Customer Appreciation Weekend
Another great year is coming to a close and as our way of saying thank you, Thursday, Dec. 6 - Sunday, Dec.9, Vynecrest will be offering 25% off 12 or more bottles. Just print out this coupon and bring it in to the winery to receive your discount. We will also have live music in the Vyneskeller on Saturday. This discount is valid at the winery only (Breinigsville or Kutztown locations) and cannot be combined with any other offers. For our customers who can't make it out to the winery this weekend, we are offering free shipping. See below for details.
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 for $20 (hint: makes a great hostess gift), wine-scented candles and many more gifts. We also have a few March Madness passports left but they will sell out soon.
News and Events
December Specials:
* Three Pack of the Month - 3 Spiced Winter Red for $25.00
* Wine of the Month - Vynecrest Red 10% off
Events:
* December 1 - Live music in the Vyneskeller, Rob & Marty, 1:30-4:30 pm
* December 8 - Live music in the Vyneskeller, Jake Kaligis, 1:30-4:30 pm
* December 15 - Live music in the Vyneskeller, Arianne , 1:30-4:30 pm
Holiday Hours (Breinigsville):
* Dec 1 - 23: 11 am - 5 pm
* Dec 24: 10 am - 2 pm
* Dec 25: Closed
* Dec 26 - 30: 11 am - 5 pm
* Dec 31: 10 am - 2 pm
* Jan 1 - 11: Closed
* Reopen January 12: 11 am - 5 pm
Holiday Hours (Kutztown):
* Dec 1 - 23: Noon - 6 pm
* Dec 24 & 25: Closed
* Dec 26 - 30: Noon - 6 pm
* Dec 31 - Jan 11: Closed
* Reopen January 12: Noon - 6 pm
Glass Half Empty
By Sam Landis
I am sure all of you have heard about the five S's of Wine Tasting - See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip, Savor. They are designed to give both the novice wine taster the same ammunition to enjoy wine as the expert connoisseur. I am here to tell you that the five S's... S-S-S-S-Stink! More often than not, anyone re-enacting these five S's are either a novice trying to fit in and not stick out, or a pretentious faux expert trying to impress, both of which take away from the purpose of a winery visit which is fun.
I have come up with my own five S's of wine tasting based on my personal experiences of visiting wineries. I like to go to other wineries for two reasons - time with friends/family and the wine, in that order. I believe the combination of the company you are with and the wines that you taste make or break any winery visit. We are not a library, so get out, interact and have fun!
1. Solicit: Be inquisitive, ask the tasting room people questions such as What are you known for? or What kind of wines do you like? Get some history of the place and the people, and if most wineries are like ours they will have plenty to tell you.
2. Select: Think about the wines you're going to select; if you like sweet wines or dry wines, stick to what you know. Maybe work with the person you are visiting with to share tastings and expand your horizons. Sometimes maybe just try white wines at wineries one day and then just try red wines another time, but put some thought into what you want to taste.
3. Smell: In my opinion this is the most important of the original five S's. You can tell a lot of good and bad things from aroma of wine more so than any other sense. Talk to the people you are visiting with and have them smell your wine. Its fun to see if they pick up the same things that you might.
4. Swoosh: I know we have all done shots before... don't lie. And the reason we drink it like that is so we don't taste it! But instead expose the whole of your mouth and tongue for ideal exposure to wine. The tongue detects four distinct flavors: bitter, sour, salty and sweet. So get that wine in there and mix it like a cocktail in your mouth.
5. Share: Talk about what you liked or didn't like to both the people you are with and your tasting room server. Sometimes friends and family know each other's tastes better than we do. So if you find something that you think they will like, steer them in that direction. This can also apply to purchasing cases of wine and sharing them over the holidays.
There you have it - my revamped five S's. Wine tasting should not be a chore so get out there and enjoy it.
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