Pinnacle Ridge brings home several medals from recent competition

Congratulations to Pinnacle Ridge Winery on its recent medals in the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition & Camp Good Days Wine Auction.

In the past 3 years, Pinnacle Ridge has submitted 45 wines to this competition, and 44 have returned with medals! This includes two recent DOUBLE GOLD wins - one for our 2013 Vidal Blanc (in the 2014 competition), and another for our 2015 Quaff (in the 2017 competition).

2017 WINNERS:

Double Gold
2015 Quaff

Silver
2016 Naked Chardonnay
2016 Gruner Veltliner
2016 Traminette
2014 Veritas
Blanc de Blanc

Other Medal Winners:
2016 Vidal Blanc
2016 Chambourcin Rose'
2013 Chambourcin Reserve
2015 Chambourcin
2015 Pinot Noir
2015 Merlot
2016 Cayuga
Cuvee Chardonnay
Brut Rose'

Most of these wines are available for sampling right now in our Tasting Room (open every day from 10 am - 6 pm). Stop in and find out if you agree with the wine experts.
www.pinridge.com

Franklin Hill Vineyards wins awards for its wines at PA Wine Conference

Congratulations to Franklin Hill Vineyards in Bangor on winning the following awards at the recent 2017 Pennsylvania Wine Conference:

• Best Dry White Wine - White Jade - a lightly oaked blend of Vidal Blanc and Chardonnay.
• Gold - Cask 530 - made using Social Still’s first batch of bourbon barrels that were filled with Chambourcin the day they were emptied and left to age almost a year. 
• Silver - Potion X - seasonal pumpkin spice wine great when used in cocktails or served warm
• Bronze - Midnight Rush - sparkling plum wine in a can
• Bronze - Fire Cider - original hard cider infused with cinnamon and is quickly becoming our most popular cider

Try them at the winery or any of their wine shoppe locations on your next visit.

Pinnacle Ridge wines win 9 awards at PA Farm Show

In the winter of 2016, a panel of wine judges convened in Harrisburg for the Pennsylvania Farm Show, ready to taste a wide variety of wines from around this large state with several well-defined viticultural regions. The results of the tasting were announced on the first day of the Pennsylvania Farm Show and Pinnacle Ridge Winery is proud to have received nine noteworthy awards.

• Gold medal - 2014 Cabernet Franc - This is a wine of deep, ruby-red color; it has a heavy mouthfeel, and a smoky, tannic finish.
• Silver medals - Chambourcin Rosé, 2014 Merlot, 2013 Chardonnay, and semi-sweet sparkling Blanc de Blanc
• Bronze medals - 2013 Veritas (a Bordeaux blend), Quaff (a semi-sweet red blend), Dry Riesling, and 2014 Pinot Noir. 

The years 2014 and 2015 are proving to have blessed us with harvests much more than adequate, both in yield and quality of fruit.

Wine is an important and ever-growing industry to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It blends the two fields of agriculture and tourism into a lucrative, appealing asset to the state. For this reason we are glad to be farming, operating, selling, and creating in the fertile soil of this region.

Pinnacle Ridge Winery, located in the heart of idyllic Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is located along Old Route 22 outside of Kutztown. In 1993, Dr. Brad Knapp established the winery, housed in a beautifully renovated Pennsylvania bank barn, originally built in 1851. The thick stone foundation provides cool, stable temperatures year-round…ideal conditions for the production and aging of wine.

At Pinnacle Ridge, only locally grown grapes are used to make the portfolio of sparkling and table wines. The vineyards are located on shale-filled hillsides which promote small crops of very high quality grapes. Pinnacle Ridge is a three-time recipient of the PA Farm Show Governor’s Cup and PA Wine Society Wine Excellence Award.

Pinnacle Ridge Winery is open daily from 10 am - 6 pm. You can find out more by visiting the website at www.pinridge.com, or by calling the Tasting Room at (610) 756-4481. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PinnacleRidgeWinery and on Twitter www.twitter.com/pinridgewinery.

Galen Glen releases sparkling wine for the holidays

2014 Stone Cellar Quartz Brut Sparkling wine is a limited release and available for purchase at $17.99 per bottle, while supplies last. This wine is returning after a one year hiatus and just in time for the holidays and New Year. Quartz is a Vidal Blanc-based brut sparkling, fermented in the bottle. It's racy and elegantly crisp. Pop the cork and enjoy it with buttery popcorn, salty chips, shrimp or brie. Pair it with caviar for your New Year's Eve celebration.

This Saturday and Sunday, December 12 and 13, you will have the opportunity to taste this exceptional wine paired with a shrimp dip. This may be the only weekend we offer tastings of this new wine. Get yours before it is gone.

