Get to know... Chantelle Gendron of Big Creek Vineyard

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

I work for Big Creek Vineyard - specifically, I manage the Jim Thorpe storefront. Between initially working at the vineyard and then Jim Thorpe, I’ve been with Big Creek for over two years.

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

I’m extremely fond of the Dulcinea. I tend toward semi-sweet aromatic whites, and the balance of the semi-sweet Seyval at 3% residual sugar is just what my palate loves. I also love our semi-sweet Muscat, which is available later in the summer. I pair both with a big wine glass.

What is the most popular question you get asked by visitors about Lehigh Valley wine or wineries, and how do you answer it?

I have heard, “you can grow grapes around here?” a few times now. Yes, we can! It’s all about the region and the terroir of the vineyard - we personally love vines of Seyval, Regent, Frontenac, etc in our vineyard because they are less finicky, while producing superb wines, but we do grow a few “noble," more high maintenance grapes (e.g. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Muscat) that can handle the growing season and survive harsh winters.

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

It's hard to pick just one thing. I certainly like the diversity that we all offer to anyone living in or visiting the region. Each one of our vineyards is different and unique, which is a fabulous experience, but I also love being part of a vineyard on the Trail because of the camaraderie between us all. It’s always enjoyable meeting other staff members to swap stories and talk shop. I also love when I get the time to visit other vineyards to do tasting and not be the one pouring wine!

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

Drink what you like. Certainly it’s important to keep an open mind and try wines out of your comfort zone to fully experience what a winery has to offer. I personally like to try a little bit of everything at a winery to get a true sense of what they do. But when purchasing a bottle, enjoy what tastes best to you, and not what you’ve heard you should be drinking.

Watch our next Taste of the Trail video - Big Creek Vineyards

We are excited to share with you the next video in our new web series, Taste of the Trail.

It's a visit to Big Creek Vineyards in Kresgeville. Meet owner Dominic Strohlein and take a peek at the winery in this 2+ minute long tour.

Lehigh Valley wineries in the news

A few of our Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries have been in the news this month, so we thought we'd share with you a few of the stories:

• Franklin Hill Winery was featured as the Business of the Week by Patch.com for its recently redesigned wine shoppe in the Nazareth area. Click here to read the online article.
• Pinnacle Ridge Winery received a nice write up on their Blues in the Barn event in Berks-Mont Newspapers. The last Blues in the Barn of the season is coming up on Sunday, October 9. Click here to read the article.
• Big Creek Winery and its owner Dominic Strohlein were the focus on this article by food and wine writer Marc d'Entremont for Culinary Travel. Click here to read the story.
• Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery was featured in an article in the The Morning Call on this year's winner of the Clover Hill Cooking with Wine Competition. Click here for the details.
• And while not technically "news," Vynecrest Winery recently unveiled its newest commercial on YouTube. Be sure to watch the spot all the way through to its humorous end!

The Goal of 100

Today's Taste of the Trail blog post was written by guest blogger and wine aficionado Jim Hutchings. 

While researching several Lehigh Valley wine grapes last year, I stumbled across an exclusive club which is open to the public. While open to the public, it is very difficult to achieve membership. It’s called The Wine Century Club and to join, the only criterion is for you to have tasted 100 different grapes in wine.

Some varieties, especially the so-called noble grapes, are easy to think of; that gets us six grapes. Then there are plenty of common varieties I’m sure most of us have tried such as Syrah, Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio/Gris, and Sangiovese. So now we’re 10% to our goal. This might be harder than originally thought…

According to the website, “It's a simple idea, but it's not as easy to become a member as you may think. One Master Sommelier could only come up with 82. Of the thousands of applications downloaded, less than 3% are completed.”

Thankfully our Lehigh Valley Wineries have been growing and producing wine from grapes which are considered more exotic, simply because they grow extremely well in the individual microclimates in the Lehigh Valley. Here are 10 more of the most exotic grapes I am aware of being available locally to add to your list: 

• Big Creek - try Frontenac, Marechal Foch, and Regent.
• Cherry Valley - has a Baco Noir available, though several wineries use this to blend.
• Clover Hill - add DeChaunac to your list.
• Galen Glen - has a nice Grüner Veltliner, and Zweigelt is a new addition to their list.
• Traminette is gaining popularity and is available at Galen Glen, Pinnacle Ridge, and Vynecrest.
• Vynecrest also has Blaufränkisch (as Lemberger) and Noiret (one of the grapes in Vyneskeller Select).
• Make sure you’ve put Chambourcin, the Jewel of the Lehigh Valley, on your list!

After stretching my memory and actively seeking out rare grapes last year I’ve managed to put 87 grapes on my tasted list. Membership into the exclusive Wine Century Club is coming soon!

Lehigh Valley wineries offer their pairing suggestions for Easter Dinner

Easter is a special occasion that brings families together for a day of egg hunting in the backyard, visits with an oversized bunny, and baskets filled with candy and treats. But the highlight of the day is the celebratory meal.

The nine family-owned and operated wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail understand how important that meal is and are pleased to offer the following wine pairing suggestions for this year’s dinner.

Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth
Pink Passion is a perfect match for pork and sauerkraut or ham.

Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville
Vin di Pasqualina is best served lightly chilled with lamb.

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli
The newly released 2009 Vignoles pairs nicely with ham, lamb or pork.

Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards, Saylorsburg
Seyval Blanc, a crisp, clean white wine similar to Pinot Grigio, with citrus- like characteristics, is fantastic with shellfish, fish and fowl.

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville
Clover Hill Cuvee is a semi-sweet, traditionally made sparkling wine. It’s excellent as an aperitif or served as a Mimosa.

Franklin Hills Vineyards, Bangor
Kiss, which is a blend of Cayuga and Vidal with just a touch of Chambourcin, is perfect with an Easter dinner of turkey or ham.

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas
Vin Gris is a crisp rosé blended from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin with hints of cherry, making it ideal to serve with ham or turkey.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown
The 2009 Riesling is the perfect accompaniment to the Easter meal.

Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville
Vynecrest White is a versatile, semi-sweet, all-occasion dinner wine. It's a "house" blend of grapes with an aroma of apricots and green apples, with a soft pleasant finish.

Join the nine wineries of the Wine Trail on April 24 and 25 for their first A.V.A. (American Viticulture Area) Weekend, as they celebrate this important, new national designation. Visitors will learn about the uniqueness of the region’s soil that adds complexity to their wines.

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.