.

Buck A Bottle Shipping Special
May 15-18
shop.cloverhillwinery.com

Stock up on Clover Hill wines for the summer and have them shipped right to your door. Purchase 6 or more bottles and you pay only $1 per bottle shipping. Purchase 12 or more bottles and you will also receive a 10% case discount along with $1 per bottle shipping charge.

Spring Fling
The Winery in Breinigsville
June 7 from noon - 5 pm

Join your favorite Breinigsville wineries, Clover Hill and Vynecrest for the Spring Fling. Your ticket includes sampling of 3 new releases at each winery. Visit Vynecrest to taste 3 new wines each paired with a locally made cheese. At Clover Hill you will be sampling 3 wines from the 2013 harvest each paired with a dessert. Tickets are $10 per person. Limited availability. Tickets are now available for purchase at both participating wineries.

2014 Vineyard & Winery Tour Series
The Winery in Breinigsville

Join Clover Hill Winery for an inside look at our vineyards and production facility. Let us show you our winemaking process from the grape to the glass. The tour is approximately 1½ hours and includes wine tasting along the way. Reservations are required and space is limited. Under 21 is free and we are handicap accessible. For reservations please call 610-395-2468. Tour tickets are $12 per person, under 21 is free. Click here for dates.

Franklin Hill Vineyards introduces Carnival, its newest wine

Our newest wine will soon be one of your favorites. Carnival, a cotton candy infused wine, is now available at all of our locations including our web store. Stop in and try it today or buy online.

Upcoming events:

Wine in Bloom - a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event
May 17 & 18
Wine in Bloom is an event that celebrates the land, most importantly the soil that supports and nourishes our beautiful vines. In honor of this we will be making Dirt Dessert and pairing it with one of our newest award-winning wines, RedHead. Vineyard and winery tours will be available at noon and 2 p.m.

Taste of Pennsylvania Wine & Music Festival
May 17 & 18
First stop... York, Pa. The Taste of Pa Wine and Music Festival is two days of food, fun, music and wine.

The Great Pennsylvania Flavor Fest
May 24 & 25
Next up, is FlavorFest in Mt. Hope, Pa. Free admission, free parking and free wine tastings from over 20 wineries are only a few of the things FlavorFest offers.

Join us every Friday Happy Hour
Easton, Tannersville, and Bethlehem locations from 4-6 pm
The Winery in Bangor from 3-5 pm

Mother's Day along the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail

Several of our wineries have plans for Mother's Day weekend. So instead of getting mom a gift she doesn't want or need and won't use, why not spend the day with her visiting local wineries and treating her to a few bottles?

Mother's Day at Blue Mountain Vineyards

We have Cheek2Cheek (Jen McCracken and Mike Dugan) performing for our Mother’s Day Wine & Jazz on Sunday, 5/11, from 2 - 5 p.m. $5 per person fee includes a wine tasting.

Customers are welcomed to bring snacks/food and purchase wine. Reservations are required through http://www.bluemountainwine.com/ or call 610-298-3068.

Mother's Day Weekend at Galen Glen 

May 10 & 11
Saturday - 10am to 5pm
Sunday - noon to 5pm

We toast all the ladies with a complimentary tasting glass.
www.galenglen.com

Celebrating Mothers at Clover Hill
May 10 and 11 from noon - 5 pm

We will celebrate all mothers the best way we know how… with a glass of bubbly in hand! Visit the winery in Breinigsville toast all mothers.

We will have two new sparkling wines to sample and special wine drinks to enjoy by the glass. Plan on a Clover Hill visit and celebrate mom.

www.cloverhillwinery.com

Mother's Day Saturday at Vynecrest:

We will have live guitar music in our Vyneskeller Wine Bar from 1 - 4pm, and will feature our Blueberry Pomegranate cocktail, made with Vynecrest Pinot Noir and Blueberry wines.

We will also offer samples of Sugar 'n Spice Black Raspberry Dip with bite-size graham cookies. A great day out for Mom.

www.vynecrest.com

Help us rename the March Passport Program in our new contest!

We're asking for your help in coming up with a new name for our annual March Passport Program event, and we're running a contest on our web site to collect the best suggestions.

(To learn more about the March Passport Program, visit this page of our site.)

Multiple entries from one person are permitted as long as each entry contains a different name suggestion.

Go to this page of our web site to enter!

We'll select three winners:

* Grand Prize Winner will receive four passports to the 2015 March Passport event; $100 Lehigh Valley Wine Trail gift certificate; a Wine Trail wine tote bag; and your entry used as the official name of our event.
* 1st Prize Winner will receive two passports to the 2015 March Passport event; $50 Lehigh Valley Wine Trail gift certificate; and a Wine Trail tote bag.
* 2nd Prize Winner will receive one passport to the 2015 March Passport event; $25 Lehigh Valley Wine Trail gift certificate; and a Wine Trail wine tote bag.

Contestants must be age 21 or older.

Contest ends Saturday, May 31, 2014 at midnight.

Summer Music Series at Pinnacle Ridge kicks off in May

The results from the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition are in! 

This year, Pinnacle Ridge participated in the annual Finger Lakes International Wine Competition benefitting Camp Good Days. We submitted 15 wines for the competition and went 15 for 15! Each wine submitted came home with a medal.

