Gearing up for our March Passport Program

Our annual March event begins this coming weekend, March 2 and 3. Hopefully by now you've purchased your passport and made plans for which weekends of the event you plan to visit our wineries. Remember not to try and do them all in one day! Spend a weekend or two driving around and taking your time. Plan to visit each winery during the weekends of March 2 and 3, 9 and 10, 16 and 17, and 23 and 24 to receive your commemorative picnic wine tote and have your passport stamped at each winery you visit. When you show your passport at each winery you will receive a complimentary food and wine pairing (tasting sized). Review the list of pairings before you head out on this page of our web site.


In order to qualify for the passport prize raffle drawing, the fully completed and stamped passport with your name, address, and telephone number must be turned in at any winery (or a member winery's wine shoppe) or delivered to Discover Lehigh Valley by April 15, 2013 (800 Hamilton Street, Suite 200, Allentown, PA 18101). The prize drawing will be held at Discover Lehigh Valley on April 22, 2013, and winners will be notified and posted on our website. Persons not holding a passport can be eligible for the drawing by requesting a special form from any winery and having this form stamped at all eight wineries. One form per person.

The rules of the passport program include:

- Passport is required to receive all food and wine pairings.
- Passport holder is entitled to one food and wine pairing per winery, per month.
- No alcohol of any kind may be brought onto winery premises.
- Visibly intoxicated guests will not be served.
- Please respect our 6 taste limit.
- Non-passport guests are not entitled to the food and wine pairings.

Planning to travel the Wine Trail as part of as larger group during this event? Then you should be aware that this year we revised our event guidelines as they pertain to groups. No commercial vehicles of any type (buses, limos, vans, etc.) are allowed at our wineries in March. If you are traveling by car in a group of 8 or more, appointments are required at any wineries you wish to visit.

Here are a few tips for enjoying a day on the Wine Trail:

- Start at any winery, but be sure to visit all eight.
- Consider beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday.
- Generally, Sundays are less busy than Saturdays.
- If you are traveling all day, pack a snack or stop by a local restaurant.
- Detailed driving directions are available on our website, www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com.
- We strongly discourage trying to visit all eight wineries in one day. Anyone, regardless of whether they are the driver or not, can be denied wine tasting if it appears that they are impaired. Little tastes add up!
- Remember, we treat our wineries as if they are our homes, and as our guests we appreciate your patience, consideration, and respect.

Pinnacle Ridge wins seven medals at PA Farm Show

LEHIGH VALLEY WINE TRAIL'S ANNUAL MARCH PASSPORT PROGRAM RETURNS 

Passports are still available for the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail the March Passport Program. Join us for the first four weekends in March for the biggest event of the Wine Trail. Passports are $35 per person and are available at the winery (cash or check only) or online at: http://lvwtmarchpassportprogram2013.eventbrite.com.

The menu and wine pairings for Pinnacle Ridge are as follows:

• March 2 and 3: Apple Wood Smoked Pork with Mango BBQ Sauce paired with our 2011 Riesling
•  March 9 and 10: Grilled Chicken with creamy Traminette Sauce paired with our 2011 Traminette
•  March 16 and 17: Beef Pot Roast - tender beef in rich brown gravy paired with our 2011 Chambourcin
•  March 23 and 24: Chicken Cordon Bleu - cheesy chicken and ham paired with our 2012 Naked Chardonnay

The pairings of the other wine trail member wineries can be found here.

PINNACLE RIDGE EARNS SEVEN MEDALS AT THE 2013 FARM SHOW
 
The wines of Pinnacle Ridge showed well at the 2013 Pennsylvania Farm Show on January 5. Medal winners include our Chardonnay, Naked Chardonnay, Riesling, Chambourcin, Chambourcin Rose, Chambourcin Reserve, Veritas, and Merlot. All of these wines are currently available at the winery.
 
UPDATE ON SPARKLING WINES

As many of you know, we ran out of our Brut Rose and Blanc de Blanc during the rush of the winter holidays. We have been busy working on the new vintages and will soon be releasing our Blanc de Blanc.  We did not produce a Brut Rose for the upcoming year but did produce a Cuvee Chardonnay. This is a wine produced from 100% Chardonnay grapes and is a dry sparkling wine with a crisp finish and flavors of green apple. In 2014 we will return back to our Brut Rose. The Blanc de Blanc and Cuvee Chardonnay will be available sometime during February. Please contact the winery regarding their availability prior to making a trip for these wines.

