Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Pinnacle Ridge to host inaugural Wine Basics class January 24

Wine Basics: From Grape to Glass

On Saturday, January 24 we will host our inaugural class "Wine Basics: How to go from Grape to Glass," an evening of wine tasting and discussion, in our new Wine Loft.

In this class, we will be tasting several different wines and discussing some wine tastings basics like: how to taste wines and identify the different aromas and flavors; their correct storage and service; as well as debunking some of our favorite wine myths and answering some of the most Frequently Asked Questions in the Tasting Room.

Our winemaker, Brad, will lead a casual but educational tasting, pairing and wine discussion. $25 per seat. Space is limited. For reservations and details, call (610) 756-4481. Submit your own questions and Ask the Winemaker - pinridge@aol.com.

Valentine's Day Weekend Wine Lover's Wine Dinner at Pinnacle Ridge

Join us for our candle-lit Wine Lover's Evening at Pinnacle Ridge. This four-course food and wine pairing will be prepared by local chef and culinary instructor, Mary Grube. Mary has been instructing culinary students and food lovers alike. Her approach to cooking is, "If I see it, I can do it." This philosophy is on display each time she cooks, always incorporating techniques and flavors that she has picked up during her travels.

She teaches at both Northampton Community College campuses and has been a recurring guest on WFMZ in their Sunrise Chef segment. Each of the courses will be designed and paired with a Pinnacle Ridge favorite. The menu for this evening will be announced soon.

$140 per couple; $130 for Case Club Members. Call (610) 756-4481 for reservations and details.

Vino in the Valley Passports are available
Join us for a weekly trip around the culinary world complete with signature Pinnacle Ridge pairings.
$35 gets your access to all of the LVWT wineries each weekend, throughout the month of March.

Each of the participating Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries will be putting out some food to be paired with their wines, as well as complimentary wine tastings as a part of your ticket purchase. Get your passport stamped at the wineries to enter to win prizes, too.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Last minute gifts for wine lovers available this week at Tolino Vineyards

With Christmas only days away, we would like to wish you the happiest of holidays from our family to yours. We hope that you have a joyful holiday season full of love and family.

Please note that our Christmas Eve hours at the tasting room are from noon to 5 pm and we will be closed on Christmas Day. New Year's Eve we will be open from noon to 7 pm, and closed on New Year's Day.

Stop by the tasting room today and tomorrow to purchase gifts for the holidays. We have mulled wine kits, gift certificates, gift bags, hand crafted wine racks, wine scented candles, wine totes, wine sippy cups, glasses, openers, and, of course, wine.

From now until Christmas for every $50 gift certificate you buy, we will give you a $5 gift certificate for yourself.

January Events  
January is a month of snow, ice and ice wine. Each weekend in January with the purchase of a premier tasting we will be pairing our newly released Sweet Frances ice style wine with a different food. Check our website to see which weekend we will pair Sweet Frances with blue cheese, nuts, fruit or an olive tapenade.

We are a vendor at the Easton Farmers' Market Winter Mart every Saturday now through April 11 at 325 Northampton St. in downtown Easton. The market runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and has 30 vendors offering everything from wall decorations and mushrooms, to meat and wine.

Unique Party Venue 
Are you looking for a unique place to hold you next private party or business happy hour? Our tank room is the perfect place to gather your friends or coworkers and enjoy a glass of Tolino wine. We also offer mid-week event discounts.


Wednesday, December 17, 2014

New wine releases at Vynecrest this holiday season

New Wine Releases 

No. 36 - Vynecrest planted our first vines in the spring of 1974. No. 36 is a celebration of our 36th harvest and will be an ongoing series of dry red blends from the best of the best. Carefully choosing hand-picked vineyard sites and select barrels. A signature wine to showcase our terrior. 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Noiret.

Spiced Winter White - A perfect bookend to our ever popular Spiced Winter Red, this wine captures the holidays in a bottle. Aromas of cinnamon and vanilla give way to a wine that will make any cold winter evening come to life. Serve warm.

December Specials 
* Three Pack of the Month - 3 Spiced Winter Red for $25.00
* Wine of the Month - Traminette 10% off

Vino in the Valley 2015 passports are still available for $35 at the winery or can be ordered online here (fees apply).

Shantz Road is now open, so no more back roads or detours to get to Vynecrest.

Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem -  12/11 - 12/21
Thursday and Sunday: 11 am - 6 pm; Friday and Saturday: 11 am - 8 pm

While you are visiting the winery don't forget to pick up a gift for the wine lover in your life. We have Cherry DiVyne packaged with Chocolate (makes a great hostess gift), wine scented candles and many more gifts.

Holiday Hours (Breinigsville)
* Dec 1 - 23: 11 am - 5 pm
* Dec 24: 10 am - 2 pm
* Dec 25: closed
* Dec 26 - 31: 11 am - 5 pm
* Jan 1 - 4: closed
* Reopening January 5: 11 am - 5 pm

Holiday Hours (Kutztown)
* Dec 1 - 23: noon - 6 pm
* Dec 24: 10 am - 2 pm
* Dec 25: closed
* Dec 26 - 31: noon - 6 pm
* Jan 1 - Jan 4: closed
* Reopening January 5: noon - 6pm

Glass Half Empty by Sam Landis

My wife and I are moving. After all of the initial congratulatory messages and well wishes there has been a recent shift in tone as the actual move date is becoming more eminent. We are now met with groans and commiseration on the aches and pains of "actually moving." Everyone has their own horror stories of this and that and the general consensus is that "moving sucks." Besides all the packing (my wife has done 99.9%) and the paperwork and the meetings, sometimes you think it's easier to just stay in same place.

Segue into our business here. Years ago we vowed "no more new wines." We said once we hit 22 wines, we were not going to make anything new unless a wine came off the list. Making a new wine "sucks." New bottles, new labels, new wine lists, new equipment not to mention the unknown of how to make it, and at the end of the day how it will be received. It's so much easier to just make the same wines and make small improvements on those year in year out. Why would we want to go through all of that if we are selling out of all of our product? And we just don't need to go through any of the headaches.

Well fast forward to today, we have three new wines - Late Harvest Vidal, Spiced Winter White and No.36. We did not take any wines off the list, so we now have 25 wines. It was a pain, it was a hassle....and it was fun. We learned so much about our vineyard, our wine cellar, and our customers that those lessons will transcend across all of our wines and make them all better.

So my wife and I are moving… and maybe it won't be so bad after all.

Monday, December 15, 2014

12 Days of Deals now under way at Franklin Hill Vineyards

12 Days of Deals - now through December 24

Stop in any one of the four Franklin Hill Vineyards locations on the day your favorite product is listed below and save 20% on that item.


  • 12/15 - Wine glass lanterns
  • 12/16 - Wine canteens and flasks
  • 12/17 - Animal and shoe bottle holders
  • 12/18 - Sippy cups
  • 12/19 - Bang candy simple syrups and chocolates
  • 12/20 - Insulated wine clutches
  • 12/21 - Wine racks
  • 12/22 - Scentations candles, sprays and diffusers
  • 12/23 - Franklin Hill logoed apparel
  • Christmas Eve... to be announced. (P.S. - you won't want to miss this one!)

No coupons needed.


Customer Appreciation Party

Join us at the winery to enjoy appetizers and a glass of wine on us. It's our way of thanking you for supporting us throughout the season and throughout the years.

Christmas Eve, only at the winery in Bangor, from noon -3 p.m.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Pinnacle Ridge opens The Wine Loft for private events

Another holiday season is upon us. We have been working diligently from the completion of the harvest until now to bring you some new wines for the holidays. We still have a limited supply of our custom "NuVo"wine, a young fruit-driven red that is the pefect table accompanienment to those classic holiday dishes.

Also, just in time for the holiday celebrations, our Brut Rose is once again available. We are working dilligently in the cellar in preparation of the release of our 2014 Traminette and Dry Riesling as well.

Are you entertaining family this holiday season and looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon? We will be open daily from noon - 6 p.m, and from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Saturdays. This holiday season we have all the goodies for those foodies and the vino for the wine lovers.

Customer Appreciation Days going on now

Join us this week and weekend for double points for all new Case Club members and double points  for existing members on case purchases of select wines.

Seasonal Gift Boxes
Just in time for the holiday season, we have put together specialty gift boxes for the wine lover on your holiday list:

The Classic Selection - $51.76

  • 2012 Cabernet Franc
  • 2012 Pinot Noir
  • 2012 Merlot

The Best of Both Barrels - $29.56

  • 2012 Barrel-fermented Chardonnay
  • 2013 Naked Chardonnay 

We have others available, too. Call (610) 756-4481 to order.

