Christmas wishes from the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail

We'd like to thank all of our loyal customers for supporting our wine trail this year. Our eight family-owned and operated wineries appreciate your patronage. We couldn't do it without you. And to everyone who just discovered our wine trail this year, we're glad to have you with us!

Please share your love of the wine trail and our wineries with someone you know and encourage them to explore it in 2014.  We hope to see many of you on the trail in March for our annual Passport Program.

Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year too!



P.S. - Forget to buy a gift for someone on your list? Order them a passport for our 2014 March Passport Program and slip an IOU into their card. We will mail it out this Friday and you can give it to them next time you see them!

Sign up now for a Beginner Wine Tasting Class at Clover Hill

Pull the cork, pour a few glasses of wine, cheers glasses with those around you and let the fun begin with friends and family this holiday season. When you visit any Clover Hill location, we welcome you to sample our wines and will help you find the perfect selection for your holiday occasions.

 For the month of December we have extended holiday hours:

The Winery in Breinigsville: 
Monday – Saturday 9 am - 6 pm and 
Sunday Noon - 5 pm
The Vineyard in Robesonia
: Monday – Saturday 10 am - 6 pm
 and Sunday – Noon - 5 pm

You can also find us at the Allentown Farmer's Market, the Boscov’s Fairgrounds Farmer's Market open during market hours and online at www.cloverhillwinery.com. Also, some of our wines are stocked in the PA Wine & Spirit Stores.

In addition to finding wine in our stores, you can also find a great selection of wine racks, wine accessories and other gift ideas. Custom labeled wine is a fun way to personalize your gift giving and it is not too late to order (find out more information at www.cloverhillwinery.com/products). If you just aren’t sure about someone’s taste, we also have Clover Hill gift cards.

From everyone at Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, we wish you a happy, healthy and safe holiday season. We are proud you choose to celebrate the holidays with a Clover Hill wine.

Owner’s Selection

Save on your purchase of a gift box with Vidal Blanc and Turtle Rock Red
 during the month of December. Now only $21.59.

Beginner Wine Tasting Class

Saturday, January 11 & Sunday, January 12 at 2 pm

Tickets required; $25 per person


Join us in a beginner wine tasting class. This 1½ hour long class will teach you the basics of wine tasting, give you tips on wine and food pairing and help to answer any wine questions you may have! This class has a limited number of seats and tickets are required. Must be 21+ years of age or older. Call 610-395-2468 or visit the winery in Breinigsville to reserve your ticket. Tickets make a great holiday gift!

Live Advent Calendar, hashtag contest, extended holiday hours, and more from Franklin Hill

Downtown Bethlehem's Live Advent Calendar
A different Downtown Business is featured nightly in the Live Advent Calendar. The door of the 1810 Goundie House at 505 Main St. opens at 5:30 p.m. and guests are entertained in a unique and festive way.

Franklin Hill Vineyards will be opening the door TONIGHT, December 17. Warm up with some hot mulled wine while you enjoy the Lehigh Valley Harmonizers singing your favorite carols in the street.

TABLEWINE # COMP
Want to win a FREE CASE of wine? Include a bottle of our wine on your beautifully set holiday table, take a pic, and put it on a social media site with the hashtag #tablewine. We will be judging your pics on creativity, beauty, wine placement and maybe even on how good it all looks. Have fun and good luck.

We Need Your Vote!
It's that time of year again and Downtown Bethlehem's Doors and Windows of Bethlehem competition is in full force. Our Bethlehem crew has created a door worth your vote. Stop by, check it out and then submit your vote.

EXTENDED HOLIDAY HOURS
Short on time this holiday season? Let us help. Our retail stores will be opening earlier and closing later. So whether we're your first stop or your last, we'll be there for you.

Tannersville & Easton
Mondays - Saturdays: 10 am - 7 pm
Sundays: 11 am - 5 pm

Bethlehem
Mondays - Thursdays: 10 am - 8pm
Fridays & Saturdays: 10 am - 9 pm
Sundays: Noon - 6 pm

The Perfect Holiday Martini
We've got a tasty way to impress your holiday guests with this cocktail:

First chill your martini glass.
Then add 3 parts Passion to 1 part Vanilla Vodka.
Dip the rim of your favorite martini glass in green colored sugar and garnish with a strawberry.