Wine specials and live music at Blue Mountain Vineyards this month

March Passports:

They are still available at the winery and our location in the Lehigh Valley Mall.
$35 each. Cash or check only.
You can also purchase Passports online. Visit the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail website for more details

Sunday Blues Line Up:

2/17 Scott Marshall & The Hillbilly Souls
2/24 Jake Kaligis & Mike Rauscher's Dynamic Duo

Join us every Sunday from 2-5 p.m. $5 admission includes a wine tasting. Reservations are recommended. Outside food welcome.

Monthly Wine Specials:

$1 off Bri's Blush
$1 off Vignoles

Festival:

PA Garden Expo
February 22 - 24
PA Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg

View beautiful gardens, water features, and more while tasting our award winning wines.

Galen Glen offers food and wine pairing for Valentine's Weekend

Celebrate romance with someone special on February 16 from 10 am - 5 pm and February 17 from noon - 5 pm. Enjoy a wine and chocolate pairing compliments of the winery.

Our decadent pairing of Galen Glen's Barrel 29 and a bite of Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bar drizzled with Barrel 29 chocolate sauce. A full version of the pairing is also available to purchase.

Chocolate Strata Cake - a Chocolate Lover's Indulgence

Classic Italian chocolate Torta layered with creamy mousse and topped with chocolate ganache and chocolate curls. Share a slice and a glass of wine with your sweetheart. Limited amount available to purchase.


Just in time for your Valentine toast - BLUSH IS BACK!
Both of our blushes are back - Vin Gris, our dry rose and Galah, our sweet blush.

Chocolate Cabernet, Snowy 6 Pack Sale, and Annual Wine Rack Sale this month at Clover Hill

Time to stock up!

February is packed with great happenings at Clover Hill Winery! Special wine and chocolate pairings will be taking place at the Breinigsville and Robesonia locations as a special treat for you and a loved one. There are two great sales in February: the Snowy 6 Pack Sale and the Annual Wine Rack Sale.

Owner's Selection - Chocolate Cabernet

Rich, bold, berry flavors of Cabernet mingle with intense aromas of chocolate to make this sweet dessert wine. Chocolate Cabernet makes the perfect accompaniment to dessert or is equally as good served alone as its own dessert. Now only $12.15. Receive an additional 10% discount when included in a case purchase.

Upcoming Events

We look forward to your visit to Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery. Please take a look at our house policies to help you best plan your trip.

Snowy 6 Pack Sale
All Clover Hill locations and online
February 7-10

Visit any Clover Hill location or shop online at www.cloverhillwinery.com for the Snowy 6 Pack Sale. Select any 6 bottles and receive a 10% discount on your purchase and a free eco-tote! If you really want to stock up, gather 12 or more bottles and receive a 20% discount on your purchase.

Wine and Food Pairing
Allentown Fairgrounds Farmer's Market
February 9 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Join Clover Hill Winery at the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmer's Market for our monthly wine and food sampling. This month we will be featuring an Asian-style Beef & Peppers from Culinary Experts paired with Turtle Rock Red. Stop in for a sample or join the event on Facebook.

Celebrate Love in the Air with Wine and Chocolates
Saturday, February 16 from noon - 5 p.m.

Be sure to visit Clover Hill Winery in Breinigsville where we will be pairing heavenly chocolates with stellar wines in celebration of Valentine’s Day. We have invited master chocolatier, Moussey Moose Chocolates,  to sample their artisan chocolates with premium Clover Hill wines. We will pair a Moussey Moose Ravishing Raspberry Bonbon with Clover Hill’s big and bold Cabernet Sauvignon and a Luscious Lemon Bonbon, with our sweet Vignoles.

Annual Wine Rack Sale
All Clover Hill locations
February 21 - March 3

Save 10-60% off all in-stock wine racks. We have a great variety of wine racks holding one bottle up to more than 50 bottles, different sizes, shapes and colors. Visit any Clover Hill location and enjoy this opportunity to save on your wine rack.

Wine specials, Valentine's events and more this February at Vynecrest

We are busy in the wine cellar getting the 2012 wines ready for bottling as the 2011 vintage is starting to sell out. We bottled the 2012 Cherry DiVyne this week and it is available now. Next week we are bottling the 2012 Pinot Grigio.

Wine of the Month - Pinot Noir, additional 10% off*
3 Pack of the Month - 3 Niagara for $25.00*
*at winery only, 3 pack cannot be combined with other offers

Upcoming Events

January & February - Vynecrest Piano and Wine Bar - Open every Saturday and Sunday, 1 - 5 p.m.

