Lehigh Valley Wine Trail announcement

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail has announced the departure of Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards winery in Saylorsburg from the non-profit group effective April 11.

The decision was made by Cherry Valley to refocus its efforts on being a family-owned and run winery serving the needs of local customers, and promoting their business in their local community. Cherry Valley has been a member of the Wine Trail since its founding in 1997.

The owners of the Wine Trail’s remaining eight wineries wish the Sorrenti family success in their future endeavors.

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 or connect with them on Twitter and their Facebook fan page.

Sorrenti Cherry Valley Barrel Tasting event this weekend

Join the staff at Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards in Saylorsburg this weekend, January 22 and 23 from 1 - 5 p.m. for their annual barrel tasting and hot soup event.

Take a tour of the winery and sample one of their finest new releases directly from the barrel. They will tell you about the aging process of this wine and how its taste evolves during each step of the fermentation and barreling process.

Afterwards, join them in the tasting room for Mary Sorrenti's homemade Chicken Noodle soup alongside crusty Italian bread. If the wine hasn't warmed you up yet, the soup is sure to hit the spot!


This is a free event.

More holiday news from Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards

HOLIDAY PARTY AND GIFT BASKET SALE - THIS WEEKEND ONLY!
December 18 - 19

Come join us this weekend for our blowout basket sale and holiday party. All gift baskets will be featured at 25% off the original prices. Enjoy free hot mulled wine, free wine & pasta food pairing prepared by Mary Sorrenti, and free holiday treats and cookies all day! We will also be releasing our secret holiday wine, which will be available only until Christmas.

Artisan Jewelry for sale this weekend

Beautiful handcrafted jewelry for under $20 will be on show during the holiday party.   

Limited time Holiday Gift Sets

Included in the set are:
-Blackberry Merlot
-Peach Wine
-Blackberry Wine
-Blueberry Wine

The wines come in a gift box and are priced at $35.         

Custom Holiday Labels - available for a limited time

Free labels with your purchase of two cases or more.

Give the gift of wine this holiday season by ordering custom holiday wine labels for your bottles. We can fulfill orders within 10 days, and they can even be placed over the phone for your convenience. Choose from half-sized bottles at $4/each or from any of our large sized bottles. Visit our website for more information, all 14 of our holiday label choices and an order form that you can fill out and fax or email if you'd like.

Winery:

RR5 Box 5100, Saylorsburg, PA 18353

Phone: 570.992.2255 Fax: 570.992.5083

Easton Location:

22 N. 3rd Street, Downtown Easton, PA, 18042

Phone: 484.373.3208

What's going on at Cherry Valley Vineyards this fall

Take a trip to the Poconos this fall to visit Mary and Dominic Sorrenti at Cherry Valley Vineyards in Saylorsburg. Here's what they have planned at their winery this fall:

Live Music Sundays: Come and enjoy free music at the winery each Sunday throughout the summer. From 1-5 pm in our pavilion, we will feature live acoustic, jazz, and folk musicians as well as fresh sangria and snacks. See you there!

Murder Mystery Dinner: September 18, from 6 - 10 pm. The “Sit-In” Murders is the theme of this fun and spooky event here at Cherry Valley - the Poconos most haunted winery!  The year is 1972 and the place is Fumaunch University. The students are about to launch a protest against Dean Hugh Ryders and the administration. The Dean has expelled student Byron Gedwan for calling in a bomb threat to the administation offices, but the students are sure that he has been framed.

Can Professor Dustin DeWine mediate a compromise between the students and the college? You might be an administration officer, a student, a town official, or a professor. And you ma be a victim or a suspect (should something bad happen to someone). Come on our and have some laughs while solving a tie-dyed, bell-bottomed mystery!

The event will spread all over the grounds and dinner guests will be able to participate in either an active (speaking) or passive role as they hurry to figure out the mystery. Tickets are $45 and include a full buffet prepared by Mary Sorrenti as well as soft drinks, wine and/or beer. The grooviest sixties costume wins a prize! Call us or visit the Murder Mystery Website for more details.


The Lost Ramblers: Formed back in 1978, the Ramblers are one of the best known folk/bluegrass bands in the Poconos. Known for their fun, high-energy performances and eclectic mix of polka, celtic, and jazz tunes, the band is sure to put on a great performance in our pavilion at Cherry Valley. Come down on Saturday, October 2 from 1-5 pm to listen, dance, drink sangria, and enjoy small hot plates from our kitchen. The $7 cover charge includes a glass of sangria or wine ($5 value), so this day won’t hurt your pocket.

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!