2015 Grand Harvest Awards

On the heels of winning a double-gold medal in the Six Nations Wine Competition in Australia, Galen Glen received notification of the official results of the 2015 Grand Harvest Awards from California. Every wine entered by the winery received a medal. This competition is governed by Vineyard & Winery Management and is committed to the highest standards of competition. Over 1,500 wines are entered.

Galen Glen wines receiving medals were: 2014 Stone Cellar Chambourcin, 2014 Crooked Stick Red, 2014 Riesling, 2014 Stone Cellar Fossil Vineyard Riesling, 2014 Stone Cellar Twilight, and 2014 Stone Cellar Zweigelt. The 2014 Stone Cellar Cabernet Franc won a bronze medal.

Wine supplies getting low

If our young vine Gruner Veltliner is your favorite wine, the supply is depleting and the new vintage will not be available until spring.

Toys for Tots donations still being accepted

We continue to collect monetary and toy donations for toys for tots until December 14 and have a gift for every household who donates.

Chili Cook Off

We have received several entries and have a few more seats available for competing chefs. You do not have to be a professional to enter. In the past two years, the winner has been a home-chef. The competition will take place on Saturday, January 23. If you are planning to enter, please submit your entry form today.

Not a chef? Mark your calendar and plan to attend on Saturday, January 23 from noon - 3 pm. Your $1 admission fee will give you a taste of each chef's chili plus a taste of either Chambourcin or Cellar Red. You are the judge and will vote for your favorite. Your $1 will be matched and a donation will be made to The West Penn Fire Company.

Winery news includes painting party, wine specials and awards, live music, and a new wine release

Franklin Hill 

Paint Party in the Vineyard
June 27 at 2 p.m.

Find your artistic side at Franklin Hill Vineyards - we'll bring the supplies, you bring your creativity!  Local artist Claire Lukas has created a one-of-a-kind piece for you to replicate as you take in the breathtaking views of the vineyards and of course, sip a glass of wine. Purchase your tickets here.

Vynecrest

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, bread, crackers) and take it with you downstairs to the patio or out to the picnic tables. Saturday and Sunday it features our full staff.

Vynecrest June Specials 
* Wine of the Month - Chardonnay, additional 10% off
* 3 Pack of the Month - 3 Niagara for $25.00

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

June 28 - Vineyard & Winery Tour & Jazz Sunday

Vineyard and winery tour begins at noon. $5 per person. Tour should wrap up just in time to enjoy some live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller from 1 - 4 p.m.

Pinnacle Ridge 

The 2013 Veritas is now available for purchase. It is a bordeaux-style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and, for the first time ever, Petit Verdot.

We are very excited to announce that we have won more awards for the following wines at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition:

Traminette
Gold Medal
(rated 90points out of 100)

Brut Rosé
Silver Medal

Naked Chard
Bronze Medal

Blue Mountain

Italian Night
July 11 from 5 - 9 p.m.

Our wine may be more French, and our heritage more German, but this event is all about Italia! Join us as we celebrate all things Italy. Featuring food from Giovanni's Gourmet Italian Catering and live music from Lucas Lasagna. Enjoy food, music, dancing, and your favorite wines. Space is limited to 125 guests. Tickets are $24.50 per person, includes wine tasting, dinner, live music, and a souvenir glass to keep (free to Wine Club members).

Blue Mountain wines wine more awards; store at Lehigh Valley Mall reopens

Blue Mountain Vineyard Wines Win International Awards!
Eastern International Wine Competition (East Meets West)

For the second year, Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine combined two of its oldest and most established wine competitions into one by creating the International "East Meets West" Wine Challenge.  The judging was held Feb. 10-11, 2015 in Sonoma County, California. A total of 1164 wines were awarded medals. 

Since 1982, the West Coast Wine Competition has annually recognized wines produced and bottled in the West. The International Eastern Wine Competition, started in 1975, is one of the oldest and longest-running wine competitions in the nation. 

This year, the competitions merged into one large event. Wines were simultaneously judged in two established regional divisions: International Eastern Wine Competition and the West Coast Wine Competition. Traditional awards were given in each division. Best of Show winners moved on to compete in the East Meets West Taste Off to see which wine was best overall. This afforded each entrant two chances to win medals: one in its own division and one in the Taste Off. A Riesling Championship was also held.

Blue Mountain Vineyards Winners:

2013 Shiraz (not yet released) - GOLD

2014 Riesling (not yet released) - SILVER

2012 Pinot Noir (available now) - SILVER

Join us for Vino in the Valley starting this weekend.
Passports for the Lehigh Valley' Wine Trail's annual event are sold out. But if you got yours early, we hope to see you soon. Check out our food and wine pairings for each weekend  here. 

