Get to know... Janet Gaston of Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery

1.Which winery do you work for and how long have you worked there?

I have been working for Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery since March of 2008.  I work at the winery in Breinigsville and manage the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market wine shoppe.

2. What is your favorite wine that your winery makes, and why? What do you like to pair it with?

1. My current favorite at Clover Hill is the 2014 Chardonnay. It has a vibrant green apple fruitiness that is delicious, followed by a buttery oak finish. It pairs nicely with an Oriental chicken slaw, a mild curry dish, or veggie based salads with lots of avocado.
 
3.What is the most popular question you get asked by visitors about Lehigh Valley wine or wineries, and how do you answer it?
         
People often have lots of questions about the area growing season. Even locals are unsure and curious about the timeline. I tell them bud break usually occurs late-April or early-May, followed by flowering and at last fruit. By late-August or early-September our wine maker will keep a close eye on the sugar content of the many grape varietal grown. As each reaches a level he sees fit, they are hand picked. It's usually a six week effort at Clover Hill as there are four vineyards in the Lehigh Valley and two in Berks County.        

4. What do you like most about local, Lehigh Valley wine and wineries?

One of my favorite things about wineries in the Lehigh Valley is the special attention given to the Chambourcin grape. The fact that most wineries are producing a Chambourcin wine is fun. You are able to visit and try everyone’s unique style of wine making.

5. What is the one piece of advice you offer to wine lovers traveling along the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail?

Weekends are a fun time to visit wineries. Lots of people are out enjoying the trail. Keep in mind, many wineries have weekday hours as well so you can enjoy a quieter tasting experience if you prefer.

Join Pinnacle Ridge for Sharing & Pairing Weekend, Dec. 7 & 8

Pinnacle Ridge Winery invites you to spend the holiday season amongst friends and family... with full glasses, of course!

Make this holiday season a special one. Enjoy the comfort and company of family and friends. Share in the laughter, the food and the drink. 

Here at Pinnacle Ridge, we are looking forward to an excellent send-off to 2013. The tasting sheet has changed a bit these last few months. We have recently released our 2012 Traminette, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Soon to come: 2012 Chambourcin. 

Hurry in as our supplies of the Finger Lakes Competition Medal Winner, the 2011 Chambourcin and our 2012 Dry Riesling are dwindling fast. Come in and share in some holiday cheer with your friendly Pinnacle Ridge tasting room staff.   

Sharing & Pairing Weekend

Join us on December 7 & 8 for our first Sharing & Pairing Weekend. This weekend will feature wine pairings with special holiday cookies and all for a good cause. We will feature a delicious Gooey Chocolate Merlot Cookie paired with our 2012 Merlot, as well as a special holiday cookie made to be paired with some wonderful mulled spice wine - perfect for warming you up on a brisk December day! 

$1 of each purchase of select bottles of wine will be donated to the Berks County Animal Rescue League.   

(Pictured is winery Owner and Winemaker Brad Knapp with his dog Peanut, a Berks County rescue.)

Case Club Members

  

Keep a look out for some of the new things we are doing at Pinnacle Ridge. We are always looking to improve upon the offers of the Case Club for our valued members. Soon to come: weekday specials, additional perks and benefits, and much more!

An update from Pinnacle Ridge Winery

March Madness Passports
Just a reminder that we still have passports available for the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail’s March Madness event. The Passports are $35 each and we can mail them to you for a $1 mailing fee. You can go to www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com for more information on the event. 
  
Mushroom Event
On January 14 and 15 we will be offering a pairing of mushroom tapas with wines. We haven’t finalized the menu yet but we will have several different tapas each paired with a different wine. This is a new event and should be a lot of fun. The event will run from noon until 5 p.m. on both days.

Great review for our 2010 Chardonnay
Vino Vic is a wine guy who has been making an effort to review Pennsylvania wines. Check out this link to see his review of our 2010 Chardonnay.  

2011 Vintage Update
It was a strange year: extreme heat in July (105 degrees!) and extreme rain in August and September. One thing I’ve learned over the last 19 vintages is that there is no such thing as “normal.” The white wines have finished fermenting and are now settling down in tank and barrel. We can begin to see the results of our efforts with these young wines. Overall they are very balanced wines with moderate acidity. Usually in wet years we end up with high acids that result in very crisp white wines.

One of the unusual aspects of 2011 is that it was very, very warm. Even during the wet periods the temperatures were still above normal. The warm weather helps to promote the reduction of acid in the fruit resulting in balanced fruit and, consequently, balanced wines. The wines are not as intense as their 2010 counterparts but they do have fruit-driven aromas with flavors that follow. These whites will be delicious, young drinkers.

Ask the Winemaker with Pinnacle Ridge

(Borrowed from the February Pinnacle Ridge Winery e-newsletter.)

Pinnacle Ridge wine maker Brad Knapp invites customers to e-mail questions. Brad will select his favorite question and respond in the winery's monthly newsletter.

This month’s question:  Jeff T. from Easton writes: “What makes a red wine keepable? I always hear hold that Cab for about ten years and it will turn into gold. Are the Pa. wines included?”

This is a great question and one that we often hear in the tasting room. Wines change as they age in the bottle. Red wines tend to change color from vibrant reds and purples to brick/orange to brownish-purple colors as they age. The fruit-driven flavors of youth will diminish with time and are replaced by mushroom, herbal and woody flavors. 

Some people like the flavors of aged red wines, whereas some folks like the fruity exuberance of young red wines. Additionally, tannins in red wines will soften with age. Tannins are a class of compounds found in grape skins and seeds.With age, the tannins soften and become less noticeable. If you have a young wine that is very tannic, aging the wine several years (or more) will soften the wine and make it more enjoyable. The only way to find out if you like the flavors of older red wines is to try some. 

What makes a red wine worthy of aging? Red wines that display intense fruit and tannins are likely candidates for aging. The tannins help protect the wine from oxygen and help the wine age gracefully. If a young red wine tastes thin or “weak” or lacks fruit-driven intensity, then it is likely not a good candidate for aging.

In Southeastern Pennsylvania, we are able to produce red wines worthy of aging, particularly in warmer and drier years. I’ve opened many Pinnacle Ridge reds after 8 - 10 years of aging and they have softened and changed and are very enjoyable. The issue of whether the wine has improved is very personal and only your palate knows.