Thursday, March 28, 2013

Celebrate Easter with local wine from Galen Glen


Celebrate in style with the perfect wine from Galen Glen!

We recommend Vin Gris or Galah with ham, Riesling with turkey and Cabernet Franc with lamb.

Special tasting room hours this weekend:

  • Fri - noon - 5 p.m.
  • Saturday - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  • Sunday - closed for Easter

Back on the wine list:

  • Semi-dry Riesling
  • Grüner Veltliner (young vine)
  • Barrel Twenty-Nine

Upcoming Events:

American Cancer Society Cheesecake Event
Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m.

The winery will donate $1 from every bottle sold while Dr. Rosalee is here for the ACS.

"GrüVee" Grüner Veltliner Celebration for Earth Day (new for 2013)
Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21

Grüner means green, which makes it the perfect wine for spring and Earth Day!

Friday, March 22, 2013

A new Taste of the Trail ... videos!

Since last summer we have been working with a local video production company to create a new web-based video series that we are also calling Taste of the Trail.

The videos will debuted over the next few weeks and will also be found on our web site, as well as our YouTube channel. Each video will tour a different one of the eight family-owned and operated wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail. There will also be a ninth video on the wine trail itself.

The first video features a tour of Pinnacle Ridge in Kutztown. It's just over two-minutes long, so we hope you will watch it and then come visit in person!


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Find the right wine to pair with your Easter meal

Easter is almost here and the eight family-owned and operated wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail want to help you select the right wines to pair with your family's holiday meal. Here are a few suggestions. Stop by any of our wineries in person for specific recommendations.


Amore - Pair Amore Pink Passion with ham, pork and sauerkraut. After dinner, relax with a glass of Rapport or Vidal Blanc dessert wines.

Big Creek - Their Vin di Pasqualina is a favorite all-around wine for traditional Easter dinners. Both sweet and dry wine fans will enjoy the glass-filling aroma of this semi-dry rose. Vin is a blend of three grapes, but the bouquet and character come from Niagara, an aromatic white grape that can stand a little chill and still deliver a ton of flavor. It does very well as an aperitif or with ham, turkey, or even baked ziti.

Blue Mountain – The medium-bodied flavor of their Pinot Noir will compliment a glazed Easter ham. Their Riesling, non-oaked Chardonnay and White Merlot will also compliment the smoky flavor of ham.

Clover Hill – The winery suggests Turtle Rock Red, made from 100% Chambourcin grapes (the official wine grape of the Lehigh Valley) with a slight bit of natural sweetness, best served with a slight chill. This wine is a great accompaniment to Easter ham, and garlic or smoked kielbasa.

Franklin Hill - Kiss is a great choice to enjoy with the traditional ham dinner and will help cut the saltiness.  Seyval is another terrific option to bring out the flavor of pineapples on top.  For dessert, Sir Walter's Red and homemade peanut butter eggs are a match made in heaven.

Galen Glen – Galen and Sarah recommend what they are serving at their own Easter Celebration - Vin Gris, a dry rose, and  Galah, a lightly sweet blush. Both are delightful with all of the holiday’s festivities - brunch, glazed ham, and leftover sandwiches.

Pinnacle Ridge – They recommend their Cuvee Chardonnay sparkling wine as a means of celebrating Easter.  This crisp bubbly will be perfect with ham or turkey.

Vynecrest - Their Vynecrest White Silver Medal winner is a versatile, semi-sweet, all-occasion dinner wine. Perfect for pairing with Easter ham, lamb, turkey and all the trimmings. Don't forget Cherry DiVyne for dessert paired with those chocolate Easter bunnies!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Catch Franklin Hill at festivals this spring and summer

On the Road Again...

Our Festival Crew is gearing up to hit the road and bring Franklin Hill Vineyards wine all over our state.  Here's where you can catch us this year:
  • May 18 and 19 - Taste of PA Wine and Music Festival
  • May 25 and 26  - PA FlavorFest
  • June 1 -  Longwood Gardens Wine and Jazz Festival
  • June 22 and 23 - Split Rock Wine Festival
  • July 27 and 28  - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail's Wine on the Mountain at Penn's Peak
  • August 24 and 25 - Seven Springs Wine Festival
  • September 7 and 8 - Gettysburg Wine Festival
Keep your eye out for more announcements on festivals. You never know where we might show up!