December update from the Wine Trail

Here are a few highlights from our wineries on what they are up to this month.

Now that the holidays are officially here, several of our members have extended hours at their wineries and/or their wine shoppe locations. So be sure to check their web sites or call ahead before visiting. Also, several of the wineries offer custom wine labels for wine you plan to give as gifts, but the deadline for ordering labels is nearing. Be sure to ask about it soon if you are interested.

Galen Glen's Annual Holiday Open House

Saturday 12/14, 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday 12/15, noon - 5 pm

We welcome you to come in from the cold and warm up with some of Gary's Norwegian Shrimp Chowder. In Norway, fish, shrimp and potatoes are staples in a family's diet. Soup is great after a cold day of tree shopping, holiday shopping or decorating. Stop by the winery for our complimentary food and wine pairing. Let our staff help you make your holiday wine selections. We also will have gift cards, gift baskets, glass wear, dips, jellies, jewelry and candles available to help you with your holiday gift giving needs.

There's still time to visit Vynecrest's Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem booth for wine tastings and sales during your trip to Christmas in Bethlehem. 

Thursdays & Sundays: 11 am - 6 pm

Fridays & Saturdays: 11am - 8pm 

12/12 - 12/15 and 12/19 - 12/22

Clover Hill Wine & Food Inspiration

Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market

Saturday, December 14 from 11 am - 4 pm

Visit our Wine Shop for a special wine and food pairing. We will be showcasing some holiday entertaining ideas that will include: 

- Smoked turkey from Mr. Bill's Poultry paired with Oak Vidal

- 'Krab Salad' from Heckenberger's Seafood paired with Cayuga White

- English Cheddar with orange and chocolate from Wittman's World Cheeses paired with Vignoles

Pinnacle Ridge: Need a special gift for that wine lover in your life this holiday season?

Check out our gift baskets full of artisan dips, sauces and all other sorts of wine goodies. Complete with award winning Pinnacle Ridge Winery wines, of course.

4th Annual Christmas Blessings Toy & Gift Drive at Blue Mountain
Sunday 12/15 at 2 p.m.

It's that time of year to spread Christmas cheer to those who need it the most. Bring a new toy and donate it to the Christmas Blessings Toy & Gift Drive. All toys and gifts will be donated to the children's hospital. Put a smile on their face with your donation and enjoy live music with Scott Marshall & The Hillbilly Souls.

Franklin Hill Vineyards recently won 3 medals from the Grand Harvest Wine Competition in Sonoma County, CA. This competition is the only wine competition in North America that is based on terrior.

RedHead, our newest edition to our wine list, is a dry red with a high vanilla oak, was awarded a Bronze Medal.

White Jade, a dry, lightly oaken white, was awarded a Silver Medal.

Fiesta, a fun, sweet, red made with 100% concord grapes with a citrus blend added to it making it like a Red Sangria, was awarded a Silver Medal.

Don't forget to get your Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wine tote this holiday season.

When you purchase 6 bottles of wine or more at one of our 8 member wineries, you will receive this FREE wine tote! The bags are printed on both sides with pictures of our wine bottles. The bag is durable and able to securely hold 6 full bottles of wine. While supplies last.

Saying thanks while getting ready to shop!

At Thanksgiving we are reminded of how appreciative all of our eight member winery owners are for our loyal customers who not only purchase our wines but also advocate for our wineries and for buying local. It is thanks to your continued support that our wine trial continues to be successful. Thank you for coming back time after time and helping us spread the word!

Many of our wineries have begun extended holiday hours at their wine tasting rooms and wine shoppe locations. Be sure to call ahead or visit their web sites before heading out.

Here are a few highlights of what some of the wineries have planned for this coming weekend:

Galen Glen - Black Friday Sale
November 29 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Once a year, we put the winery on sale. 15% off case sales only. Custom label orders and shipped orders are not included. All wine must be purchased at the winery day of sale.
ONE DAY ONLY. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Blue Mountain - Black Friday specials
at the winery and all locations

$2 off  all rhinestone shirts
$2 off all rhinestone aprons
$1 off all T-shirts

Clover Hill - Shop Small Saturday

Saturday, November 30

All Clover Hill locations and at www.cloverhillwinery.com

Eat, Drink and Buy Local! Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery would like to thank you for choosing to "Shop Small’ and supporting our family owned and operated winery. Please enjoy 10% off any 6 or more bottles and 20% off 12 or more bottles on Shop Small Saturday only. Go ahead, stock up for the holiday and thank you for Shopping Small. 

