Friday, May 29, 2015

Food trucks, vineyard tours and sangria, oh my!

Clover Hill 2015 Vineyard and Winery Tour Series
The Winery in Breinigsville

Saturday, July 11 at 1 and 2 pm
Monday, July 13 at 2 pm
Sunday, July 19 at 2 pm
Monday, August 10 at 2 pm
Sunday, August 16 at 2 pm
Saturday, August 22 at 1 and 2 pm

Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery is proud to be celebrating our 30th Anniversary! Join us for an inside look at our vineyard and production facility. Let us show you our winemaking process from the grape to the glass and sample our premium Pennsylvania wines. The tour is approximately 1 ½ hours. 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.

Food Truck Fridays at Galen Glen this summer
                                 
Mark your calendar now and plan to join Galen Glen Winery for one or all of these rare, Friday evening events in the vineyard. Plan to purchase a great dinner to pair with a glass of wine. The event is held rain or shine (we have indoor seating). No reservations are required and all are welcome.

Friday, June 26 , 5-8 pm - Full of Crepe - savory and sweet crepes and sandwiches

Friday, July 24, 5-8 pm, - Bob-B-Q Sliders & Sides

Friday, August 28, 5-8 pm, Vince's Cheesesteaks

Clover Hill Sangria

Ingredients:
~ 1 bottle Clover Hill Concord
~ 8oz. Cherry Juice
~ 5oz. Cranberry Juice
~ 1 Lemon
~ 1 Orange
~ 1 Lime

Cut lemon, lime and orange into thin 1/4" wedges or slices. Add to wine. Add cherry and cranberry juice to desired taste. For additional variation, add orange juice or other fresh fruit.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

This weekend's winery events - live jazz, cupcakes and wine, and dinner in a vineyard!

This Sunday, May 31 at Vynecrest - Jazz Sunday: live music in the Vyneskeller from 1-4 pm. FREE.

May 30 at Blue Mountain Vineyards
Run The Vineyards 5K

Run the beautiful and scenic trail course through the vines of Blue Mountain Vineyards. The 5K is a course with chip timing and online results. There are awards for Top 3 Overall and Age Group winners. There is a tech shirt and wine glass for all participants. We'll also have food vendors on site. Enjoy post run live music and a tasting at the wine bar. Register online at www.GoodDayforaRun.com.

Wine and Cupcake event this weekend at Galen Glen

Saturday, May 30 - 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday, May 31 - noon - 5 pm

Happiness Cakes from Las Vegas Chef, Natalie Morgan.  Natalie grew up locally in Palmerton and is now the Executive Pastry Chef at Portafino and Tom Colicchio’s Heritagesteak.  She will be in the tasting room for a meet & greet from 11am to 1pm on Saturday, May 30th.  Both days we will be selling her “Happiness Cake Pops” made from our award-winning Riesling wine paired with 3 ounces of Late Harvest (formerly Erin’s Auslese) for $3.  You may also purchase full-sized versions of the Happiness Cupcake and Natalie’s favorite, Lemon-Blueberry Cupcake for $2.50 while supplies last.

Dinner in the Vines event
Saturday, May 30 at Tolino Vineyards

Like to dine alfresco? How about in a vineyard? Tolino is partnering with DeFranco and Daughters Catering for a family-style Italian meal in the vineyard. Bring your friends and family and dine like you are in Tuscany. $49.95 per person includes two glasses of wine, appetizers, dinner and dessert. Purchase tickets over the phone, in person, or online.

Pinnacle Ridge's Second Annual Case Club Member Barrel Tasting
Sunday, May 31 starting at 3 pm

The case club barrel tasting event will feature a look at our new wines from the 2014 vintage prior to blending and finishing as well as the finished 2013 Veritas. You will also get a chance to taste the Petit Verdot prior to blending.

The 2013 Veritas is a Bordeaux blend that consists of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and for the first time ever Petit Verdot.

Owner/winemaker Brad Knapp will be leading the event to answer any questions you might have about the 2014 vintage. Case Club members will get a chance to purchase the 2013 Veritas before the general public at the end of this event.


Friday, May 22, 2015

Franklin Hill joins a farmers market, hosts a food truck and hits the road to a wine festival

Our Festival Crew is packing up and heading out to the Renaissance Faire in Manheim, Pa this weekend, May 23 & 24, for FlavorFEST, one of our favorite festivals of the year! Come enjoy samples from over 20 PA wineries.  Did we mention it's FREE? See you there!

Crepes & Mimosas
May 31 - noon - 4 pm

Full of Crepe is parking their Green Machine Crepe Truck here at FHV. They will offer sweet and savory crepes.

Can't make it that day? No worries; they'll be back on June 14 and June 28. The tasting room will be open and we'll be offering delicious mimosas as well. Sounds delicious doesn't it?

