Lehigh Valley Wine Trail - Valentine's Day/Weekend events

Amore

Weekend of 2/11 & 12 - We will be pairing dark chocolate with Rapport, Blackberry bliss, and Cabaret Dolce. (pairing included in the regular $5 wine tasting fee.)

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Blue Mountain

February is the month of love. Love makes the world go round, but chocolate and wine makes the trip worthwhile. Every Saturday and Sunday in February, savor a delicious cupcake from local baker, The Buttered Crumb, or indulge in three decadent handmade chocolate truffles from local chocolatier, Sweet Finesse. Enjoy them with your favorite wine in their glass-enclosed room with cozy fireplaces overlooking the vineyard.

Wondering what to do for Valentine's Day? Try something a little different! Impress your significant other with a romantic candlelit dinner catered by The Culinary Experience. Enjoy soulful music provided by Jean Therapy Combo, and a souvenir glass to take home to remember this magical night. Tickets must be purcahsed by 2/3/17. Limited tickets. Ages 21 and older only

When: February 10 (snow date February 25)

Time: 6-9 pm; Dinner is served at 6 pm

Where: Blue Mountain Vineyards

Cost: $110/couple (+tax) includes two souvenir glasses, live music, catered dinner, and a glass of wine with dinner.

MENU

Appetizers

Roast Beef Crostinis

Arancini Balls

Mini Pineapple Pulled Pork Sliders

Dinner

Top Round Carving Station

Breaded Chicken Cutlet

Garlic Alfredo Sauce Cavatappi Pasta

Vegetable Medley

Caesar Salad

Fresh Baked Dinner Rolls

Dessert is provided by The Buttered Crumb. Chocolate mousse with handmade whipped cream, fresh berries, and two chocolate hearts on top.

Wine Pairing Suggestion: You can’t go wrong with a limited -dition wine and a simple, but delicious pasta dish to impress your lover on Valentine’s Day. We recommend their 2013 Cabernet Franc, which is a medium-bodied dry red with bright fruit and herb notes, paired with Portobello Mushroom Parmesan. Find the recipe at their website: http://www.bluemountainwine.com/portobelloparmesan.html

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Clover Hill

Beat The Winter Blues with a Wine Slushie Weekend

The Winery in Breinigsville

February 4 & 5 from noon - 4 p.m.

Slushies are available for purchase by the glass.

Forget the cold weather and join us for a little wine slushie fun. They will be wearing their best island outfits, Caribbean music will be playing and will be serving wine slushies by the glass. Slushies will be $6 by the glass (you keep the glass) and $5 refills.

Love Flights

The Winery in Breinigsville

February 11, 12, 13 & 14; noon - 4 p.m. each day

Reservations required (limited availability); $12 per flight

Love Flights is a sweet way to do a casual tasting of 4 wines each perfectly paired with a sweet treat. If you want to join us for Love Flights call us and make a reservation. They will need to know what day you would like to attend, how many people will be joining you and if you prefer dry or sweet wines. Please call 610-395-2468 for reservations.

Wine Pairing Suggestion: They just released the 2013 Merlot. The wine is fuller bodied with a touch of sweet oak and vanilla on the taste. If you are planning a special steak dinner, this wine would be a delightful partner.

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Franklin Hill

Valentine’s Day dinner at Social Still featuring Franklin  Hill’s not-yet-released Cask 530

February 14

$60/person

Join the winery Valentine's Day evening at Social Still and be one of the first to try our soon to be released Cask 530, a bourbon-barrel aged Chambourcin.

Course 1: Appetizer served with a Signature Cocktail

Smoked Beef Carpaccio with preserved lemon, smoked salt, arugula and kalamata olives

or

Prince Edward Island mussels, shallots, garlic absinthe, herbs, with charred bread

Course 2: Salad or Soup

Baby lettuce, blood orange, fennel, roasted beets, with candied hazelnut vinegrette

or

Wild mushroom soup with truffle foam

Course 3: Entree served with Franklin Hill Vineyards Local Wine

Thai style grilled lancaster free range chicken with fingerling sweet potatoes, green papaya salad and a sweet sambal sauce

or

Chimichurri marinated skirt steak, cheesy soft polenta, garlic spinach

Course 4: Dessert

Molten Chocolate cake, berry sauce, with white chocolate ganache

Tickets available online: https://www.opentable.com/social-still

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Galen Glen

Every Saturday and Sunday in February

Wine & Local Chocolate Pairings

Savor a delicious brownie with peanut butter icing from local baker, Mama C’s or three decadent handmade chocolate truffles from local chocolatier, Steve Evans with a glass of their wine.