Blue Mountain Christmas Open House
December 7
5 - 9 pm

Please join us for some Christmas Cheer! This event is our way of saying thank you to our customers. Enjoy our delicious wines accompanied by hors d'oeuvres while listening to live entertainment in our beautiful glass-enclosed deck kept warm and cozy by our fireplaces.

Galen Glen - Santa Visits

Saturday, December 7

We will again be collecting for Toys-for-Tots, so please bring an unwrapped toy or a monetary donation to help those less fortunate.  Bring your camera for a photo with Santa too.

Holiday events and an open house coming up at Galen Glen

Bird-to-the-last-drop

Saturday, November 23 from10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, November 24 from noon to 5 p.m.

Thanksgiving is just days away.  Are you searching for the best wines to pair with your holiday meals? Come to the winery and let our knowledgable staff help you with your holiday pairings.

Do you need a recipe for all of those leftovers?  We'll have one of those at the winery this weekend too. We are offering a complimentary food and wine pairing of our Bird-to-the-last-drop soup with your choice of one of either our newest wine, GJT Stone Cellar Riesling or our semi-dry Riesling (the double-gold medal winner). This is the perfect time to pick up a bottle for your holiday meal and one for the leftovers too.

Now is a great time to be thinking of holiday gift giving. Have you considered giving the gift of wine? In addition to gift cards, we have many custom label options or we can place your digital image on a label too. Stop by the winery to view our label catalog or email gruveegruner@galenglen.com to request an email sample of our current holiday images.

At this time of the year we pause to think of the many things we are thankful for. We are thankful for you our Galen Glen fans. Thank you for continuing to share your favorite wines with friends and family.

November 29 - Black Friday Sale 
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Once a year, we put the winery on sale. 15% off case sales only. Custom label orders and shipped orders are not included. All wine must be purchased at the winery day of sale.
ONE DAY ONLY. NO EXCEPTIONS.

December 7, 8, 14 & 15 - Holiday Open House Weekends 

Our winery family's gift to you. We look forward to sharing something spectacular!

December 15 - Love Hotdog Co.
Noon - 5 p.m.
Scrumptious gourmet sausages & "dogs" - for the love of dogs! http://lovehotdogco.com/


Please note: Wine sold to be consumed on our premises is by-the-glass only.  No open bottles are permitted. PA State law prohibits the consumption of any other alcohol on our premises. If you are planning to come in a group of 6 or more, we do require reservations. They may be made by calling the winery in advance during normal business hours.

Clover Hill recommends wines to pair with Thanksgiving dinner

We completed our 36th grape harvest at Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery in mid-October and what a dramatic vintage it was! Overall, we are quite pleased with the harvest; in particular the late ripening varieties such as Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chambourcin. Your first opportunity to taste any of this year’s wines will be spring 2014. In the meantime, winemaker John Skrip III is busy working in the winery transforming grapes into wine.

Now, let’s talk turkey. Choosing the right wine to serve for Thanksgiving should be an easy task. Let’s start with what NOT to serve. We suggest staying away from the full body, big oak wines and also the very sweet and grapey wines. Too much oak or too much grape flavor will overpower the food. In order to enhance the food flavors, opt for a lighter, more delicate white or red wine. 

Some of our favorite Clover Hill wine suggestions would include:

• Riesling ~ we make two styles of Riesling: a dry and a semi-sweet white. Both wines are rich in peach, apricot and honey characteristics and make a perfect Turkey pairing.
• 2009 Sangiovese ~ this is a lighter body, dry red wine with soft hints of oak. Light enough to pair with turkey, but has enough body to go well with all the side dishes.
• Turtle Rock Red ~ 100% Chambourcin, stainless steel fermented and just a hint of sweetness. The perfect red wine for turkey.
• Vignoles ~ exudes sweet, luscious and rich flavors of honey and orange blossoms. This is our favorite choice to serve with pumpkin pie after dinner.

We would like to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with good food, good company and great wine. Thank you for choosing to drink local and for serving a Clover Hill wine this Thanksgiving.

