Vynecrest winemaker's thoughts on all that goes into making a great red wine

August is a great time of year to come out, taste some wine, and enjoy the view of the vineyard. The grapes are just about ready to go through veraison, where they stop growing and start ripening. The red grapes will turn from green to red and the sugar levels start to rise. This change in color is also a signal for the birds the grapes are about ready to eat.

Just a reminder, the Vyneskeller is open seven days a week. So after you are done tasting you can grab a glass of wine and relax downstairs.

August Specials:
* Wine of the Month - Vynecrest Red - additional 10% off
* 3 Pack of the Month - 3 Bear Naked Chardonnay for $35

*available at the winery only

Aug 30 - Vineyard & Winery Tour, and Jazz Sunday

Vineyard and winery tour begins at noon. $5 per person. Tour should wrap up just in time to enjoy some live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller from 1 - 4 pm.

Glass Half Empty
by Malachi Duffy (left, pictured with Sam Landis)

When I have a glass of Lemberger I think about what went into making the wine that is in that bottle. Arguments over what to plant 4, 5, 6 years or more earlier. Remembering in 2008 we seriously considered ripping all of it out and not making it any more (thank goodness we didn’t follow through with that idea!). Wondering if the vines were going to make it through the sub-zero temps of the winter. Watching bud break and deciding how many clusters to keep. The awesome crew of guys in the vineyard who handle pruning, hedging, picking and everything in between. Prior to harvest, putting together the order for what yeast to use, enzyme and tannin additions, whether to cold soak or not. Tasting Lemberger on the vine when it gets close to harvest time. Arguing (again) over when to pick each lot of Lemberger. Finally picking and fermenting it.

Sam Landis and I having sand wedge contests over who can chip a golf ball into the fermenting red wine (the loser had to punch the caps). Sam punching the caps. Pressing the almost-dry wine and tasting the wine that runs out of the press as it is being crushed. Letting the wine sit for a few months before we put it on oak. Inevitably thinking that I have completely screwed up this vintage and I should have stuck with what I did last year. The following day retasting and not being so scared.

Oak additions to the wine a couple of months later: Some went to oak barrels, some went to Flex Tanks with oak staves and some with oak chips. At the end of the day (sometimes in the middle of the day) pulling samples and making sure everything is “progressing as it should.” That wonderful day when we have to come up with the final blend for Lemberger. Hopefully bottling before the current year runs out so we don’t have empty shelves. Grabbing a bottle as I head out the door to enjoy during dinner with the family.

It’s awesome to have a story about the drink you have in front of you. I am lucky enough to be involved in the process of producing that bottle. But hopefully you also have a story about Vynecrest wine. Maybe you had a great time in the Vyneskeller with friends and family, or you had Vynecrest wine at someone’s wedding. That’s the great thing about local wine, you don’t just go pick it up at the store, there is an experience associated with it. The wines are great by themselves (hopefully) but you can’t buy the moments off the shelf. The moments are what make that wine taste even better.

So, cheers to all the moments!

Save on Chambourcin and Traminette this month at Vynecrest

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail passport program is underway. No worries if you don't have a passport - we are still open to the public for sales and complimentary tastings. If you do have a passport, come on in, head downstairs to have your passport stamped and get your food and wine pairing.

To escape the weekend crowds, don't forget we are open every day until 5 pm and open until 5:30 pm on Fridays. Fresh croissants and baguettes are available Friday through Sunday. Stop in Friday after work to pick up some fresh bread, local cheese and local wine.

March Specials 
* Wine of the Month - Chambourcin, additional 10% off
* 3 Pack of the Month - 3 Traminette for $30.00

(available at winery only; 3 pack cannot be combined with other offers)

Upcoming Events

March 29

Jazz Sunday - live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller, 1 - 4 pm

April 4

Easter Saturday - live music with pianist Steve Myers, 1 - 4 pm

April 4 - Bear Creek Mountain Resort Spring Wine Festival

Join us on Saturday, April 4 for the Spring Wine Festival. Guests will enjoy wine and food samples and live jazz music from noon - 4 pm. Each guest will receive a commemorative wine tasting glass, event program, free samples, and have access to the wine check service. Tickets are $30 at the door or $25 online.

Glass Half Empty by John Landis

March! It’s the month when spirits rise as the earth awakens from the cold and snow of winter. It’s the month when we see many old friends that hit the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail for our Passport Program. It’s the month that grass turns green, grapes get pruned, our 2014 vintage wines start to find their way into bottles, and our patio fills with wine lovers enjoying the outdoors. It’s the month of March Madness Basketball, and the eternal hope of every baseball fan that this is the year for their team, and yes maybe we can start to wear shorts and t-shirts.

Weekend winery events - wine dinner, live Jazz, and Halloween fun

Halloween Happy Hour at Tolino Vineyards
October 24 from 3 - 8 p.m.
Join us for some Halloween fun. We will be offering wine and candy pairings, bloody wine labels, spooky decor, and a fire pit.  Come in costume for a discount.      