Saturday, February 11 & Sunday, February 12

Noon to 2 pm

Romance Book Signing

She writes sweet. She writes steamy. Meet local, award-winning author, Autumn Jordan and take home your signed copy of her Valentine’s Day romance novel, Perfect Hearts. She will also be signing Perfect, Seized By Darkness and her newest release, Obsessed By Darkness. Books are $10 each (cash only).  Autumn has been recognized by the Romance Writers of America as a National Golden Heart® finalist and is a Golden Leaf Winner.  Recently, she received a “Best Indie Romance Author” nomination from Amazon’s Kindle Book Reviewers for Seized By Darkness.  More at www.autumnjordon.com.

Wine Pairing Suggestion: Their favorite treats for Valentine’s Weekend, paired with wine:

Galen loves raw oysters with his Stone Cellar Riesling and Fossil Riesling.

Sarah has a glass of their sparkling Gruner Veltliner with tuna and salmon sashimi.

For dessert – Sarah’s homemade tiramisu with their port style Barrel Twenty-Nine.

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Pinnacle Ridge

Weekend of Feb 11-12:

This year we’re teaming up with our good friends at the Mediterranean Café & Grill in Fogelsville. They’ll be baking some crispy, flaky baklava, filled with honey, cashews, pistachios – and most importantly, drizzled with chocolate.

This delectable treat will be paired with our new 2016 Vidal Blanc – a wine made in the classic Germanic tradition of stopped fermentation. Aromas of peaches and nectarines are intermingled with a clean minerality. The naturally retained sweetness blends with the flavors and crispness for a perfect finish.

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Tolino

Valentine's Day Weekend (2/11 and 2/12) Tolino will feature chocolate truffles by JP Hepp of Chocodiem.  JP was named one of North America's top 10 chocolatiers by the Institute of Culinary Education.  Live music on Saturday by George Baier and Erin McClelland on Sunday.

At Tolino’s Easton Public Market booth they will be doing a demonstration on February 8 from 5-7 pm in the community kitchen with JP of Chocodiem pairing their wines with various chocolates.

Wine Pairing Suggestion - pair their Cabernet Franc with dark chocolate for traditionalists, and Lilly with white chocolate for adventurers.

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Vynecrest

Valentine Weekend - February 11 & 12

Vynecrest Winery will be serving brunch in the Vyneskeller from 10 am to 1 pm, reservations required. It is an a la carte menu of mimosas for $3 and an assortment of sweet treats such as chocolate-covered strawberries, almond croissants, cheese pockets, chocolate éclairs, apple Danish and petit fours. They will be taking advanced orders for personal-sized cakes for two to share for $7 each: Oreo Cream and German-Chocolate. Steve Myers will be playing romantic songs on the Baby grand piano 10 am - 4 pm, and 1 – 4 pm on Sunday.

They will also feature both days from 11 am – 4:30 pm a flight of three wines and three chocolates for $10 (no reservations needed).  They will pair the following from Billy’s Candies in Temple, Pa. with their Vynecrest wines:  Sparkling Traminette with Milk Chocolate Covered Strawberries; Vynecrest Red paired with Chocolate Figaro Hazelnut Truffles; and Cherry Divyne paired with solid Dark Chocolate Hearts. Vynecrest.com. 610-398-7525.

Vynecrest celebrates Valentine's Weekend with goodies, live music and jewelry

February is a great month to visit the winery. It's a little less crowded on the weekends with less tourist traffic. You can beat the March crowds and enjoy a tasting upstairs or a glass of wine downstairs in the Vyneskeller.

Copies of our 2016 calendar of events are available to pick up at the front register at the winery and at Vynecrest on Main in Kutztown. While it's still a work in progress, we've added some exciting new things this year, including more live music in the Vyneskeller and food trucks. Our Winemaker Tours of the vineyard and wine cellar are listed on the calendar as well.

We have been partnering with Billy's Candies from Temple, Pa. for the last few months and we now have small heart-shaped Valentine's boxes of their delicious candy on sale at the winery. We have boxes of assorted milk and dark chocolates and boxes of nonpareils for $10.75.

▪ Wine of the Month - Lemberger - 10% off*
▪ 3 Pack of the Month - 3 Summertime Red - $25*

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

February 13 and 14 - Valentine's Day Weekend

Our Vyneskeller wine bar will be opening early for Valentine's Day Weekend. Both days from 10 am - 1 pm we will sell $3 mimosas. Pastries, croissants and chocolate-covered strawberries will be available for purchase as well. Reservations suggested. Call 610-398-7525.