Owner's Selection

Save 10% on your purchase of Spiced Apple during the month of November. Spiced with just the right blend of cinnamon and cloves - reminiscent of mom's apple pie. Excellent for braising pork or poultry. Can be served warm as a mulled wine; or serve cold as is or with soda and a squeeze of lime. Now only $9.45.

Find Spiced Apple Recipes Here. 

Allentown Fairgrounds Farmer's Market

Saturday November 9 from 11 am - 4 pm

Visit the Clover Hill Wine Shop at the  Allentown Fairgrounds Farmer's Market for a special wine and food pairing featuring General Tso's Chicken Meatballs from Culinary Experts paired with the Clover Hill Riesling.

Buck A Bottle Shipping Special

shop.cloverhillwinery.com

November 14-17

Let us help you share Clover Hill wines this Thanksgiving with friends and family across the USA. We will ship your favorite Clover Hill wines for just A BUCK A BOTTLE shipping. Purchase 12 or more bottles and you will also receive a 10% discount on your wine. Use the coupon code $1SHIP at checkout. 

Generations Wine Tasting

November 28-December 1

All Clover Hill locations

Visit any Clover Hill location to sample our limited release Generations wines. Sampling will include:

• 2012 Generations Riesling – a dry Riesling
• 2012 Generations N-Chard – a dry, unoaked Chardonnay
• 2012 Generations Three – a dry, red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot

Shop Small Saturday

Saturday, November 30

All Clover Hill locations and at www.cloverhillwinery.com

Eat, Drink and Buy Local! Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery would like to thank you for choosing to "Shop Small’ and supporting our family owned and operated winery. Please enjoy 10% off any 6 or more bottles and 20% off 12 or more bottles on Shop Small Saturday only. Go ahead, stock up for the holiday and thank you for Shopping Small. 

Receive an additional 10% discount when included in a case purchase! 

Nouveau Weekend = the start of the holiday season at Vynecrest Winery

The 2013 harvest is pretty much over (except for our Late Harvest Vidal) and it feels good to take a breath before the busy holiday season begins. Passports for the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail's March Passport Program go on sale November 16 (during Nouveau Weekend) for $35 each.

Christkindlmarkt starts Nov. 21 and runs through Dec 22 and is open Thursday 11 am - 6 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am - 8 pm, and Sunday 11 am - 6 pm (closed Thanksgiving Day).

Our winery's gift area has locally made products that make wonderful gifts for teachers, hostesses, family and friends. Soy candles, crackers, dips, cheese. Remember we have make-your-own baskets ($5 for basket and wrapping) where you add whatever wine, candles, cheese, crackers, dips, wine gifts you want and we'll make it up for you.

November specials
* Wine of the Month - Summertime Red, additional 10% off
* 3 Pack of the Month - Vynecrest Red, 3 for $27

(Wine of the month and 3 pack available at winery only; 3 pack can't be combined with other discounts.)

Upcoming events

• Nov. 16 & 17 - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Nouveau Weekend - For Nouveau Weekend, we will be releasing a new vintage of our estate-grown Gamay Beaujolais, the traditional grape of Nouveau wine. Young and fruity with a promise of even greater expectations to come, this wine is meant to be enjoyed now, during the holiday season. And, to help make entertaining this holiday season easier, we at Vynecrest will feature during Nouveau Weekend vegetable and fruit dip appetizers made by our local partner, Sugar ‘n Spice from Coplay. Ann Moeller will be serving samples of her products such as festive vegetable, cucumber onion and dill, tomato ranch and jalapeno to pair with our Gamay Beaujolais wine. We will also have pumpkin dip and strawberry fruit dip available for sampling.

• Nov. 21 - Christkindlmarkt opens.
• Nov. 24 - Jazz Sunday - Live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller, 1 - 4 pm

Glass Half Empty
2013 Harvest Recap
by Malachi Duffy

Where do I go with all of this wine? That question is a good description of how the 2013 harvest went for Vynecrest this year. The vintage did not start off that way. We had a later-than-usual bud break, unpredictable weather during fruit set, and a rainy summer. Things were not looking good until late August. Then, the rain stopped, the humidity dropped, and the weather took a complete 180. The weather starting in late August could not have been much better to turn a sub-par vintage into one for the record books.

