Food and wine pairing recommendations for your Easter dinner

Easter is a special occasion that brings families together for a day of egg hunting in the backyard, visits on the lap of an costumed 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 LehighValley Wine Trail understand how important that meal is and offer the following food and wine pairing suggestions for this year’s dinner.

Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth - Pair Amore Pink Passion with ham, pork and sauerkraut. After dinner, relax with a glass of Rapport or Vidal Blanc dessert wines.

Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville - Their Vin di Pasqualina is a favorite all-around wine for traditional Easter dinners. Both sweet and dry wine fans will enjoy the glass-filling aroma of this semi-dry rose. Vin is a blend of three grapes, but the bouquet and character come from Niagara, an aromatic white grape that can stand a little chill and still deliver a ton of flavor. It does very well as an aperitif or with ham, turkey, or even baked ziti.

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli - The medium-bodied flavor of their Pinot Noir will compliment a glazed Easter ham. Their Riesling, non-oaked Chardonnay and White Merlot will also compliment the smoky flavor of ham.

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville - Clover Hill’s DeChaunac is a semi-sweet red wine with fruity and earthy characteristics that pairs nicely with kielbasa or Easter ham. DeChaunac is 10 percent off for the month of April at all Clover Hill locations. And try Clover Hill’s Holiday Ham Glaze on your Easter Ham.

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor - For traditional Easter Dinners serving ham or pork, their Kiss and Catawba are perfect pairings. Don't be afraid to think outside the box this year and consider Franklin Hill's Hard Cider. It's light and bubbly, and a fun option to offer guests.  

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas – Winery Owners Galen and Sarah recommend what they are serving at their own Easter celebration: their semi-dry Riesling with honey mustard glazed ham, their Stone Cellar Chambourcin with braised lamb shanks, and their Stone Cellar Vidal Blanc Ice Wine with cheesecake.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown - Their 2013 Vidal Blanc (a double gold winner in this year’s Finger Lakes International Wine Competition) is the perfect companion for traditional Easter fare. To make more of a splash, their Brut Rose sparkling wine (a silver medal winner) would be a festive choice.

Tolino Vineyards, Bangor - Enjoy the light, crisp pear and apple notes of their 2010 Chardonnay paired with Easter ham. Savor the full-bodied cherry and oak notes of their 2010 Cabernet Franc with a dark chocolate cherry cake.

Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville – Celebrate the return of spring with Vynecrest's Estate-Bottled Sparkling Vidal wine. Made from 100 percent Vidal Blanc, this sparkling wine finishes slightly sweet which is perfect with ham with pineapple, turkey with cranberry, or lamb with mint jelly ($14.99). The chocolate in the Easter basket goes nicely with Cherry DiVyne, resulting in a heavenly sensation ($13.99).

Easter food and wine pairing recommendations

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

Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth
Pair Rose Amore with ham, pork and sauerkraut. After dinner, relax with a glass of Rapport or Vidal Blanc dessert wines.

Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville
Their Vin di Pasqualina (named after the owner’s Great Aunt Pasqualina Lapetina) is a favorite all-around wine for traditional Easter dinners. Both sweet and dry wine fans will enjoy the glass-filling aroma of this semi-dry rose. Vin is a blend of three grapes, but the bouquet and character come from Niagara, an aromatic white grape that can stand a little chill and still deliver a ton of flavor. It does very well as an aperitif or with ham, turkey, or even baked ziti.

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli
The medium-bodied flavor of their newly released 2008 Pinot Noir will compliment a glazed Easter ham. Their Riesling, non-oaked Chardonnay and White Merlot will also compliment the smoky flavor of ham.

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville
The winery suggests Turtle Rock Red, made from 100% Chambourcin grapes (the official wine grape of the Lehigh Valley) with a slight bit of natural sweetness, best served with a slight chill. This wine is a great accompaniment to Easter ham, and garlic or smoked kielbasa.

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor
This year, the winery will be celebrating Easter with three senses and three flavors in its newest wine “3.” It pairs well with everything from salad and roast beef, to chocolate desserts and Easter candy. Break tradition and drink red wines with ham and pork!