Bethlehem happenings:

On any day of the week, March 9-17, you can enjoy Irish fare, music, events, and specials in the two downtowns of Bethlehem.  Then, on March 16, you may call it St. Patrick's Day; but the downtowns of Bethlehem like to call it "half way to Celtic Classic!"

Either way, get on your green and celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Historic Downtown Bethlehem with the Parade of Shamrocks. The streets will be filled with the sound of bagpipes and all things Irish!

Happy Easter!

Looking for a wine to pair with your Easter dinner? Our Kiss is a great choice to enjoy with the traditional ham dinner and Seyval is another terrific option to bring out the flavor of those pineapples on top. Ready for dessert? Sir Walter's Red and homemade peanut butter eggs are a match made in heaven... or the winery.

Reintroducing White Jade:

An everyday Chardonnay, White Jade is a dry, lightly oaked white.  We first released it in 2004
when Elaine's first granddaughter,  Jadelyn, was born. Almost 12 years later we introduce to you our new label design... unique, fun and beautiful just like our Jadie!

And the award goes to...

Congratulations to Bonnie and Maria.  It's only March and already 10 of our wines have received medals.  At the PA Farm Show, Seyval, Vidal, Chambourcin, Trio, Fainting Goat and Thin all took Bronze while Sir Walter's Red and Fiesta both won Silver. Thin and Evanswood also took a bronze at the PA Wine Competition. We are so proud of you both.  Keep up the good work ladies!

With this past weekend's beautiful weather we have already opened the deck at the winery. We put out our tables and chairs and invite you to enjoy a glass of wine as you take in the beautiful scenery FHV has to offer. So hope for some warm weather and sunshine and we'll see you soon.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Join Blue Mountain for their Annual Candlelight Barrel Tasting event


Annual Candlelight Barrel Tasting
Saturday, May 11 from 5-9 p.m.

Join us as we sample our 2012 vintage right from the barrels. Enjoy a night filled with live entertainment, hors d'oeuvres and wine. Tickets are $19.50. Please call or email us to make your reservations.

Sunday Blues Schedule

Is it spring time yet? Nothing beats live music on the outdoor deck!

  • March 17 ~ Ziggy Isaacs
  • March 24 ~ Jake Kaligis & Mike Rauscher's Dynamic Duo
  • March 31 ~ No Music. Happy Easter!

$5 admission includes a wine tasting. Adults 21 and older only please. Outside food is always welcome.

March Specials

$1 off Merlot and $1 off Sauvignon Blanc

Events

Lehigh Valley Wine Trail's March Passport Program 

Join us the remaining two weekends of the March for special food and wine pairings. In addition to our live music on Sundays, we have free entertainment on Saturdays from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Passports are still available for purchase at the winery - $35 each.

Southeast PA Home and Garden Show 
March 15-17
The Greater Reading Expo Center

Spring is right around the corner. Why not sample our award-winning wines while checking out home exhibits?

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Save on Riesling during March at Clover Hill


The sun feels a bit warmer, the birds are chirping and soon enough spring will give life to our vineyards. Each year the spring brings us another opportunity to start the grape growing season. Spring also speeds up the pace as we frantically finish pruning, composting, cleaning up the tractors and get ready to give it our best for another season.

March also brings us the ever popular Lehigh Valley Wine Trail March Passport Program. Passports are still available to purchase online or you can choose to visit Clover Hill and partake in the wine and food pairing for a $6 per person fee.

Don’t forget every Tuesday is Senior Day at the Winery in Breinigsville. Bring your ID if you are 65 years of age or older and we will give you a 10% discount on your purchase. Vintage is always cool!

Owner's Selection for March

Save 10% on your purchase of Riesling!

Riesling is one of our favorite grapes to grown in the Lehigh Valley AVA. It expresses lovely flavors and aromas of peach, apricot and minerals. This Riesling is made in a semi-sweet style and it is bursting with refreshing acidity. Try serving this wine with a spicy Thai or Mexican dish or serve with Clover Hill pepperdews, a favorite recipe of ours.

