The nine wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail will debut their first wines from the 2016 vintage, along with other new wine releases, during Nouveau Weekend on November 19 and 20. It is the final Wine Trail event of the year.
Traditional nouveau wines are bottled very young, with limited barrel aging, and are light, fruity and semi-dry to dry red wines. The wine trail event is based on a tradition started in France and continued each year in which nouveau wines are released the third Thursday of November.
Each winery will feature its own activities including live music, food and wine pairings, vineyard tours, hayrides, food trucks, and more. Event hours at all of the wineries are Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. Nouveau Weekend is a free event, however some wineries charge for wine tastings. Wine lovers can also take advantage of the event weekend to purchase wine to give as holiday gifts or to complement holiday meals.
Passports for the March 2017 Vino in the Valley event go on sale that weekend at the member wineries (cash or check only) as well as online via EventBrite.com (credit card only). Passports are $35 each. Only 1,800 passports are printed, so wine lovers are encouraged to purchase them early since they may sell out in advance of the event. More information can be found online:www.VinointheValleyLVWT.com
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. For more information on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, visit www.LehighValleyWineTrail.com.
NOUVEAU WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS
Amore – will have a new wine release called Cabaret Dolce paired with chocolate brownies.
Big Creek – will release Joi, a semi-dry Moscato, for Nouveau Weekend and the holiday season.
Blue Mountain Vineyards is releasing their 2016 Nouveau Beaujolais, produced from Gamay grapes grown in their vineyards. They are pairing their Nouveau with a ham and green bean soup from The Culinary Experience. In addition, they are offering complimentary live entertainment on Saturday with the Angela Evans Duo from 1-5pm. On Sunday, Christine & Company is performing live for Sunday Blues from 2-5pm. $5 admission includes wine tasting. Reservations are preferred and can be made online – www.bluemountainwine.com/sunday_blues
Clover Hill – Each year Clover Hill celebrates Nouveau Weekend with the release of their newest dessert wine. This year it is Strawberry Pinot Grigio, a sweet but light and fruity dessert wine. This wine is a limited release.
Franklin Hill – Their 2016 Seyval Blanc will be released for Nouveau Weekend. Its subtle hint of honey and crisp taste will be paired with butternut squash soup prepared by Social Still. Local vendors will be onsite all weekend. Hayrides through the vineyard will be offered at 1 & 2 pm. Hayrides include a mug of mulled wine for $15 per person. Kids ride free.
Galen Glen – Taste a spoonful of turkey taco soup with one of their aromatic white wines. The soup recipe will be posted to their website.
Pinnacle Ridge – “Growlers of Gruner and Gemutlichkeit!”
Experience the autumnal warmth and good cheer of an Austrian winemaker’s tavern (a “Heuriger”), with help from Kornfeind’s Market. The winery will convert its barn into a rustic Alpine restaurant where Kornfeind’s will supply the platters of Bratwurst and Knackwurst, and the winery will sell 32 oz. growlers of Gruner Veltliner – a citrusy, Austrian-style white wine. This wine, made from the fall harvest, comes straight from the tank. It is young, spritzy, and a good harbinger of what the rest of the vintage will soon bring. Free pairings will be available, as well as full-sized platters for sale.
Tolino – This weekend they will release new vintages of Papa’s Red, Vidal Blanc, and Cabernet Franc. There will be live music by Matt Wheeler on Saturday and Erin McClelland on Sunday. The Aioli Food Truck on Saturday and Blendlife Food Truck on Sunday will be onsite selling food to pair with wine. Walking tours of the vineyard will be offered at 2 and 4 pm.
Vynecrest – Vynecrest Winery will partner with Cibo food truck all weekend and will offer complementary tastings of the 2016 Nouveau Beaujolais, the first wine to be released from the 2016 vintage, with bite-sized slices of homemade white pizza with fresh spinach, ricotta cheese, sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella by Domenico Buonsante.