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas
Their Rieslings will add the distinguishing touch to an Easter celebration. The half-dry Riesling matches well with quiche, salads or ham. The dry Stone Cellar Riesling drinks easily with seafood, turkey and poultry.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown
The winery suggests their Brut Rose or Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine for Easter. What a better way to celebrate a holiday than with sparkling wine!

Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville
Their semi-sweet Riesling with a floral nose, grapefruit/melon mid-palate, and clean, tart finish pairs well with ham, lamb, turkey and all the Easter trimmings. Riesling is the April Wine of the Month with a discount of 10 percent per bottle.

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.

The Lehigh Valley region is an official American Viticultural Area as designated by the Federal Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in April 2008. The Lehigh Valley AVA includes portions of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Schuylkill, Carbon and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania. In order to receive the designation a least 85% of the grapes used to make local wines must be grown within the region. Wineries in the region are permitted to list “Lehigh Valley” as the growing region on their labels.

Food and wine pairing suggestions for holiday meals

Several of our wineries wanted to share their suggestions for food and wine pairings for your holiday meals. All are open for business this week and ready to help you select the right wines to go with your dinners or to give as gifts.

Vynecrest Winery - our holiday favorite is Cherry DiVyne paired with chocolate and gift wrapped at the winery.  It makes a great hostess or grab bag gift for anyone. For a special food and wine pairing, try Vynecrest Spiced Winter Red served warm with homemade Christmas cookies!

Blue Mountain Winery - Our 2011 Nouveau will taste great with your holiday turkey and ham. Our 2009 International Award Winning Petite Syrah pairs nicely with a beef entree. Victoria's Passion is a wonderful semi-sweet red wine that would taste delicious with a chocolate dessert. If you plan on making brownies, try substituting the wine instead of water in the recipe.

Stop by one of our locations and pick up a mulling spice packet to mix with our 2004 Chambourcin to make spiced wine. We also have our apple wine called Mountain Spice that is best warmed up with a 1/2 cup of brown sugar mixed in (per bottle). Add club soda to our Mountain Frost with some sliced peaches for a sweet cocktail.

Galen Glen Winery recommends the following for your holiday feasts:
•    Vin Gris with Honey Glazed Ham
•    Riesling with Roasted Turkey, Shrimp and other seafood delights
•    Wine cocktails – Bring a taste of summer to the holiday season with a Wine-a-Rita. One kit and a bottle of our wine will make two pitchers of icy wine slushies. Our favorites are Peach Bellini and Berry Pom-a-Rita.

Amore Vineyards – Our pairing recommendations include:
•    Turkey or seafood: Gregg's Gregio, Chardonnay or Vidal Blanc
•    Pork/Ham: Cayuga or Rosé Amore 
•    Beef: Chambourcin or Cabaret Amore   
•    After dinner: Rapport or Vidal Blanc Dessert    
•    Bubbly:  Celebration or White Mist for toasting; Peach Mist for morning mimosa
 
Pinnacle Ridge Winery - What better way to celebrate the holidays than with a glass of local sparkling wine.  We recommend either our Brut Rose or Blanc de Blanc as a great way to welcome guests to your home.  Just pair some savory appetizers with the sparkling wine for a winning combination.

For the rich holiday meals we suggest "bigger" wines.  Try our Veritas with lamb or beef dishes, Pinot Noir with roast pork, Chardonnay with roast turkey or chicken and our Oasis with ham.  For dessert try our Late Harvest Vidal Blanc with pumpkin roll, creme brulee or cheesecake.

Clover Hill Vineyards - Make a holiday ham glaze using 1 cup of Clover Hill Holiday Rosé and one cup brown sugar.  Dissolve and use this glaze to baste your holiday ham. We love to serve this with our Riesling.  Our Holiday Wine is a sweet rosé that is spiced with cinnamon, cloves and citrus flavor. 

For sparkling wines, a favorite is the Generations Sparkling Pinot Noir. It is a dry sparkling wine made from 100% Pinot Noir fruit.  Festively pink in color with fresh strawberries and a yeasty characteristic. We have also been whipping up a wine cocktail called a Wicked Turtle. It is 2oz. Turtle Rock Red, 1oz. passion fruit rum, and 2oz. lemon/lime soda. Try it!