Blue Mountain Vineyard will have live music every Saturday and Sunday this month. On Sundays, we require a reservation for the music ($5 cover charge), so call the winery or visit our website to reserve your table. The Sunday Blues schedule is:

• March 8 - Adam Motto
• March 15 - Arianne Rox
• March 22 - Connie Edinger
• March 28 - Jake Kalegis & Mike Rauscher 

Due to high demand, we ask that you are here by 2:30 pm, or we will release your table to the next group. Parking is extremely limited. Carpooling is appreciated. 

Our Lehigh Valley Mall location is now open!

Visit our newly remodeled kiosk in the Lehigh Valley Mall, located near Starbucks and Littman Jewelers on the lower level of the mall. 

We now offer wine tastings, wine by the glass, wine and cheese pairings, wine accessories, and more.

Pinnacle Ridge wines featured in new Easton restaurant

Pinnacle Ridge at Ginny's Bistro
   
Recently, Mr. Thomas A. Campbell Jr. opened Ginny's Bistro at 612 Northampton St. in Easton. The restaurant is a tapas-style bistro and features a menu with an eclectic mix of dishes that are rich in local flavors. Chef Peter Chioda is well-versed in a variety of cooking styles and likes to use the finest local and seasonal ingredients in his kitchen. In addition to the fine local cuisine, the menu features a selection of Pinnacle Ridge wines, each chosen specifically for the particular dish.
   
Ginny's also serves as a cozy gathering spot that guests can pick up bottles of Pinnacle Ridge wine to take home to enjoy. So, take some time to check out this new location, enjoy some food and wine and take some to go, as well.

Restaurant Week in Easton is July 27 through August 2. Ginny's is open Monday thru Saturday 4 - 10 pm and Sunday, from 11 am - 6 pm with brunch specials from 11 am - 3 pm. Ginny's will also be featuring live entertainment and daily specials. Show your Case Club Card at Ginny's and receive 10% off your meal.

Results from the 2014 Los Angeles International Wine Competition

This year, Pinnacle Ridge sent wines to the 2014 Los Angeles Wine Competition, for its 75th  Anniversary. The competition received over 3,000 wines from 946 different wineries in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, Uruguay and the U.S.

Pinnacle Ridge wines showed nicely against some of the best in the world - our Blanc de Blanc came back with a Bronze Medal. Also, our 2013 Dry Riesling and our newly-released 2013 Traminette won Silver Medal Honors. We are also very proud to announce that our 2013 Dry Vidal Blanc won Gold Medal honors and that our 2013 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc was awarded a Best of Class Gold Medal and a 92 point rating.

This month’s Case Club Members event

White Wines 101: The Wonders of White Wines
Do you love white wines? Are you a reds-only kind of person? Are you just curious about which of the white wines to select for your bottle of bliss? Come out and take part in our White Wines 101 Seminar led by owner/winemaker Brad Knapp on Sunday, July 27 beginning at 4 pm.

Brad will be talking and tasting us through a selection of popular white wines, as well as some of our own Pinnacle Ridge selections, to discuss the differences in varietal, style and flavor profile. Besides, who amongst us does not enjoy a refreshing glass of wine on a warm summers eve? Come experience the wonder and variety of white wines.                          

Reservations are required. Please call us at (610) 756-4481 or e-mail us at pinridge@aol.com for reservations and details.

Summer Open House Concert Series Continues

This month we will be welcoming two musical guests to continue our Open House Concert Series in the barn. Come on out on Saturday, July 12 from 2 - 5 pm to see the musical group, TimeWhy?s. We will be welcoming them for the first time and will have food and wine available to enjoy while you take in the performance.

On Saturday, July 26 we will also be hosting the Cheek2Cheek trio (Mike Dugan & Friends) from 2 - 5 pm in the barn. Come enjoy great music, award-winning wine and some wonderful food prepared by Chef Adam Gluskin.        

Sunshine and Riesling event this weekend at Galen Glen

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Riesling ice cream!

On Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22 Galen Glen Winery will team with O Wow Cow Creamery of Ottsville, Pennsylvania to kick off the summer season with everyone's favorite frozen treat.  The "Sunshine & Riesling" event will feature an ice cream or sorbet made from Galen Glen's Riesling wine.

Galen Glen will be offering a complimentary pairing of the ice cream and Riesling wine on Saturday,  from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from noon to 5 pm.  Riesling is the perfect wine for summer meals as it is a refreshing wine with flavors of apples, pears, honey melons and a lick of wet slate. In addition, it pairs well with crab cakes, barbeque chicken, ribs, and salads.