Steve Myers will be playing the baby grand piano in the Vynskeller on Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm and Sunday from 1 - 4 pm. In addition, we will be partnering with Sorrelli’s Jewelry in the main tasting room on Saturday February 13.

February 28 - Jazz Sunday

Dan Harakal on the guitar and Mike Spangler on the Piano, 1-4pm, free admission

March 19 - Vynecrest Wine Dinner at Virginville Hotel - 6:30pm

$60 per person, all inclusive
Reservations: 610-562-7072

Spinach and Crab Flat Bread - A blend of fresh spinach jumbo lump crab and asiago cheese, baked on flat bread, accompanied by Naked Chardonnay

Grilled Romaine heart salad-fresh romaine hearts marinated and grilled topped with a house-made grape tomato bruschetta, drizzled with a balsamic glaze, accompanied by Traminette

Lamb Lollipops - fresh lamb chops sauteed with a leak orange rosemary saute. Served with red skinned garlic mashed potatoes and snap peas, accompanied by Chambourcin

Poached Pears, accompanied by Vynecrest White

Lehigh Valley wineries make special plans for lovers this Valentine's Weekend

Sweethearts looking to do something different to do this Valentine’s Day can take themselves on a trip along the Lehigh Valley WineTrail for a weekend full of treats and tastings. Here is a list of what each of the trail’s nine member wineries has planned:

Amore - will feature assorted chocolates with their Blackberry Bliss wine.

Big Creek - will pair handmade chocolate truffles from Orchard Hill Sweets with either their Nouveau Red or Dulcinea. Truffles will also be available for sale.

Blue Mountain – the New Tripoli winery will host a Valenwine Weekend Wine and Chocolate Pairing on Saturday, February 14 and Sunday, February 15 from 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The winery will pair three of their wines with three different flavors of locally made chocolates from Sweet Finesse. Cost is $5 per person, which is refundable with a wine purchase. (Reservations required for groups of eight or more.) Customers are invited to bring a picnic or snacks to enjoy with a glass or bottle of Blue Mountain wine next to the fireplaces on the glass-enclosed deck. On Sunday, February 15, customers can enjoy Sunday Blues with Steve Brosky and Jimmy Meyer from 2 - 5 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person (non-refundable), which includes the wine and chocolate pairing. Reservations are required for Sunday Blues and can be made by calling 610-298-3068.

Clover Hill - Join the winery for Love Flights on February 13 - 15 from noon - 5 pm. Tickets are required and are $9 per flight. Flights will consist of four wines paired with four samples of cheeses. A choice of a mixed flight of dry and off-dry wines, or a sweet flight will be offered. For tickets, call 610-395-2468 or visit the winery in Breinigsville.

Franklin Hill - is hosting a Valentine Chocolate and Wine Pairing Weekend. Sweethearts are invited to visit Franklin Hill Vineyards winery on February 14 and 15 for a chocolate and wine pairing. Sample different flavors of chocolate that accompany their wines.

Galen Glen - Every weekend in February the winery will offer three decadent truffles (double dark, raspberry/champagne, and espresso) with 3 oz. of their Raspberry wine for $3. The truffles are handmade by Lancaster chocolatier Steve Evans.

Pinnacle Ridge - Join the winery for a candle-lit Wine Lover's Evening. Local chef and Northampton Community College culinary instructor Mary Grube will prepare this four-course food and wine pairing. Each course will be designed and paired with a Pinnacle Ridge favorite wine. Cost is $140 per couple. Call (610) 756-4481 for reservations and details.

Tolino - will offer wine and chocolate pairings on Saturday, February 14 and Sunday, February 15 from noon  - 6 p.m. They will also offer Russian-style chocolates from Alexandra and Nicolay Chocolates in Portland, Pa. paired with Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, and Papa’s Red. Tastings of the traditional chocolates (milk, dark and white) are complimentary with the purchase of their premier tasting. For an additional $5 the tasting can be upgraded to include the “Fruits of the Czars” specialty chocolates made with Callebaut chocolate-coated apricots stuffed with almonds. The winery will also offer its pink Berry Rosé Sangria for sale by the glass and will give away a fresh flower to the first 50 customers who purchase a bottle of wine.

Vynecrest - The Vyneskeller wine bar will open early for Valentine’s Day. From 10 a.m. to noon it will sell $3 mimosas and feature Frank Sinatra on the baby grand player piano. Pastries, croissants and chocolate-covered strawberries will be available for purchase while supplies last. Reservations are suggested. There will also be live music by Steve Myers in the Vyneskeller from 1 to 4 p.m.