The Blanc de Blanc, 2012 Quaff, 2012 Riesling and 2013 Chambourcin Rose were awarded Bronze medals. We were also awarded 10 Silver medals for our Brut Rose, Late Harvest Vidal Blanc, 2012 Cabernet Franc, 2012 Merlot, 2012 Chambourcin, 2012 Chardonnay, 2012 Traminette, 2013 Dry Riesling, 2013 Dry Vidal Blanc and 2013 Oasis. The star of the show, however, was the 2013 Vidal Blanc, which was awarded a DOUBLE GOLD medal!

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail presents “Wine in Bloom”

On Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18 from noon to 5 p.m., the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail will be putting on the annual Wine in Bloom weekend at each of the participating LVWT wineries. The event will be a thematic journey from place to place, celebrating the beginning of the growing season and all of the wonderful weather to come.

We will be featuring a savory asparagus soup with your choice of our award-winning Blanc de Blanc or our award-winning 2012 Chardonnay. Also, the first 25 visitors to each of the participating wineries will receive a potted petunia, courtesy of Amore Greenhouses in Nazareth, Pa. So, come experience the unique tastes of the Lehigh Valley A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area), while soaking in the sights of bud break while celebrating the distinct characteristics of our local terrior and climate.

Summer Music Series kicks off with James Supra

Join us on Saturday, May 24 for some live Blues up in the barn courtesy of the James Supra Blues Band. James and the rest of the guys will be up in the barn performing from 2 - 5 p.m. No cover charge to sit and enjoy the show. Come on out and try some of our award-winning wines, then grab some of your favorites and head up to the barn for some tunes. Check out the band and some of their tracks here: http://www.jamessuprabluesband.com

Case Club Member Event - May Barrel Tastings

We are very pleased to announce that we will be adding two Barrel Tasting Evening Events for Case Club Members this month. We booked up so quickly last month, so we decided that we had to do it again. As a result of your inquiries, we have decided to extend the Q&A event focusing on the effects of oak and growing sites with owner/winemaker, Brad Knapp.

These additional evening events will take place on Sunday, May 18 and Sunday, May 25 at 5 p.m. Reservations are required and space is very limited. Give us a call to make your reservation for these insightful evenings at (610) 756-4481.

Vynecrest plans for Mother's Day, Wine in Bloom and Jazz Sunday in May

The vineyard is starting to come back to life after the harsh winter. The vines are pruned and buds are starting to open up. We planted an additional 500 vines last week (Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon). Hopefully the cold weather didn't claim too many vines.

The Vyneskeller is now open seven days a week from 1 - 5 pm. Monday through Friday it is self serve - you can buy everything you need upstairs in the tasting room (wine, cheese, crackers) and take it with you downstairs, on  the patio or out to the picnic tables. Saturday and Sunday it is business as usual with our full staff.





May Specials 


* Wine of the Month - Naked Chardonnay, 10% off 

* 3 Pack of the Month - 3 Vynecrest White for $25.

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

Upcoming Events

May 10 - Mother's Day
We will have live guitar music in our Vyneskeller Wine Bar from 1 - 4pm, and will feature our Blueberry Pomegranate cocktail, made with Vynecrest Pinot Noir and Blueberry wines. We will also offer samples of Sugar 'n Spice Black Raspberry Dip with bite-size graham cookies. A great day out for Mom.

May 17 & 18 - Wine in Bloom along the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail
In addition to the beautiful potted petunias from Amore Greenhouses for the first 25 customers each day, Vynecrest will be doing Winemaker Tours of the vineyard and wine cellar free of charge for the public at noon both Saturday and Sunday.

We have a new PA Preferred Partner - September Farm Cheese from Honey Brook, PA - and we'll be offering samples of many of their delicious cheese in our tasting room along with complimentary wine tastings.

May 25 - Jazz Sunday and Vineyard Tours
In conjunction with Jazz Sunday, featuring live jazz music the last Sunday of every month in our Vyneskeller wine bar, our Winemaker Vineyard & Wine Cellar Tours will be held May 25, June 29, July 27, August 31, and September 28 at noon for $5 per person. Come tour the backlot of Vynecrest where the wine is grown and made, and then taste the finished product.

Glass Half Empty
by Sam Landis

Well we had quite a day yesterday as we christened our new screw cap bottling line. After a thorough five hour tutorial on Tuesday, Malachi and I were confident and primed to dominate 1,000 gallons of Blueberry Wine.

Ten minutes in I was holding five bottles of uncapped wine while the machine was spitting out capsules like a machine gun all over the floor. Suffice to say, we eventually figured it out and like most things around here, three months from now it will feel like it's always been there.

But it got me thinking how far this business has come. Growing up we used to bottle where the current Vyneskellar is. I used to have to recruit friends of mine to help alongside my parents and their friends. I believe we had two bottle washers, three manual hand corkers, two people using hair dryers to melt the caps, three hand labelers with glue, and two people putting away final cases. All told, it took 12 people all day to bottle 100 gallons of wine that looked like it was produced by a third grader.

So there we were yesterday, just Malachi and I, bottling 100 gallons every 25 minutes and it got me thinking: you can upgrade all you want but you can never replace the good old days.