Galen Glen is known for their award-winning Germanic-style white wines. Most recently, the Rieslings were awarded a gold medal in the Riverside International Wine Competition and a silver medal in the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition.

O Wow Cow is also no stranger to winning awards for their organic, locally-sourced ice creams and sorbets.  They were recently named one of the Top Ten Ice Cream Shops in America by The Huffington Post. Owner, John Fezzuoglio, is known for his unique creations that are sure to excite every palate. While this is not the first dessert made from wine, it is the first time O Wow Cow is creating an ice cream from wine sourced through a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail winery.

Road construction near Clover Hill means slight detour to fine wine

Thank you to all our long time supporters of Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery. We are honored to have recently been awarded 2014 People’s Choice in Berks County, 2014 Who’s Who in the Lehigh Valley, and 2014 Pennsylvania Wine Competition:

Gold - Niagara
Silver - Vidal Blanc
Bronze - 2012 Generations Three and Catawba

We are honored and thrilled to see Clover Hill continue to grow as a family business and have our wines enjoyed by so many. Cheers to 28+ years of Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery.

Spring is in the air and we can’t wait to celebrate its arrival. We look forward to seeing you at one of our 4 Clover Hill locations this April.

Owner’s Selection
Save 10% on your purchase of DeChaunac!

An earthy style, semi-sweet red wine with flavors of mulberries and berries and a warm, soothing finish. Serve DeChaunac slightly chilled and pair with chili or pizza. Now only $10.34. Receive an additional 10% discount when included in a case purchase.

Easter
Spring has sprung and Easter and Passover are here. This is a vibrant time of year and we would love for you to celebrate this spring with Clover Hill wines.

If you are preparing an Easter ham, try our Holiday Ham Glaze recipe:
Use 1 cup of Clover Hill Holiday wine and combine with 1 cup brown sugar.
Baste your ham frequently with this mixture for a simple and delicious glaze.

Celebrating Mothers
May 10 and 11 from noon - 5 pm
We will celebrate all mothers the best way we know how… with a glass of bubbly in hand! Visit the winery in Breinigsville toast all mothers. We will have two new sparkling wines to sample and special wine drinks to enjoy by the glass. Plan on a Clover Hill visit and celebrate mom.

Detour Ahead
A portion of Schantz Road is closed making it a bit more challenging to find your way to the Winery in Breinigsville; however, we will remain open during the construction. If you are planning on visiting the winery in Breinigsville, please use one of the attached detours. The detour will only take you a few extra minutes and we promise the wine will be worth the drive!

Lehigh Valley wineries bring home medals and awards in January

Our wineries have been busy winning awards already this year, and we're only one month into 2014! We'd like to congratulate Vynecrest, Pinnacle Ridge and Franklin Hill on their recent honors. Thank you all for making our region and our wine trail proud!

12th Pennsylvania Wine Excellence Awards 
Pennsylvania Wine Society 

Top 10 Scoring Wines:

Vynecrest Lemberger 2012 - Top scoring wine/winner
Pinnacle Ridge Veritas 2010

Honorable Mention:

Franklin Hill 2012 Chambourcin


2014 PA Farm Show Wine Competition

Vynecrest 2012 Lemberger - Double Gold
Vynecrest 2012 Chambourcin - Gold
Vynecrest 2012 Dry Riesling - Bronze
Vynecrest 2013 Cherry DiVyne - Bronze
Vynecrest 2012 Riesling - Bronze
Vynecrest 2012 Vynecrest Red - Bronze
Vynecrest 2012 Pinot Grigio - Bronze
Vynecrest 2012 Traminette - Bronze

Pinnacle Ridge 2012 Vidal Blanc - Silver
Pinnacle Ridge 2012 Cayuga - Silver
Pinnacle Ridge 2012 Chambourcin Rose -Silver
Pinnacle Ridge 2012 Traminette - Silver
Pinnacle Ridge 2012 Merlot - Bronze
Pinnacle Ridge 2012 Cabernet Franc - Bronze
Pinnacle Ridge 2012 Chambourcin - Bronze

Franklin Hill 2012 Kiss - Silver
Franklin Hill 2012 Fainting Goat - Bronze
Franklin Hill 2012 Fiesta - Bronze

September events at Galen Glen Winery

Tractor and Wagon Tours of the Vineyard and Cellar

Saturday & Sunday, September 14 & 15
Sunday, September 22
Sunday, October 6

Enjoy a tractor and wagon tour of the vineyard on each of the above dates listed. No reservations are required. Tours are weather permitting and depart the tasting room at 1, 2, 3, and 4 p.m. As you ride through the vineyard to the cellar you will learn about the grapes, how we harvest, then once in the cellar, how your wine is created and goes from vine to bottle. You might even get a glimpse of our Hollywood connection. Be sure to ask Galen about it during the tour.

