Holiday gift ideas from Blue Mountain Vineyards

The holidays are coming soon, so start planning now to get a head start.

It's hard to believe it's the end of September already! We know nobody wants to hear it, but Christmas is only 15 weeks, away. Instead of waiting until Christmas Eve, why not get a head start? We have some great gift ideas for you.

Custom Labels

Our Custom Label program offers endless possibilities at an affordable cost. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or looking for a personalized gift, we can customize your label to fit your needs. Labels can be produced in black and white or color and can include any scanned image.

Adopt A Vine

Have you ever dreamed of owning your own vineyard?  Blue Mountain has made that dream a possibility! In August of each year you will be invited to a plaque ceremony. During the first ceremony, you will be given a plaque with your chosen inscription to place next to a vine of your choice. Starting the second year you will be presented a specially labeled bottle of wine at the ceremony for the next five years. The ceremony is followed by a wine tasting with entertainment and hors d'oeuvres.

Wine Club

The Connoisseurs Club at Blue Mountain Vineyards is a quarterly wine club aimed at giving our customers incredible value while adding a level of information and excitement. Be among the first to taste new releases, and have access to limited vintage that are not readily available elsewhere.

For more information about The Connoisseurs Club, email us at info@bluemountainwine.com or call us at 610-298-3068.

December update from the Wine Trail

Here are a few highlights from our wineries on what they are up to this month.

Now that the holidays are officially here, several of our members have extended hours at their wineries and/or their wine shoppe locations. So be sure to check their web sites or call ahead before visiting. Also, several of the wineries offer custom wine labels for wine you plan to give as gifts, but the deadline for ordering labels is nearing. Be sure to ask about it soon if you are interested.

Galen Glen's Annual Holiday Open House

Saturday 12/14, 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday 12/15, noon - 5 pm

We welcome you to come in from the cold and warm up with some of Gary's Norwegian Shrimp Chowder. In Norway, fish, shrimp and potatoes are staples in a family's diet. Soup is great after a cold day of tree shopping, holiday shopping or decorating. Stop by the winery for our complimentary food and wine pairing. Let our staff help you make your holiday wine selections. We also will have gift cards, gift baskets, glass wear, dips, jellies, jewelry and candles available to help you with your holiday gift giving needs.

There's still time to visit Vynecrest's Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem booth for wine tastings and sales during your trip to Christmas in Bethlehem. 

Thursdays & Sundays: 11 am - 6 pm

Fridays & Saturdays: 11am - 8pm 

12/12 - 12/15 and 12/19 - 12/22

Clover Hill Wine & Food Inspiration

Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market

Saturday, December 14 from 11 am - 4 pm

Visit our Wine Shop for a special wine and food pairing. We will be showcasing some holiday entertaining ideas that will include: 

- Smoked turkey from Mr. Bill's Poultry paired with Oak Vidal

- 'Krab Salad' from Heckenberger's Seafood paired with Cayuga White

- English Cheddar with orange and chocolate from Wittman's World Cheeses paired with Vignoles

Pinnacle Ridge: Need a special gift for that wine lover in your life this holiday season?

Check out our gift baskets full of artisan dips, sauces and all other sorts of wine goodies. Complete with award winning Pinnacle Ridge Winery wines, of course.

4th Annual Christmas Blessings Toy & Gift Drive at Blue Mountain
Sunday 12/15 at 2 p.m.

It's that time of year to spread Christmas cheer to those who need it the most. Bring a new toy and donate it to the Christmas Blessings Toy & Gift Drive. All toys and gifts will be donated to the children's hospital. Put a smile on their face with your donation and enjoy live music with Scott Marshall & The Hillbilly Souls.

Franklin Hill Vineyards recently won 3 medals from the Grand Harvest Wine Competition in Sonoma County, CA. This competition is the only wine competition in North America that is based on terrior.

RedHead, our newest edition to our wine list, is a dry red with a high vanilla oak, was awarded a Bronze Medal.

White Jade, a dry, lightly oaken white, was awarded a Silver Medal.

Fiesta, a fun, sweet, red made with 100% concord grapes with a citrus blend added to it making it like a Red Sangria, was awarded a Silver Medal.

Don't forget to get your Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wine tote this holiday season.

When you purchase 6 bottles of wine or more at one of our 8 member wineries, you will receive this FREE wine tote! The bags are printed on both sides with pictures of our wine bottles. The bag is durable and able to securely hold 6 full bottles of wine. While supplies last.

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!