Plus our White Wine Sale continues on 2010 and 2011 White and Rosé wines. Purchase 1 bottle for 15% off, 6 bottles for 25% off, and a case is 50% off. What a great deal on delicious wine.

Verhext Weekend at Galen Glen
"Max out the MINI" to Help the Homeless
Saturday, October 25, 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 26, noon - 5 pm

Join Galen Glen during Verhext Weekend (which translates to "bewitched" in German) and enjoy a complimentary food and wine pairing of our newest wine, Holiday Spice with a special Austrian treat (recipe available). 

We are partnering with MINI of Allentown to collect bare necessity donations for our local program that helps homeless families, Family Promise of Carbon County. We want to "Max out the MINI" that will be sitting on our parking lot, open and ready to be filled with donations. Each family who brings a donation to the winery that weekend will receive a special thank you gift.  For the list of items needed, go here. Monetary donations are also welcomed. Thank you for helping us support this worthy cause.

Hallowine Tasting at Blue Mountain
October 25 from 5-9 p.m.

Everyone is invited to our Annual Hallowine Tasting. Come in costume to add to your fun. Prizes for best costumes and more. Enjoy our delicious wines while listening to live acoustic entertainment. Food such as chili, nachos, cheese, fresh baked bread and more will be available for purchase or bring your own snacks. Admission is $7.50 per person and includes a souvenir glass. Reservations are preferred.

Vynecrest's Jazz Sunday
October 26 
Live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller from 1 - 4 pm

Pinnacle Ridge wine dinner at Ginny's Bistro in Easton
The newest wine bar in Easton serves Pinnacle Ridge wines and will be hosting a wine dinner with us on Sunday, October 26 from 5:30-7:30 pm. This four-course wine dinner is $65 per person. We hope you can join us for a wonderful evening of quality local cuisine paired with some award-winning local wines.

Starter Course:
Spinach and Apple Salad -
Baby Spinach, Green Apples, Roasted Prosciutto and Gruyere Cheese with a Brut Rosé
Vinaigrette paired with our award-winning Brut Rosé

First Tapas Course:
Pan Seared Scallops and Steak -
Sea Scallops and Flank Steak served with a Lemon Caper Pepperocinni Reduction over Rice paired with our award-winning 2012 Barrel-fermented Chardonnay

Second Tapas Course:
BBQ Pulled Pork Taco -
Housemade Pulled Pork and BBQ Sauce served on a Flour Tortilla with a Garlic Sour Cream and Slaw paired with our award-winning 2012 Cabernet Franc

Desert:
Orange Vanilla Swirl Cheesecake paired with our Best of Class-winning Late Harvest Vidal Blanc

Vynecrest looks forward to spring, bud break on the vines, and Wine in Bloom

The weather is finally starting to warm up. That means the dormant buds on the vine will begin to swell and eventually open, signaling the start of the 2014 growing season. Road work begins this week on the main road used to get to the winery (Schantz Road). Please see below for detour information.

April Specials 
* Wine of the Month - Dry Riesling, additional 10% off
* 3 Pack of the Month - 3 First Blush for $25.00

*available at winery only, 3 pack cannot be combined with other offers.

Upcoming Events

April and May -

Vynecrest Piano & Wine Bar in the Vyneskeller - Open every Saturday & Sunday from 1 - 5 p.m. (free admission)

Sunday, April 27 -

Jazz Sunday - live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller from 1 - 4 p.m. (free admission)

May 17 and 18 -

Wine in Bloom - a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event. We'll be offering vineyard and wine cellar tours at  1 p.m. both days. The first 25 customers each day gets a potted flower plant courtesy of Amore Greenhouses. Vynecrest will have free samples of cheese and dips available for tasting.

June 7 -

2nd Annual Spring Fling event with Clover Hill Winery & Vynecrest Winery - Ticket holders receive samples of three cheeses and three wines at Vynecrest, and three sweets and three wines at Clover Hill. Additional details to be announced later this month. $10 per person. Tickets available at both wineries.

Local Roadwork

We wanted to give everyone a heads-up regarding a roadwork project that began on April 7. A stretch of Schantz Road will be closed until Spring 2015. This will not affect anyone visiting Vynecrest from Rt. 22/78 and Rt. 100. You will still be able to get to our winery by traveling west on Schantz Road and making a right onto Arrowhead Lane.

For those visiting from the south (Reading/Berks/Kutztown areas) you have two choices to get to us:
1. Follow detour signs, continue on Rt. 222 to the bypass and follow our winery signs in that way.
2. Continue on Schantz Rd. up to where road closure begins and take a left on Adams Road. Once on Adams Road, continue 3/4 of a mile to Arrowhead Lane, make a right onto it and proceed 1 mile. Vynecrest will be on your right.

The section of Schantz Road that will be closed is right after Arrowhead Lane and stretches to the top of the hill where it intersects with Adams Lane. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Glass Half Empty
by John Landis

SPRING!

Today I threw the last piece of ice off my driveway. I look forward to waking up listening to birds chirping, the sun shining, and putting on short-sleeve shirts and shorts.