February 15 - Valentine's Day Wine and Chocolate Event  from 7-9 p.m.
Tasting a flight of 5 wines and 5 chocolates with a special chocolate gift for the ladies. Live music. Make this your after-dinner dessert. $25 per couple. Reservations required. Call-610-398-7525. Please let us know when calling if this is for a table of two or four; credit card required.

February 24 (Sunday) - Jazz Sunday, Live Jazz in the Vyneskeller, 1-4 p.m.

March - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail March Madness 
There are still a limited number of passports available online for March Madness but the winery is sold out. The winery will be open for tastings but all food pairings are exclusively for March Madness ticket holders. Tickets can be purchased online here.

Vynecrest Winery will feature two Farm Show Silver Medal Winners. Our food pairings are made by two fellow vendors at the Macungie Farmers Market, a Buy Fresh, Buy Local Market.

Weeks 1 & 2 - Pairing Vynecrest Red, our “house” red made with the Chambourcin grape, with Triple Mushroom Lasagna a rich and savory dish with Gorgonzola cheese sauce. Food by Hereford Country Store.

Weeks 3 & 4 - Pairing Vynecrest White, our house white wine with Blackberry Bliss - A moist vanilla white wine cake featuring Vynecrest White Wine filled with a fresh blackberry filling and topped with
blackberry lemon frosting. Food by Sugar So Sweet Cupcakes.

Glass Half Empty
"Death of a golf cart" by Malachi Duffy

There is never a dull moment at Vynecrest but some moments are a lot less dull than others. One of those moments happened this past summer.

We have a bird problem in the vineyard as we approach harvest time. As the grapes ripen, huge flocks of starlings swoop in and try to grab a free meal. If left alone, they would eat every grape off the vine. We are trying to avoid netting so we drive around on a 4-wheeler and golf cart trying to scare the birds away.

Sheri, who you usually see in the tasting room, volunteered to pull a few shifts on the golf cart. One morning, Sam and I were in the cellar moving some wine when Sheri comes running in to tell us the golf cart was on fire. Sam and I looked at each other and both thought she was over reacting to what was probably a couple of pruned vines that were caught underneath the golf cart that started to smoke. So we grabbed a fire extinguisher and went outside.

We were not expecting what we saw. We were about 400 yards from the golf cart and all we could see was a huge black plume of smoke. We ran over and tried to use the fire extinguisher. It didn't do much, so we called the fire department. Enough talking about it, you can see for yourself, check out this YouTube video.

If nothing else it was a learning experience. I learned vines don't like flames, fire extinguishers don't work on big fires, and a fire truck will fit in the vineyard. We now have a new golf cart.

P.S. We have no idea what started the fire; I am guessing sabotage from the starlings.

Franklin Hill Vineyards fills February with wine events

Franklin Hill Vineyards After Dark presents - "Exposed" 

Grab your friends and take a stroll down memory lane with owner Elaine Pivinski. From Katie's Creek to Trio, you'll hear the story behind them all. You might even get a glimpse into what's up our sleeve for the future. Come experience Franklin Hill Vineyards like never before.

February 22 from 7-9 p.m. at

The Winery
7833 Franklin Hill Road
Bangor, PA 18013

Includes tour, tastings and light appetizers. Space is limited so get your tickets today. $20 a person. Tickets available at our Bethlehem location only or by calling 610-332-9463.

Love the wine you're with...
 
On February 16 & 17, bring your sweetheart to Franklin Hill Vineyards' Valentine's Day Weekend  for some Passion, Desire and  a Kiss. Buy a bottle of each and get 10% off all three (no substitutions). We will be featuring treats from our friends at Chocolates on Broadway, delicious dips from Robert Rothschild Farms, and The Broadway Pub in downtown Bangor will be creating a delicious pasta dish to enjoy with your Valentine. Tours will be offered at noon and 2 p.m. and, as always, complimentary tastings will be available.

February 10-16  - Week of Romance

Franklin Hill Vineyards (Bethlehem location only) will be offering 10% off when you buy one bottle each of Desire, Passion and Kiss. (Sorry, no substitutions)

Did you know our wines are offered throughout our area?

Stop in at Widow's Tavern for a glass of Trio. The Broadway Pub offers Sir Walter's Red, Trio and may be the first restaurant ever to offer a Fainting Goat Martini to enjoy with their terrific food. Apollo Grill pours our Cabernet Sauvignon and the Bethlehem Brew Works serves our Chambourcin and Seyval Blanc.

Traveling west? Hit Marley's Brewery & Grille in Bloomsburg. Great people, great food and Franklin Hill Vineyards wine. What could be better?