Also, this December, all Stonewall Jackson food products are 25% off. We have a wide selection of new retail items - wine bags, purses, decorations and custom cutting boards. And we are introducing a new line of sauces from Mike's Dawg Sauce.    

The Wine Loft at Pinnacle Ridge now open

Looking for a comfortable setting for your next event? We have just the space.

Our newly-renovated Wine Loft is a perfect space for holiday parties, and corporate and social events. The space is inviting, accommodates 40, and is always stocked with award-winning wine. For reservations and details about the space, please e-mail us at pinridge@aol.com with the subject: Wine Loft.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Annual Clover Hill Coat Drive happening this week; Ugly Sweater Party coming up next Friday

The holidays are upon us and we can’t think of a better time to pull the cork on a bottle of Clover Hill wine, pour a few glasses and enjoy the spirit of the season with good company.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is getting together with my mom and my sisters to bake cookies. We bake, we laugh, we occasionally fight, and the whole time we sip Sparkling Pinot Noir. The hurried pace of the holidays quickly slows down as we enjoy the simple moments of time together as a family. Of course the glass of bubbles helps to make everything more enjoyable!

I would like to wish you a joyous holiday season and many happy, simple moments enjoyed with a glass of wine.

- Kari Skrip

P.S. Schantz Road is officially opened! No more detours trying to visit the winery in Breinigsville. Cheers to that!

Owner’s Selection for December

Save 10% on your purchase of Niagara. Take a deep whiff of this wine and you will experience an unmistakably fresh, grapey aroma. This sweet white wine tastes like you are eating the grapes right off the vine. Serve well chilled and enjoy with good company.

Now only $8.55. Receive an additional 10% discount when included in a case purchase.

Coat Drive at all Clover Hill locations
December 8-14

Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery is hosting our annual coat drive. Give us your coat and we will give you a 10% discount on your purchase. We are collecting all size coats to be donated to The Caring Place in Allentown and Berks Women in Crisis in Reading. Coats can be donated at any Clover Hill location and as a thank you, we will give you a 10% discount on your purchase.

Ugly Sweater Party
December 19
The Winery In Breinigsville

Join us in wearing your favorite ugly Christmas sweater to the Winery in Breinigsville and you will be entered to win a $30 Clover Hill gift card. To help us celebrate, all wines by the glass will be only $4 (even if you are not wearing your ugly sweater).

Sparkling Wine Tasting at all Clover Hill locations
December 26-31

Stop in any Clover Hill location to sample any in stock sparkling wines. Why not pop the cork on a bottle of local bubbly for New Years Eve this year?

Beginner Wine Tasting Class
Saturday, January 10 and 25 at 2 pm
Tickets are required - $25 per person

Join us in a beginner wine tasting class. This 1.5 hour-long class will teach you the basics of wine tasting, give you tips on wine and food pairing and help to answer any wine questions you may have. This class is limited in seats and tickets are required. Tickets are $25 per person and attendees must be 21 years or age or older. Call 610-395-2468 or visit the winery in Breinigsville to reserve your ticket. Tickets make a great holiday gift idea.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Lehigh Valley wineries celebrate the holidays with open houses, special events and new wine releases

The wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail are encouraging wine lovers to buy local this holiday season by inviting them to festive events, offering specials on wine, and helping them pick the right wines for their holiday meals.

Passports for the 2015 Vino in the Valley Program (formerly known as the March Passport Program) are now on sale for $35 each at all nine member wineries as well as online, and make a great gift for wine lovers.

Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Holiday Events and Specials:

Blue Mountain Annual Christmas Open House
December 6 from 6-9 p.m.

This free event is their way of saying thank you for all the support their customers continue to give. Guests can enjoy live music by Adam Motto and complimentary refreshments. Please bring a canned good to support a local food bank. (Wine tasting is $5 for five tastes, and the $5 is redeemable towards a purchase of a bottle of wine.) Call 610-298-3068 for reservations or book online.

Clover Hill Coat Drive at all locations
December 8-14

Customers who donate a gently used coat will get a 10% discount on their purchase as a thank you. They are collecting all coat sizes, which will be donated to The Caring Place in Allentown and Berks Women in Crisis in Reading.