Not only did the weather cooperate, but the birds did as well. If you have read this newsletter for awhile you are aware of the battle we go through every year with birds. In August we got ready for the war to begin. We loaded up on ammo and had a patrol schedule set up morning and night. We decided to be preemptive and start the patrol even though we didn't see any birds yet. We figured if we scared them away as they came in we could keep them away. But they never really showed up. We had a couple flocks of starlings here and there but they didn't do much damage. We have a couple of rows of early ripening grapes we have never been able to harvest because the birds ate every berry on every plant before we could get to them. This year we pulled 130 lugs out of those rows. That is 230 gallons of wine we were never able to harvest before. Not a bad start to the 2013 Harvest.

As we continued bringing grapes in, the yields were higher than expected on every variety. Sometimes a little higher, sometimes a lot higher. There is always a balance of quantity vs. quality. That is why on many of our varieties we cut off as much as half of the fruit off the vine in order to fully ripen the remaining fruit. Even with the high yields, the quality of the fruit we brought in was amazing. The grapes were ripe, clean, and the sugars and acids were right where we wanted them.

That leads me back to the problem of where do I go with all of this wine? With every variety coming in with higher than expected yields, our tanks filled up quickly. We are re-purposing our white wine fermentation tanks as wine storage tanks until we can make some more room, or buy more tanks. Not a bad problem to have, it just makes life in the cellar a little more interesting for the next couple of months.

Save the date for our last wine trail event of 2013 - Nouveau Weekend

The eight wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail will debut the first wines from the new vintage during Nouveau Weekend, the last Wine Trail event of the year. Wineries will feature food and wine pairings for visitors to sample.

Nouveau wines are bottled very young without barrel aging, and exhibit lots of fruitiness. They are light, fruity and semi-dry to dry red wines.

 

Nouveau Weekend is a great opportunity to purchase wine to give as holiday gifts or to complement holiday meals.

Event hours at all of the wineries are Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. We will post to our web site details on what each winery has planned soon, so stay tuned.

(Nouveau Weekend is a free event, however some wineries charge for wine tastings.) 

Also, if you are someone who likes to plan ahead, mark your calendars and plan to join us for our six annual events next year. The dates are:

• March Madness - the first four weekends in March (note: does not include the fifth weekend on the month)
• Wine in Bloom – 5/17 & 18
• Wine on the Mountain at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe, Pa. – 7/26 & 27
• Harvest Weekend – 9/13 & 14
• Chambourcin Weekend – 10/18 & 19
• Nouveau Weekend – 11/15 & 16

Get To Know The Official Wine Grape of the Lehigh Valley During Chambourcin Weekend Event

The eight locally-owned and operated wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail will introduce wine lovers to the region’s official wine grape during Chambourcin Weekend on Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20.  

The Chambourcin is the only wine grape that is grown by all eight wineries. In the greater Lehigh Valley, there are more than 40 acres of Chambourcin which ferment into approximately 150,000 bottles of wine. Chambourcin is very versatile in the wine cellar and the wineries craft it into several styles of wine including Nouveau, Rosé, Semi- Sweet, Sweet, Dry Barrel Aged, Sparkling and Port.

Each winery will feature its own activities such as wine tastings, live entertainment, tours, or food and wine pairings. (For a detailed list, see below.) Event hours at all of the wineries are Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. Chambourcin Weekend is a free event, however some wineries charge for wine tastings.

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail is a non-profit organization of wineries whose mission is to promote agri-tourism and to create a premiere wine destination and grape growing region while promoting Pennsylvania wines from the region. All of the member wineries have won numerous awards at state, national and international levels.

For more information on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, visit www.LehighValleyWineTrail.com, connect with them on Twitter and their Facebook page.

CHAMBOURCIN WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth - will be serving beef barbecue prepared with Chambourcin wine.

Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville – will be slicing some of their family’s favorite cheeses and releasing their 2012 Regent.

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli - will be hosting a Chili Cook Off on Saturday at noon. They will be offering their signature chili prepared with the International Award Winning 2010 Chambourcin and paired with Chambourcin.  Anyone interested in entering a chili in the Chili Cook Off should email info@bluemountainwine.com.  First, second and third place prizes will be awarded.  Customers will be the judges, so bring your appetites and plan to have lunch. They will pair Victoria’s Passion with a chocolate fondue for dessert. Also, from 1 - 4 p.m. there will be live musical entertainment. On Sunday they will offer Victoria’s Passion paired with chocolate fondue and a delicious mulled Chambourcin. 