Wino Wednesdays
Blue Mountain Slopeside Pub & Grill

Join us every Wednesday from 5:30-8:30 pm for a night of fun, wine sampling and clams. All wine products are half price and clams are only $2.99 with any wine purchase. Grab a seat inside or outside on the deck. The views are amazing from anywhere.

Monroe Farmers Market
8 am - noon

We're so excited to be part of the Monroe Farmers Market starting this Saturday, May 23. It's located just off Main Street in Stroudsburg at the Courthouse Square. The market has been serving the community since 1979 offering farm fresh produce, eggs, plants, baked goods, homemade pastas, sauces, jams, jellies and of course, wine.

Happy Memorial Day!
FHV will be open Monday, May 25 as follows:

The Winery - 11 am - 3 pm
Tannersville - 11 am - 5 pm
Easton - 10 am - 4 pm
Historic Bethlehem - 10 am - 4 pm
(The wine shop at Social Still will be closed.)

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Vynecrest and Clover Hill plan annual Spring Fling event in early June

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 800 Chardonnay vines last week and replanted 300 vines that were lost to winter injury.

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





May Specials 
* Wine of the Month - Naked Chardonnay - additional 10% off
* 3 Pack of the Month - 3 Autumn Gold for $25

(*available at winery only; 3 pack cannot be combined with other offers.)

June 6 - Third Annual Spring Fling

Spring signals new beginnings and new releases at the wineries. Join Clover Hill and Vynecrest Wineries in Breinigsville in celebrating with three wine pairings at each winery – with cheese at Clover Hill and with dessert at Vynecrest. Tickets on sale now at both wineries and the day of the event. Tickets are limited so call Clover Hill 610-395-2468 and Vynecrest 610-398-7525. (Ticket includes 10% discount on your purchase on the day of the event.)

Clover Hill:

Vidal Verde paired with Buche de Chevre. Vidal Verde is Clover Hill’s newest release, a dry white wine that is patterned after the Portuguese Vinho Verde wines. In the wine you will taste pineapple and citrus flavors with a hint of effervescence. The wine is complemented by Buche de Chevre, a goat’s milk cheese with a rich yet tangy taste.

2013 Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Collier’s Cheddar. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is full of rich, ripe flavor and hearty tannins. This is a perfect partner to serve with an aged cheddar cheese like the Colliers.

DeChaunac paired with Red Dragon. DeChaunac is a semi-sweet red wine that shows both fruity and earthy characteristics. Red Dragon is a smooth, firm cheddar cheese made with mustard seeds. The hint of heat in the cheese is perfectly complemented by the bit of sweetness in the wine.

Vynecrest:

2013 Semi Sweet Riesling with coconut macaroon. Our Riesling is one of our staple grapes in our vineyard as well on our wine list. This wine exhibits a floral nose and clean, tart finish with a hint of sweetness which balances perfectly with the moist texture and rich decadence of the macaroon.

2013 Blueberry with frosted lemon pound cake. Made from 100% blueberries, we just get out of the way and let the fruit speak for itself… think roadside farm stand. While it can be difficult to pair with, we have found that it lends itself perfect when married with lemon and throw in the frosted exterior of the pound cake and you have yourself a homerun.

2013 Chambourcin with chocolate chip brownie.“The Jewel of the Lehigh Valley” our 2013 Chambourcin is no exception focusing on ripe, jammy fruit and soft delicate tannins on the back end. Because of that combination, you get the balance of the cherry flavors with the rich Brownie cake and the subtle French oak finish melding together perfectly with the semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Glass Half Empty by Sam Landis

We get questions all the time about the wine making process and how it works. For the most part, it is a very detail-oriented process. It starts in the vineyard as we look at blocks of vines and prune them and cluster thin so as to get the desired sugar and acids that we want reflected in those wines. Then we look at spreadsheet upon spreadsheet of sell out dates and projected sales and then crunch numbers and do trials and blends. We end up with wine plan after wine plan constantly updating, reallocating and finalizing.

But every once in awhile, we just wing it! That's what happened the other day when we were blending our 2014 First Blush. The blend was so unique (excess Riesling, Traminette and Pinot Grigio) that when we tasted it we said this is really, really good!

So on the spot we "stole" 300 gallons of that wine and said we are going to make a Dry Rose this year. Instead of finishing it off with some fruit-forward semi-sweet Chambourcin like we have in our First Blush, we added some dry, tannic, slightly oaked Chambourcin and presto... Dry Rose was born. While on paper the move does not make sense, I believe its things like this that keep you sane in the wine cellar and continue to push to make the best wines you can regardless of what a spreadsheet spits out. Winging it never looked and tasted so good!

So look forward to our new creation, Dry Rose, in June. An added plus is that my dog, Sadie, got on her first label, much to the happiness of my wife, who has been gently reminding me for seven years that my parents' dog Maizey is on three labels, and Sadie doesn't have any.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Lehigh Valley Wine Trail to debut new spring wine and cheese event next weekend

Spring is an important time in the vineyards at the nine wineries that make up the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail. It’s when bud break on the vine occurs and the vineyards spring back to life after being dormant all winter. It kicks off the growing season along with all the promise that it holds.