The Breinigsville winery is also selling tickets to its Beginner Wine Tasting Classes on Saturday, January 10 and 25 at 2 p.m. This 1.5 hour long class teaches the basics of wine tasting, gives tips on wine and food pairings, and helps to answer wine questions. Tickets make great holiday gifts and often sell out before the end of this year.

Galen Glen Holiday Open House Weekends
December 6, 7, 13 and 14.

Customers can enjoy a pairing of Voodoo Ravioli and an award-winning aromatic white wine. They are helping Santa collect monetary and toy donations for Toys-for-Tots. Bring a new, unwrapped toy or cash donation and receive a gift.

Customers are also encouraged to eat, drink and dress ugly. Dig out that old, ugly Christmas sweater, wear it to the winery and take a selfie by the tree. Then post it to the winery's Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts and show it to their staff to receive another gift. On December 15 they will announce an eat, drink and dress ugly grand prize winner.

Pinnacle Ridge is selling specialty gift boxes for wine lovers:

The Classic Selection - $51.76
2012 Cabernet Franc
2012 Pinot Noir
2012 Merlot

The Best of Both Barrels - $29.56
2012 Barrel-fermented Chardonnay
2013 Naked Chardonnay

Additional gift box options are also available at the winery. And its award-winning sparkling wines, Blanc de Blanc and Brut Rose are back in stock starting December 6.

Tolino Vineyards - White Wine Sale

The Bangor winery has a sale on 2010 and 2011 White and Rosé wines. Purchase one bottle for 15% off, six bottles for 25% off, and a case for 50% off. The 2010 Chardonnay is now 70% off. From now through Christmas for every $50 gift certificate purchased, customers will receive a $5 gift certificate to keep for themselves.

Also taste the newly released ice-style white dessert wine, Sweet Frances, named for Carl Tolino's mother. This wine is now available for $28.99 a bottle.

Vynecrest is offering Spiced Winter Red as its three-pack of the month for $25, and is having a Customer Appreciation Weekend on December 13 and 14 with special discounts on wine. It is also releasing two new wines, Spiced Winter White and No. 36, a dry red reserve.  

Monday, December 1, 2014

Tolino releases new wine, Sweet Frances, and offers a holiday deal on winery gift cards

The grapes have been harvested, crushed and destemmed, pressed, and have made their way into stainless steel tanks or French oak barrels. The harvest frenzy has settled and we are preparing for the holidays. And for us, the holidays mean family.

Carl Tolino's mother, Frances, is the matriarch of the Tolino family. She is the glue that holds us together and she is also the beautiful bride on our newly released and highly anticipated ice style white dessert wine, Sweet Frances. This wine is now available for $28.99 a bottle.

Stop in to see us any day of the week. We are open Monday through Friday from 3 - 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon - 6 p.m. Visit us online at www.tolinovineyards.com or call us at 610.588.9463 for more information or to inquire about hosting your next event at Tolino Vineyards.

The holiday season is here!

Stop by the tasting room to purchase gifts for the holidays. We have mulled wine kits, gift certificates, gift bags, hand-crafted wine racks, wine-scented candles, wine totes, wine sippy cups, glasses, openers and of course, wine. From now through Christmas for every $50 gift certificate you buy, we will give you a $5 gift certificate for yourself. We will also have warm mulled wine for sale by the glass on weekends.

Holiday Hours
We will be closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day. On Christmas Eve we will be open from noon - 5 p.m.

Z Arch Barn Farm in Easton is a magical place. Real reindeer, Christmas trees, handmade wreaths and food are all inside a newly built bank barn owned by the Zarate family. We will be there right next to Santa's sleigh on Saturdays and Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with wine samples, mulled wine by the glass, and wine for sale by the bottle.

We are a Vendor at the Easton Farmers' Market Winter Mart every Saturday from December 6th through April 11th at 325 Northampton St. in Easton. The market will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and will have more than 30 vendors, offering everything from wall decorations to mushrooms and meat to wine.

White Wine Sale

Our sale continues on 2010 and 2011 White and Rosé wines. Purchase one bottle for 15% off, six bottles for 25% off, and a case for 50% off. And now the 2010 Chardonnay is 70% off. That is under $100 per case.