Now only $10.35. Receive an additional 10% discount when included in a case purchase.

Upcoming Events

March Passport Program - March 2 and 3, 9 and 10, 16 and 17, and 23 and 24

The wine enthusiast knows that March means touring the eight wineries along the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail for wine and food pairings, wine education, and a month of fun. As you visit our eight wineries you will be offered delicious wine and food pairings to sample. Your passport will be stamped during each visit and then entered into a drawing for additional prizes once it is completed with stamps from all eight wineries. Each passport holder will also receive a picnic wine tote. You can find more event details on our website at www.cloverhillwinery.com.

Clover Hill Winery’s 2013 March Menu:

~Weeks 1 and 2
Turtle Rock Red or Concord paired with Spicy Chili
and
Limited Release Chocolate Cabernet paired with Pat’s Famous Double Layer Cheesecake

~Weeks 3 and 4
Chardonnay or Cayuga White paired with Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Noodles
and
Vignoles paired with Apple Dumplings


Wine and Food Pairing
Allentown Fairgrounds Farmer's Market
March 16 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Join Clover Hill at the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market for a free wine and food tasting. This month we will be featuring samples of a Holiday Wine Ham Glaze. This is a quick and easy glaze made using brown sugar and our Holiday wine. The ham featured is from S. Clyde Weavers. Taste, shop and enjoy. Find the event and join us on Facebook.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Vynecrest announces new wine releases

The Annual March Passport Program is here! The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail passport program began this past Saturday. No worries if you don't have a passport as there are still some available at the winery or you can order them online here. If you don't get one before they sell out, we are still open to the public for sales and complimentary tastings. If you do have a passport, come on in and head right downstairs to the Vyneskeller to have your passport stamped and get your food pairing.

It was February madness in the wine cellar as we worked tirelessly to replace the quickly disappearing 2011 vintage with the 2012 wines. Since our last newsletter we have released a few new wines from the 2012 growing season.

New Releases:

2012 Pinot Grigio - It has been out for about two weeks and we can't keep it on the shelves. If this keeps up it won't last long.

2012 Autumn Gold - New label this year for Autumn Gold. Always a favorite. A blend of Vidal Blanc and Cayuga.

2012 Blueberry - One word - awesome! It's like an Oompa Loompa in a bottle! A perfect representation of Blueberry.

2012 Chambourcin - We tinkered a little this year with our Chambourcin. We tried a different method called cold soaking. We picked the grapes, ran them through our crusher destemmer, then dumped a bunch of dry ice in the bin. We kept the grapes cold for about five days before allowing them to heat back up and start fermentation. The cold soak helped extract tannin from the grape skins adding complexity to this wine. We think you will be pleased with the results.

March Specials:
* Wine of the Month - Spiced Winter Red - 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.)

Upcoming Events:

March - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail March Passport Program
The winery will be open for tastings but all food pairings are exclusively for passport holders.

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

Week 1 and 2 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 a
blackberry lemon frosting. Food by Sugar So Sweet Cupcakes.

Week 3 and 4 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.

Glass Half Empty
By Jan Landis

If you've been to the winery since the new year, hopefully you noticed our beautiful new addition to the Vyneskeller, our iPad baby grand piano. We wanted to experiment with different formats of music over the course of the year as well as provide a fun, lively atmosphere on both Saturdays and Sundays. This isn't an ordinary piano; it provides new technology which can be played by a person or through an iPad, allowing us to offer a wide range of music from classical to Sinatra, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett etc.

We think it allows our customers the opportunity to enjoy some background music while still allowing them to engage in conversation and enjoy some wine and appetizers. We will still be featuring Jazz Sunday, the last Sunday of every month (except March) from 1-4 p.m. This past Sunday we had a favorite performer of ours, Dan Harakal, on guitar and a new friend, Mike Spangler, on the piano. So I encourage you to come visit our Vyneskeller sometime soon.

With spring almost upon us, soon we will be able to throw open the windows and you can enjoy the use of the patio again. The tickling of the ivories can then be enjoyed both inside and out, with the view of the vineyard coming to life once again... ah, life is good! The next Jazz Sunday is April 28.