To celebrate the season, the wine trail is hosting a new event, May 16 and 17. The Spring Wine & Cheese Pairing event invites guests to sample wine and cheese pairings at each member winery. The theme of this year’s event is “Local Wine with Cheeses from Around the World.” Each winery has selected a country whose native cheeses pair best with their wine as follows:

AmorĂ© Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth – Italy - Mascarpone with Vidal dessert wine, and Provolone with Cabaret Amore

Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville – Spain - Spanish Manchego from LaMancha with Moonlight White

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli – France - Cantal cheese with Cabernet Sauvignon

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville – Holland - Vidal Verde with Basiron Pesto (Pesto Gouda)

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor – USA - Mozzarella cheese from Klein Farms Dairy and Creamery in Forks Township topped with a slice of fresh tomato and drizzled with sweet basil oil with Seyval Blanc or Katie’s Creek for our sweet drinkers. They will also offer cheese plates for sale. On Sunday, Full of Crepe from Bethlehem will be onsite with their Big Green Crepe Truck selling sweet and savory crepes as well as cheesy crepes all day.

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas – Germany - Butterkase with either dry Riesling or half-dry Riesling, and Allgau Emmental with either Gewurztraminer or Crooked Stick White. The winery will have a cooking demonstration on fondue made with Gruyere & Emmentaler. Small bowls of fondue and bread with 3 oz. of Gruner Veltliner will be for sale for $5.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown – Spain - San Simon smoked cheese with Dry Vidal Blanc

Tolino Vineyards, Bangor – Italy - Smoked provolone from Calandras Italian Cheese in Nazareth with 2013 Chambourcin

Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville – The Netherlands - September Farms Smoked Gouda Cheese with 2013 Estate Bottled Chambourcin

Some wineries will offer cheeses for sale so that guests can recreate the wine and cheese pairings at home. Attendees can also complete an event ballot to vote for their favorite wine and cheese pairing and be entered to win one of nine $25 Wine Trail gift certificates.

Event hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. Note: while the wine and cheese pairing samples at each winery are free, many of the wineries charge a fee for wine tastings. Limit one wine and cheese pairing sample per person. For additional event information visit: http://lehighvalleywinetrail.com/springwineandcheeseevent/. 

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. Member wineries have been honored with numerous awards at state, national and international levels.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Tolino wines win more awards; winery plans summertime live music and food trucks events

2010 Cabernet Franc receives a Double Gold at the Pennsylvania Wine Competition AND Double Gold at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition!

Like us, our reds only get better with age! The '10 Cabernet Franc is one of our most awarded wines. Stop by and buy a bottle while they last.

Our '13 Pinot Grigio, '13 Chardonnay, '13 Cabernet and '13 Papa's brought home bronze medals from PWA. From the Finger Lakes, Sweet Frances won Silver, and 13 Pinot Grigio, '13 Chardonnay, '13 Cabernet and '13 Papa's Red and '13 Vidal won Bronze.

Mother's Day

On May 9 and 10 join us to celebrate the Moms in your life. Treat the ladies in your life to an afternoon filled with wine tastings, sangria, a tour of the vineyard, live music by Erin McClelland from 1 to 4 pm and a food pairing. A cupcake pairing from Sweet Girlz Bakery in Easton will be available for $8 that includes tasting six wines, one cupcake, and an etched Tolino Vineyards wine glass to take home. No reservations required.

Saturday Music Series

Starting May 2 see the talented Jazz musicians of the Chris Cummings Trio at 1 pm.  Every Saturday at 1 pm we will feature a different artist. Sangria will be available to purchase.

Saturday Food Trucks

We are filling up our calendar with food trucks to be available for our guests on select Saturdays. May 23 and June 13 from 2-  4:30 pm we welcome the TAZA truck that serves delicious authentic Egyptian cuisine. Check our calendar for more food truck dates


Dinner in the Vines - May 30

Grab your friends and dine under the open sky in our beautiful vineyard. Tickets include a family style dinner by Defranco and Daughters, two glasses of wine, and live music for $49.95.

Yoga in the Vines - May 30

At 11 am enjoy the peaceful serenity of the vineyard and start your day with 60 minutes of flow yoga followed by a wine tasting and live music. Yoga dates are 5/30, 6/20, 7/11, 8/15, 9/19 for $30.

Flicksville Fermentation Company Release Party - May 23 and 24

Sample wines from our newly released second label named after our historic hometown. Try The050, a sweet white, or Sunnyside, a sweet red. A food pairing will also be offered.

Painting in the Tank Room - June 13

The class will be instructed Anna Kaszupski. She will design a summer-themed painting. Tickets are $35 and include all supplies, one glass of wine and light snacks