VINEYARD TOURS, WINE TASTINGS, AND PA PREFERRED PARTNERS COMBINE FOR ANNUAL HARVEST WEEKEND EVENT

Harvest season is when all of the spring and summer’s hard work pays off for a winery. The grapes they have grown this spring and summer are removed from the vine and their juices extracted for fermenting into the 2014 vintage to be unveiled later this fall.

On Saturday, Sept. 13 and Sunday, Sept. 14, the nine winery members of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail will celebrate the grape harvest with its annual Harvest Weekend event during which they 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.  Harvest Weekend is a free event, however each winery sets its own wine tasting fee policy. Please refer to each winery’s web site for details.

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. For more information on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, visit www.LehighValleyWineTrail.com.



HARVEST WEEKEND 2014 HIGHLIGHTS

Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth - The winery will pair Cabaret Amore with eggplant Parmesan.

Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville - Big Creek will showcase fresh fruit from its neighbors at Heckman Orchard along with a sampling of its owner’s favorite cheeses.

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli – Blue Mountain will partner on Saturday and Sunday with Sweet Finesse, which will offer samples of their unique and artistic handmade chocolate treats and baked goods, as well as items for purchase. Also on Saturday, they will have complimentary live entertainment by Adam Motto from 1 - 4 pm. For Sunday Blues, the acoustic duo Cheek 2 Cheek will perform from 2 - 5 pm ($5 admission). During their visit, guests may take a self-guided walking tour of the vineyard.

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville – The winery is proud to celebrate 29 years in business. As a thank you for your continued support the owners will extend a 29 percent discount on all wines for 29 years of business at all Clover Hill locations.

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor – Franklin Hill Vineyards will feature a Sangria Bar with a variety of their favorite sangrias from their Friday night Happy Hours. They will also have light snacks and cheese plates for sale as well as tours at noon and 2 pm.

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas – Celebrate the beauty and bounty of the season. On Saturday the Happy Pita food truck will stop by. On Sunday the Love Hot Dog Co. team will offer their gourmet sausages and dogs, fantastic toppings and lemonade. Plan to purchase a snack to enjoy with a glass of wine while drinking in the spectacular autumn views.

September Vineyard Tours: join the winery’s owners for a complimentary, enlightening walking tour of the vineyard and wine cellar. Tours depart from the tasting room at noon. Please wear sturdy footwear. No reservations required. Tours are held weather permitting.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown - The winery will be featuring its 2013 Traminette paired with a local bratwurst with apple cranberry chutney. They will also feature the popular 2013 Quaff with a toasted baguette, local cheese and tomato herb bruschetta topping.

Tolino Vineyards, Bangor - The winery will have live music by Tom Vicario on Saturday from 1 - 4 pm and live music by Joe Benkovic on Sunday from 1 – 4 pm. They will offer vineyard tours at 2 and 4 pm both days. Food pairing will feature local produce from the Easton Farmers Market. They will also pair ginger gold apples with Chardonnay and various soft cheeses from Iron Stone Creamery will be paired with Pinot Grigio and Chambourcin.

Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville - Vynecrest Winery will pair their newly released estate wine, Late Harvest Vidal, with slices of banana roll with cream cheese icing from Hereford Country Store, a fellow Macungie Farmers Market vendor - a Buy Fresh Buy Local market. There will be winemaker tours of the vineyard and wine cellars both Saturday and Sunday at noon, which are open to the public and free of charge.