Our final walking tour of the vineyard will take place on Sunday, October 13. Walking tours are complimentary and don't require reservations. Walking tours give a more intimate view of the vineyard and time to speak with the winemaker. This tour will be given weather permitting and we ask that you wear sturdy foot gear.

Smoky Mutts - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail's Harvest Weekend - the Butcher, the Baker, the Winemaker 

Authentic Southern BBQ available for purchase on Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15 from  noon - 5 p.m.

Pitt Boss Wes and his crew from Smoky Mutts return with their fantastic, authentic southern BBQ and fixins. You don't want to miss this. Plan to stop by the winery and purchase a glass of wine to enjoy with lunch or an early dinner. In the past, Wes has served everything from pulled pork, ribs, brisket, chicken and lamb. Come see what this weekend's menu features. Plan also to enjoy the cornbread and cole-slaw, more Galen Glen staff favorites.

Love Hot Dog Company & The Lemonade Brothers

Sunday, September 22 and Sunday, October 13, from noon - 5 p.m.

Jason makes his monthly pilgrimage to the mountains bringing his fantastic gourmet sausages and dogs. If you haven't come to the winery when Love Hot Dog Company is there, you don't know what you are missing. Jason serves everything from 100% beef to wild-game sausages and has the best home-made toppings. Be sure to ask about bacon jam. It's a Galen Glen staff favorite. All items are available for purchase while supplies last, come early so you won't miss out. Plan your visit now; you don't even need to pack a picnic on these dates!

Medals, Medals, Medals

Many of you may have seen the articles in the paper, spots on TV, and our Facebook and Twitter updates. Galen Glen has received many medals in the past month or so.

First there was the Riesling winning a double-gold and the Stone Cellar Riesling winning a Gold at Riverside. In addition we also received silver and bronze on the other wines entered. Then the Winter Mountain White won a Gold medal in the Finger Lakes competition. Again everyone we entered received either a gold, silver or bronze medal.

Last month Sarah received two silver medals for our Stone Cellar Chambourcin and Stone Cellar Cabernet Franc at the 2013 Women of Wine Competition in California. Later this month the Stone Cellar Gruner Veltliner will be judged at the Six-Nations Wine Competition in Australia. This is an invitation-only competition where a mere 100 wines from the US are selected. We are honored that one of them is ours. The results from that competition will not be announced until October.

Two big announcements from Galen Glen

Galen Glen Winery in Andreas recently shared two big announcements:

Galen Glen Winery's Stone Cellar Riesling wine was featured in a lecture with Stuart Piggot, famed wine critic, during the Riesling Rendezvous at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington on Monday, July 15. This was a three-day conference that featured wines from all over the world.

Stuart Piggot is a British wine critic and author who has resided in Berlin, Germany since 1993.  He is an expert in the area of German wines. Chateau Ste. Michelle is the largest American producer of Riesling wine. The three-day event celebrates the Riesling grape and Riesling wines from around the country and world. In the program for the event Piggot stated; "2011 Stone Cellar Riesling - Galen Glen/Lehigh Valley/Pennsylvania Eastern Kingdom: I am a great admirer of this small Eastern Pennsylvania winery that (just a two hour drive due west of NYC) is one of the United States' best interpreters of Austrian style Riesling & Grüner Veltliner."

Galen Glen's winemaker, Sarah Troxell stated, "The greatest Riesling winemakers of the world gather every few years to discuss, drink and dream about the future of this magnificent variety. Having our Riesling poured to attendees during Stuart's 'Riesling from Unexpected Places' was a humbling honor."

Galen Glen Winery has been invited to participate in the Six Nations Wine Challenge for the title of the New World Champions. This is the only wine show in the world where the wines are exclusively invited by the judges. A mere 100 wines from the US have been selected to compete and will be judged with wines from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and Argentina totaling 600 wines.

Galen Glen will be entering the 2012 vintage Stone Cellar Grüner Veltliner. This wine most recently took a bronze medal in the Riverside International Wine Competition, where several other Galen Glen wines took silver, gold and double-gold. It is truly an honor to be invited to participate in a competition of this level.

Dan Berger, author, wine critic, and judge at Riverside stated of the Stone Cellar Grüner Veltliner, "Mineral/slate notes, hints of dried wildflowers and star anise, and a succulent but totally dry entry. This is one of America's most dramatic wines, one that will never be discovered by the number scorers. And it's from a place you would never guess could make a wine this superb. But Sarah Troxell has a deft touch with this Austrian grape and the result is worth ordering from the winery."

This award-winning wine is currently available for tasting at the Galen Glen winery.