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville - The Chambourcin grape is the only grape all eight wineries on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail grow, but it is produced in many different styles. So take this weekend to travel the trail and sample various styles of wine made from this grape.. Clover Hill will hold cooking demonstrations to be paired with their 2012 Chambourcin and Turtle Rock Red (also made from 100% Chambourcin grapes). Cooking demonstrations will take place at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. both days. Visit their website for more details on what the chef will be cooking.

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor - uses the hearty red Chambourcin grape in several of their wines including Simply Red, Fainting Goat, Redhead, Trio and, of course, Chambourcin. They will be featuring creamy mushroom soup from the Broadway Pub, brownies made with Fainting Goat from Buttercup Bakery, dips from Robert Rothschild farms, and complimentary wine tastings. Tours of the winery will be offered at noon and 2 p.m.  (Groups of 8 or more - please contact the winery for more information.)

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas - is featuring Nonna Flo’s gravy over pasta with Chambourcin. In her Philadelphia neighborhood, gravy meant a homemade red marinara sauce. Nonna Flo always had wine when cooking; sometimes it even went in the recipe! They’ll be recreating her gravy (recipe available), which uses red wine as her ‘secret’ ingredient, and toasting her memory with a glass of Chambourcin.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown - Pinnacle Ridge will be pairing their four interpretations of Chambourcin - 2011 Chambourcin, 2010 Chambourcin Reserve, Sweet Seduction and Chambourcin Rose - with smoked meats from the Berks County iconic butcher, Dietrich's Meats.

Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville - will be highlighting the versatility of the Jewel of the Lehigh Valley, the Chambourcin grape, by pairing the 2012 dry Chambourcin wine with sticky chicken - slowly cooked chicken basted in a flavorful sticky marinade that clings to the chicken.  The sauce, made with their Chambourcin wine, (recipe available) can be used for sticky chicken over rice or sticky chicken wings.

New bottling line and upgrades to the wine cellar and winery entrance on tap this summer at Vynecrest

We had a close call a couple of weeks ago when the temperature dropped to 28 degrees, but it looks like all of the vines made it. The temperature only dropped for a short time and not long enough to cause any damage.

The Vyneskeller is now open seven days a week from 1 - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday it is self service and you can buy everything you need upstairs in the tasting room (wine, cheese, crackers) and take it with you downstairs to the patio or out to the picnic tables. Saturday and Sunday is business as usual with our full staff.

June Specials at Vynecrest:

* Wine of the Month - Lemberger, additional 10% off 

* 3 Pack of the Month - 3 First Blush for $25

*available at winery only, 3 pack cannot be combined with other offers

Upcoming Events

June 22 and 23 - Split Rock Wine Festival

The Great Tastes of Pennsylvania Wine and Food Festival takes place June 22 and 23 at Split Rock Resort located in beautiful Lake Harmony, Pa. This two-day outdoor festival, located on resort grounds in the Poconos, features continuous musical entertainment on three separate stages, over 30 of Pennsylvania's finest wineries, and a wide selection of food vendors to tempt your taste buds.

June 30 - Jazz Sunday and Vineyard Tour

July 27 and 28 - Wine on the Mountain

Hit the road and head to Penn’s Peak in nearby Jim Thorpe for this festival which includes wine samplings from our wineries in your own commemorative glass. Relax with a glass of wine on the panoramic outdoor deck with a view of Beltzville Lake and the Pocono Mountains. Or stay inside in air conditioned comfort while listening to live musical entertainment.

Browse through the displays from local artisans and crafters selling handmade décor, accessories, and food items. Or purchase food to pair with your wine from the Penn’s Peak kitchens. Live musical entertainment will be provided by the Billy Bauer Duo on Saturday and Jake Kaligis Dynamic Duo on Sunday.

Tickets are required for this event and are $15 in advance or $20 at the door the weekend of the event. The event is noon - 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  Advance tickets are now for sale online as well as at all 8 wineries. 

*Wine on the Mountain is an adults-only event. Attendees must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Designated Driver tickets will be sold for $8 each at the door only the weekend of the event and not in advance.

