Details on Harvest Weekend announced

On Saturday, Sept. 10 and Sunday, Sept. 11, the eight wineries of the LehighValley Wine Trail in eastern Pennsylvania will celebrate the start of harvest season with a special event. Harvest Weekend will welcome wine lovers for tastings, vineyard and winery tours, food and wine pairings, and live entertainment.

The wineries will also proudly promote the state’s “Pennsylvania Preferred” program by partnering with manufacturers of other Pennsylvania products to showcase their high level of quality. Event hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon - 5 p.m.

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail is a non-profit organization of wineries whose mission is to promote agri-tourism and to create a premier wine destination and grape growing region while promoting Pennsylvania wines from the region.

Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth - Amore will be serving bourbon chicken, assorted breads and dipping oils, along with a selection of cheeses from Goot Essa Farms. They will also feature a new wine, Cabaret Amore.

Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville - Harvest Weekend at Big Creek traditionally means freshly picked, tree-ripened apples from their friends at nearby Heckman Orchard along with local artisan cheeses.

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli - Stroll through the vineyard and witness the last few days before the grapes of 2011 begin the process of becoming wine on a self-guided vineyard tour. Back by popular demand, sample the products of Tait Farms that are grown and produced in Pa. Di Bruno Brothers from South Philly will be sampling some of their incredible cheeses that have kept them in business for over 70 years. The winery will be releasing its 2008 Merlot, which was an excellent vintage. On Sunday, join them for Sangria Sundays with Scott Marshall & The Hillbilly Souls on the deck ($5 admission).

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville - During this harvest celebration, Clover Hill will partner with Unique Pretzel Bakery, Inc. of Reading, Pa. Like Clover Hill, Unique Pretzels is a family-owned business that has grown for six generations. The family from Unique Pretzel Bakery will be on site to sample and sell their scrumptious pretzels. There is nothing tastier than a Unique chocolate covered pretzel paired with a glass of Turtle Rock Red.

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor - invites guest to help them celebrate the harvest with walks through the vineyard and tours of the winery. There will be local cheeses by Klein's Farm, cider and apples for sale, and light snacks for purchase. Try a glass of apple wine.

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas - Free tractor and wagon tours will depart on the hour from 1 - 4 p.m. Tours travel through the heart of the vineyard, down the hillside to the wine cellar in the little glen and back up the hill to the tasting room. Sinfully scrumptious European desserts by famed baker Marlis will be available to purchase with a glass of wine. Renowned local wild life artist Dave Hughes will also have his art on display. 

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown - Pinnacle Ridge will be celebrating the beginning of the 2011harvest with live music all weekend. On Saturday, the Wallace Brothers will play their mix of Blues and Country from 1- 5 p.m. On Sunday, the day of music starts at 1:30 p.m. with the Kelchner Brothers. Jacob, 15, is an excellent guitar player while younger brother, Janson, 11, plays harmonica and sings. The Wallace Brothers will be back on Sunday from 3 - 6 p.m. There will be wine by the bottle or glass for purchase all weekend. The food vendor for the weekend is Jack Sinnitz and his friendly Heaven on a Bun crew.

Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville - Vynecrest has asked fellow vendors from both SteelStacks and Macungie farmers markets, as well as Eagle Point Farm Market, to join them from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. both days to celebrate PA Preferred and Buy Fresh Buy Local Lehigh Valley. There will be fresh produce available for sale from Bleiler's Fresh Produce Patch (locally grown, pesticide free), delicious baked goods from Lisa Morton of Hereford Country Store, and mums for sale from Eagle Point Farm Market. In addition Vynecrest will be pairing samples of its Blueberry wine with Lisa's lemon poppy seed pound cake. On Saturday at 1 p.m., will be the final winemaker's tour of the season with an emphasis on the upcoming harvest ($5 per person). Live music will entertain in the Vyneskeller Wine Bar from 1 - 4:30 p.m. by Art's Acoustic Oldies (no charge).