Pinnacle Ridge shares the recipe for its smoked pork sliders

NEW WINES 

We have recently released some old favorites from the 2012 vintage. The Dry Vidal Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Naked Chardonnay, Chardonnay and Riesling from the 2012 vintage have been released. We are excited to announce that we will be adding a Dry Riesling to our list.

FINGER LAKES INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION
 
Pinnacle Ridge Wines earned six medals at the 2013 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Our 2010 Veritas and 2012 Vidal Blanc both grabbed Silver medals while our Cuvee Chardonnay, 2012 Dry Vidal Blanc, 2011 Chambourcin and 2010 Merlot were honored with Bronze medals.
 
LEHIGH VALLEY WINE TRAIL'S PASSPORT PROGRAM RECIPES 
                                                     
               SMOKED PORK SLIDERS    
                w/ curried mango sauce                          
                         by Chef Ben

5 lbs. pork loin                   Sea salt and black pepper
1 lb bacon                          wood chips
2 bay leaves                       1 can of Thai red curry

Sauce:

2 ripe mangos                    2 cloves fresh garlic
1 T Thai red curry              pinch of sea salt
2 T sugar                            1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
pinch of black pepper      
                                                       

At Pinnacle Ridge Winery, our food theme for this year's Lehigh Valley Wine Trail's  March Passport Program was sliders which is described by Wikipedia as "a small sandwich, typically three inches across and served on a bun."

The first challenge was to pair an appropriate slider with the new 2012 Riesling, which has notes of apricot and pear with a snappy finish. I came up with the Smoked Pork Slider one night in my kitchen after a couple small glasses of the Riesling. The Curried Mango Sauce came courtesy of Stonewall Kitchens (sold in our tasting room), but I have a great, easy recipe for that, too.

Traditionally, pulled pork starts with pork butt or shoulder that has been dry rubbed with spices and then slow-cooked until it pulls apart. I usually use my Bradley Smoker for that. The meat is fatty and tough so it takes a good, long time to do it right, but I figured out a way to get the same great results in a fraction of the time using lean pork loin , bacon and a grill.

Start with a 5 lb. piece of untrimmed pork loin that is close to room temperature and seasoned only with salt and pepper.  Sear it on all sides on a very hot grill so that the meat has nice grill marks and an even, golden brown coloring. Remove from heat and place the loin in a deep cast iron pot, which is preferable, but a deep, disposable aluminum pan is a good way to go if you are taking it to a picnic or serving 500 people at March Madness. Just be sure to double the aluminum pan and support the bottom when traveling with it, as I unfortunately learned the hard way.

Turn the grill heat off on one side and to its lowest setting on the other. Most grills seem to have four separate burner controls so you want the left two off and the right two on low, the goal being a temperature around 200 degrees with the lid closed. When the meat has cooled enough to touch (not long) rub it with a generous amount of the Thai Red Curry, but save about a heaping tablespoon for the sauce.

My trick for making this pork taste like it has been in a smoker for many hours is to use hardwood chips placed directly on the grate of the lit side of the grill. A handful last a long time if you periodically spray it with water to keep it smoking, not burning. The pork goes on the other side of the grill where it is going to cook "low and slow".

Because pork loin does not have a lot of fat, you have to add a little to make a good pulled pork sandwich.  I like to use bacon... as Emeril says:  "Pork Fat Rules!" Cut a pound of bacon into one inch squares and cook it slowly (cast iron is best) on the lit side of the grill. You want the bacon to brown while rendering the fat, but not burn. Try not to forget about it when you go inside for another glass of Pinnacle Ridge wine.  Again, I learned that the hard way. When it is done, pour the fat and bacon directly over the pork loin, cover the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and cook for two to three hours or until very tender. As it cooks down, be sure to baste the meat in the fat juices.

To make the Curried Mango Sauce, you'll need a food processor. You can also visit our tasting room to purchase Stonewall Kitchens version of this sauce. It is a good but different version as it features an Indian style curry rather than Thai. Skin the mangoes carefully and remove as much of the fruit from the pit as possible.  Peel the garlic and juice the lemon. Put all that into the food processing device along with the curry, salt, pepper and sugar. Wick it up long enough  to make it a nice, smooth consistency. Both the pork and the sauce may need a little more salt, but check that just before you are ready to serve so as not to over-salt.  Serve on a freshly-baked ATV roll with a drizzle of mango sauce and field greens on the side.

Clover Hill announces dates for Spring Fling and Summer Public Tours

We are pleased to announce some new awards and recognition that Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery has received. Thank you to all that support our second generation family business!