July 28 - Jazz Sunday

Glass Half Empty

While we stay busy with the day-to-day stuff in the vineyard, wine cellar and tasting room, we are always asking ourselves what can we do to make it better. Better experience for our customers, better equipment or processes in the vineyard or cellar to increase efficiency and increase wine quality.

This question ultimately leads to buying more stuff and projects. I thought I would share a couple of our more recent projects.

My favorite project so far this year is the addition of a mezzanine in our wine cellar. The mezzanine holds 1 pallet (64 cases) of each wine and has a door leading to the tasting room. This solved a couple of problems. First, it opened up some much needed space in the cellar by moving 22 pallets of wine up and out of the way. Second, it allows easy access to wine to keep the shelves stocked. Prior to the mezzanine we would do an inventory see how many cases of each wine we needed in the tasting room, load up a pallet of wine and use a forklift to drive it around to the front door to be unloaded. This was done every Friday and Sunday of busy weekends, usually by Sam and myself. Now the shelves are stocked everyday by whoever is working. My future self's back is thankful for the mezzanine.

The next big project of the year was the widening of the front entrance. We have finished phase 1 of the project. The road is widened and a retaining wall is in that matches the retaining wall at the picnic area. We also added stairs to get from the front entrance to the Vyneskeller patio without having to walk on the road. We have gravel in the widened area for now. Phase 2 will be completed over the next month or so. We will rip up all of the pavers in front of the winery and remove the black top driveway. We will bring the grade up to match the front door. That means no more tripping into the winery and a much easier experience trying to wheel a case of wine out of the door and to your car. Once started, the work should only take a few days so the winery will be open as always.

The last last big thing we have planned for the year is a new bottling line. Hopefully it will be up and running for the next vintage. We will be able to bottle twice as fast. We will also switch to screw caps instead of synthetic cork. Screw caps have come a long way in recent years. Not only are they easier to use, but they now offer the same oxygen diffusion as a synthetic closure, allowing the same "ageability" as our current synthetic cork.

Clover Hill releases its summer vineyard and winery tour schedule

So far spring has provided us with gorgeous weather, though much cooler than recent years. This weather has provided a later bud break and more even shoot growth in the vineyard. To sum up our beginning of the growing season, we would say it has been slow but steady.

By contrast, in the winery we have been moving quite quickly. Winemaker John Skrip III, just released the 2012 Pinot Grigio and the 2012 Dolcetto. Both of these wines are springtime favorites. The Pinot Grigio is a dry, unoaked, white wine that is packed with citrus fruit flavors like pink grapefruit and lemon. Our Dolcetto is an Italian grape variety that translates to mean ‘Little Sweet One’ but don’t be fooled - this is a completely dry rosé. Both of these wines lend themselves nicely to grilled white fish, steamed clams or spring salads with grilled chicken.

We look forward to your next visit to Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery. If you visit our Breinigsville or Robesonia locations, we would like to invite you to spend a little extra time and enjoy a glass of wine on the patio while you are here. Please note, we have recently updated our House Policies in order for all to have a pleasant experience while visiting our home. Please take a minute to read them in order to help you plan your next visit.

Thank you for your continued support of Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery. We couldn't be more proud to be a family-owned business growing grapes for 38 years and making wine for 28 years. Cheers!

Owner's Selection:

Save 10% on your purchase of Niagara.
Enjoy the outstanding aroma and taste of fresh grapes that just popped out of their skin into the wine glass. This sweet white wine is a nostalgic treat for anyone who ever tasted the ‘backyard grapes’. Serve the Niagara well chilled with good friends or family. Enjoy our Pretty in Peach recipe using our Niagara this summer! Now only $8.55. Receive an additional 10% discount when included in a case purchase.

Public Tours:

• Friday, June 21 at  2:30 pm
• Sunday, June 23 at 2:30 pm
• Saturday, July 13 at 1 and 2:30 pm
• Monday, July 15 at 2:30 pm
• Saturday, August 10 at 1 and 2:30 pm
• Monday, August 12 at 2:30 pm

Spend the afternoon sipping and touring Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery. We will share with you our grape growing and winemaking process from start to finish. Please expect to spend 1½ hours at the winery for the tour. Weather permitting we will go into the vineyard so casual attire is recommended. $12 per person and advance tickets are required.

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!

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.

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?

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.

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.