Franklin Hill Vineyards recommends the following food and wine pairings -
•    Kiss, Vidal, Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc and White Jade are all wonderful whites to pair with ham, turkey or fish.
•    Chambourcin and Simply Red go well with lasagna.
•    For anyone intrigued by black cherry, our Fainting Goat added to Chambourcin or Evanswood is a great pairing. There is no sweetness but the hint of black cherries with chocolates or try it with barbecued ribs is fantastic.
•    For dessert, Harvest Berry is great with cheesecake or anything chocolate. This effervescent wine is perfect with cranberry juice instead of a mimosa.

For a wine cocktail, mix Pomegranate Peach with cranberry juice, lots of ice, and seltzer or lemon-lime soda to make it bubbly. Or try Bliss with vodka for a martini, or Bliss with lemon-lime soda for a festive spritzer.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Meet the Winemaker Dinner with Franklin Hill Vineyards

Not into green beer and shamrocks? Then instead of going to a bar to celebrate St. Patrick's Day tomorrow night, join Franklin Hill Vineyards' owner Elaine Pivinski at Sagra Bistro in Hellertown for a Meet the Winemaker dinner.

Join us March 17 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. and meet the lovely, personable and entertaining Elaine Pivinski, owner of Franklin Hill Vineyards. You will love Elaine as much as her award winning wine! Price:  $65 per person, tax and gratuity additional.

Book event at www.sagracooking.com

Sagra Bistro
620 Main Street
Hellertown
484-851-3220

On the menu:

Appetizer- Our signature Cheese Torte, Roasted Olives and Hummus with Pita

Salad- Roasted Vegetable and Orzo Salad

Entree- Shepherd’s Pie

Dessert- Creme Brulee

Galen Glen Winery announces dates for 2011 Winemaker Dinners

SAVE THE DATES!

Per the Galen Glen Winery web site, the following are the dates for this year's Winemaker Dinners:

1. April 9 (Saturday)
2. June 17 (Friday)
3. July 15 (Friday)
4. November 12 (Saturday) 

Reservations are required for each dinner. The dinners begin with a welcome wine and then follow with five courses each paired with wine. Please join their email list to receive more information and menus when they become available.

New releases from the Wine Cellar

• Grüner Veltliner 
• Vidal Blanc 
• Vin Gris 
• Erin's Auslese 
• Barrel Twenty-Nine

Temporarily sold out from the Wine Cellar

• Stone Cellar Riesling 
• Cellar White 
• Zweigelt 
• Holiday Raspberry

Galen Glen Winemaker's Dinner - November 6

 Sarah and Galen from Galen Glen Winery in Andreas have just announced their next winemaker's dinner. Below are the details on it. If you're interested in being a part of it, we suggest you register soon. These dinners are known to fill up quickly!

Winemaker's Dinner: Saturday November 6 at 7 p.m. at Galen Glen Winery, Andreas
Featuring the culinary creations of Tonimarie and her restaurant Macaluso's at The Lantern

Ammocete:
Compliments of the Winery. A casual way to start the Evening,
Let the Conversation begin.......
Wine - Mulled & Spicy Claret

First Course:
Cream of Cauliflower with fresh Jalapeno and Cheddar Cheese
Wine - Stone Cellar Gewürztraminer

Second Course:
Sweet Potato Ravioli served in a Brown Butter and Sage Sauce
Wine - Stone Cellar Riesling

Third Course:
Mediterranean Blend of Garbanzo Beans, Fava Beans, Craisins and Red Onions over Mixed Greens with a splash of Tonimarie's Vinaigrette
Wine - Traminette

Fourth Course:
Pork loin stuffed with Veal Sausage and Fennel accompanied by pan seared Brussel Sprouts
Wine - Stone Cellar Chambourcin

Fifth Course:
Mascarpone Cheesecake with Ginger Snap Crust
Wine - Stone Cellar Vidal Blanc Ice Wine
*Menu and wines subject to change at Chef's discretion.

Cost: $70 per person (please add 6% PA Sales Tax) Gratuity included

Reservations: Only by calling the winery at 570-386-3682. A credit card is required for all reservations. Cancellations after November 3 will be charged the full cost of the dinner.

Seating: We make every effort to accommodate seating requests.In order to use our space efficiently, we may need to combine parties. Also, our largest table can seat 8 guests.

For more information about Tonimarie: www.macalusosdining.com