2013 Pennsylvania Wine Competition

• GOLD – Turtle Rock Red
• GOLD – Niagara
• SILVER – Cabernet Sauvignon
• BRONZE – Spiced Apple

Cheers to Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery for being selected 2013 Berks County People’s Choice and 2013 Who’s Who in the Lehigh Valley!

Winemaker, John Skrip III, and his crew are busy in the winery preparing to bottle. Soon the Pinot Grigio, Dolcetto, 2012 Pinot Noir and even the infamous Generations Three will be back in stock. Like us on Facebook to hear more about these new releases as they become available!

Our event schedule is filling up with great reasons to visit Clover Hill Winery. We look forward to your next visit and we hope you will plan a little extra time during your stay to enjoy a glass of wine on the patio!

Owner's Selection
Save 10% on your purchase of Catawba!

A great summertime sipper! Savor the sweet, grapey, and candied flavors of this wine. Don’t forget to sniff first to best enjoy the sweet aromas of grapes in the glass! Try it in our wine cake recipe. Now only $8.55. Receive an additional 10% discount when included in a case purchase!

Spring Fling In Breinigsville
Hosted by Clover Hill Winery and Vynecrest Winery
Saturday, May 11 from noon - 5 p.m.
Tickets required - $5 per person

Join your favorite Breinigsville wineries – Clover Hill and Vynecrest – for the Spring Fling. Your ticket will include a sampling of three new releases at each winery. At Clover Hill you will be sampling three new wines from the 2012 harvest and each wine will be paired with a local cheese. Vynecrest will showcase three new releases each paired with locally made chocolates.

For more information on the pairings, please visit our Facebook event.
Tickets are available for purchase at both wineries.
Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery
610.395.2468
www.cloverhillwinery.com

Vynecrest Vineyard & Winery
610.398.7525
www.vynecrest.com

Public Tours - Clover Hill Winery, Breinigsville

• 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. We will share with you our grape growing and wine-making 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.

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.

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.

Vynecrest introduces Vyneskeller Piano and Wine Bar

We are excited to announce our new piano and wine bar. Located in the Vyneskeller, it is open every Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Come downstairs, grab a glass of wine and enjoy yourself.

Recent Awards - 2013 PA Farm Show Wine Competition

2011 Traminette - Gold
2011 Vynecrest Red - Silver
2011 Vynecrest White - Silver
2011 Dry Riesling - Silver
2011 Cherry DiVyne - Bronze

January Specials 

Wine of the Month - Spiced Winter Red, additional 10% off
3 Pack of the Month - 3 First Blush for $25*
(*at winery only; 3 pack can't be combined with other discounts)

Upcoming Events

February 2 - Super Bowl Chili Saturday 
Although our Chili Saturday falls on Groundhog Day this year, rest assured that the two kinds of chili available for tasting and purchase will not be made from relatives of Punxsutawney Phil! So come join us to hopefully celebrate an end to winter while you warm up with homemade chili. You get to vote for your favorite, predict the Super Bowl score, and a chance to win Vynecrest gift cards. Admission is free; no reservations needed.

February 15 - Valentine's Day Wine and Chocolate Event 
7-9 p.m. Taste a flight of five wines and five 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 to hold the reservation).

Weekends in March - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail's March Passport Program
There are still passports available for sale, but we are sold out here. Tickets can be purchased online here. The winery will be open for tastings but all food pairings are exclusively for passport holders only.

Vynecrest Winery will feature two 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 + 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.
Week 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 a
blackberry lemon frosting. Food by Sugar So Sweet Cupcakes.

Glass Half Empty
by John Landis

On Saturday, January 5 we spent the day at the PA Farm Show in Harrisburg. I went to judge chocolate cakes in the PA Preferred competition (tough job but somebody had to do it!). Sam went to collect five medals for our wines that we entered in the state competition. Winning medals in wine competition is both satisfying and silly. It is satisfying because a panel of judges picked your wine as an exceptional wine and it's silly because medals are transitory. They have a finite life - the life of that vintage wine. When you see a medal hanging from a bottle does that mean you should buy it?

Judging wines is a subjective process based on the judges' past experience and wine prejudice. The contest format can also impact results. Is a judge as good tasting 200 wines a day as they are tasting 20? All you can say about medal-winning wines is that they are well made and probably have no serious flaws.

So the moral of the story is: medals are good but tasting a wine and selecting one that suits your own palate is more important. And by the way, our Cherry DiVyne goes great with chocolate cake. Enjoy!

Lehigh Valley wineries bring home medals from PA Farm Show

Congratulations to four Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries who took home medals for their wines at the PA Farm Show last weekend.


Blue Mountain Vineyards:
2006 Meritage - Silver
2011 Vidal Blanc - Bronze
2008 Chardonnay - Bronze
2011 Riesling - Bronze

Franklin Hill Winery:
2011 Fiesta - Silver
2011 Sir Walters Red - Silver
2011 Chambourcin - Bronze
2011 Thin - Bronze
2011 Vidal Blanc - Bronze
Trio -  Bronze
2011 Fainting Goat - Bronze
2012 Seyval Blanc - Bronze

Pinnacle Ridge Winery:
2010 Melot - Silver
2010 Veritas - Bronze
2011 Chardonnay - Bronze
2010 Reserve Chambourcin - Bronze
2010 Chambourcin - Bronze
2011 Naked Chardonnay - Bronze
2011 Riesling - Bronze

Vynecrest Vineyards and Winery:
2011 Traminette - Gold
2011 Vynecrest White - Silver
2011 Dry Riesling - Silver
2011 Vynecrest Red - Silver
2011 Cherry DiVyne - Bronze

The PA Farm Show continues this week and weekend in Harrisburg. Be sure to stop by the Blue Mountain Vineyards wine booth for wine tasting and sales if you go. 

Franklin Hill celebrates fall with two new awards for Trio!

Celebrate the harvest and our newest award winning wine...TRIO! Winning Double Gold and Best in Class at California's International Woman's Wine Competition. Congratulations Bonnie and Maria!

From our grapes to your glass 

The start of October brings us close to the end of harvest here at Franklin Hill Vineyards. Our harvest crew worked rain and shine to get our grapes to Bonnie and Maria so they could start working their magic. Our red grapes are still resting, absorbing all those heart healthy benefits we love so much, and will be pressed in the next few days. All in all, 2012 was a good harvest for us, and for this we are thankful.

Talk about thankful, what a festival season we had. We want to thank everyone, and there were a lot of you, who took the time to come out to support us from Split Rock to Seven Springs. A special shout out to all those who braved the storm at Gettysburg! Our festival crew works hard and had a blast introducing our wines all throughout Pa.  Not to say they aren't happy to take a well deserved break from all that travel.
Way to go FHV Festival Crew! 

Stop by the vineyard soon and maybe you can catch the last bit of grapes coming in to our winery and eventually, your glass! We look forward to your visit and to showing you how much we love what we do.

Bethlehem Harvest Festival 

As always, Bethlehem is planning great things and we are excited to be a part of it! The 7th annual HarvestFest in Downtown Bethlehem is October 13. Main Street, Broad Street and the Sun Inn Courtyard will be the home to all the fall festivities, food, shopping and fun for the whole family. This terrific event will include beer tasting and a wine trail, but get your passports early in the day. They are available for $20 and will sell out quickly. Harvest Fest will also offer soup tastings, music, arts, dessert, food and even grape stomping from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m

Buy wine online 

Our Wine Shop is open for business! Now you can simply send our wine as a gift or have it shipped it directly to you.

Cheers to Elaine!

The YWCA of Bethlehem has awarded Franklin Hill Vineyards the Breaking the Glass Ceiling Non-Traditional Woman's Business Award. We are very honored.

Franklin Hill celebrates spring with a sale, wine festival and baseball

Franklin Hill Vineyards receives two more awards
Our Pomegranate Peach won a Silver Medal and Sir Walter's Red won a Gold in the San Diego International Wine Competition.

Downtown Bethlehem's Spring Sidewalk Sale 
The Historic and Southside Shopping Districts will celebrate the beginning of summer like it's Christmas in July during the annual Sidewalk Sale, April 19-22 at the Franklin Hill Vineyards Bethlehem location only.

Our specials include: "Circa" 3 piece wine tool kits in spring-time colors. Originally $18, on sale for $10. And 50% off "Metro" BYOB three-bottle wine backpacks in black and red.

For more information visit www.downtownbethlehemassociation.com.

Bear Creek Spring Wine and Food Festival
April 14-15 from 1- 5 p.m.

Come and visit us during our first festival of the season! The rustic beauty of Bear Creek Resort serves as the backdrop for enjoying regional wine samples, decadent foods, cooking seminars, spa specials, and unique art and jewelry. Our Franklin Hill festival crew is looking forward to seeing you at Bear Creek. For more information including ticket sales, visit: www.bcmountainresort.com.

Let's Play Ball!
Look out for Franklin Hill Vineyards wine being served during the 2012 Iron Pigs' season at Coca-Cola Park. Ladies, don't forget to sign up to be a "Diamond Diva!" A $30 Membership includes: Diamond Divas t-shirt, visor, wine tasting, ladies-only Fantasy Camp group night at Coca-Cola Park. For more information contact Director of Community Relations Sarah Marten at 610-841-1213 or smarten@ironpigsbaseball.com.