I look forward to sitting on the patio sipping wine and watching the flowers bloom and the Lehigh Valley turn from white to green. I look forward to the spring planting of grapes and seeing bud break in the vineyard. I look forward to the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail’s Wine in Bloom Weekend when I can give tours of our vineyard.

SPRING!

It is the start of our 2014 grape growing season and brings excitement and anticipation of another great harvest.

Cheers!

Vynecrest brings home awards from PA Farm Show Wine Competition

The results of the 2013 Pennsylvania Farm Show wine competition are in, and Vynecrest received a medal for all eight wines that were entered.

• 
2012 Lemberger - Double Gold 

• 2012 Chambourcin - Gold 

• 2012 Dry Riesling - Bronze 

• 2012 Riesling - Bronze 

• 2012 Pinot Grigio - Bronze 

• 2012 Vynecrest Red - Bronze 
• 
2012 Traminette - Bronze 

• 2012 Cherry DiVyne - Bronze

January Specials 

Wine of the Month - Spiced Winter Red, additional 10% off 

3 Pack of the Month - 3 Vynecrest White - $25
(at winery only; 3 pack can't be combined with other discounts)

Upcoming Events

January & February - Vynecrest Piano & Wine Bar - Open every Saturday & Sunday, 1- 5 pm

January 26 - Jazz Sunday: Live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller, 1 - 4 pm

February 1 - Super Bowl Chili Saturday: 
Once again, Vynecrest will be pairing chili and wine on the Saturday before the Super Bowl. A popular yearly event, this year we will feature Mr. Bill’s Chili from the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market paired with our recent PA Farm Show award-winning wines.

Mr. Bill’s Turkey Chili (red sauce) is made starting with local grown, antibiotic free, skinless turkey meat from Koch’s Turkey farm, a local Tamaqua premium turkey grower. This recipe has gone through many improvements over the years and it is a great blend of tomatoes, beans, lean turkey and spices. It will be paired with our Gold Medal Chambourcin red wine.

New to Mr. Bill’s is their White Chicken Chili. A blend of Bell & Evans chicken breast meat and ground chicken are the base for this chili. Mr. Bill does not use a cream-based sauce, but instead they puree the white beans and add sautéed onions, garlic, celery and a unique spice blend as well as whole white beans. This slightly spicy chili lends well to a pairing with our Bronze Medal winning Traminette, a white Gewurztraminer hybrid with a flowery bouquet and seductive spicy finish.

Customers will have a chance to sample both of these delicious chili and wine pairings and the chili will be available for purchase by the bowl to eat in our Vyneskeller Wine Bar or for take out. 
A great start to your Super Bowl weekend.

February 23 - Jazz Sunday, Live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller, 1 - 4 pm

March - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail March Passport Program: 
There are still passports available for sale. The winery will be open for tastings but all food pairings are exclusively for passport holders. Tickets can be purchased online or at the winery.

Weeks 1 & 2 Pairing: Chicken, apple, bacon sliders with gouda cheese on slider rolls paired with Summertime red wine.
Weeks 3 & 4 Pairing: Chipotle pulled pork sliders with provolone cheese on slider rolls paired with Traminette white wine.

Hours of Operation 
Breinigsville - 7 Days a week, 11 am - 5 pm 

Kutztown - Tuesday - Sunday, noon - 6 pm

Glass Half Empty
by Sam Landis

Many days at Vynecrest are spent doing rote, repetitive, mindless tasks. Whether it is bottling, cleaning tanks, or pumping wine, these jobs require very little skill and provide very little reward. That's why our winemaker Malachi and I really enjoy the next few months. People may think wine making is simply the process of adding yeast to juice and fermenting it into wine. By definition yes this is true. But the real trick of the trade is the process of taking 30 different tanks of wine and combining them into 18-20 final blends. So how do you do this you ask? We drink a lot!

Behind each finished wine is on average 8 to 10 different versions that we put together on a small scale and blindly taste and make notes on. Sometimes we differ on opinions, sometimes we agree, but most of the time we pick and choose and tinker until we both feel like we finally have it. You would be amazed at the subtle nuances of what 5% of this or 10% of that makes in the overall make-up of a wine, but when you put them all blindly side by side it's a really fun and creative process - one that makes us realize why we do all of those other crappy jobs the rest of the year.

So next time you sit down with a bottle of our wine remember how hard we worked drinking sample after sample after sample after sample after sample after sample so you could enjoy it.

Vynecrest Winery announces new releases and live music lineup

The vineyard is coming back to life after a mild winter. It's a great time of year to sit on the Vyneskeller patio and listen to live music which we have in the Vyneskeller every Saturday and Jazz Sunday the last Sunday of every month.

Vynecrest on Main, our new tasting room in Kutztown, is up and running. Thank you to all of you who have come in to say hello and welcomed us to the Kutztown community. If you have not had a chance to visit the new store, come on out and enjoy a glass of wine and the best view in Kutztown.

The 2011 wines are rolling out and they have to be tasted to be believed. One of the most exciting things about wine is how the same wine can change from one vintage to the next. Our most recent releases are:

• Pinot Grigio
• Chardonnay
• Vynecrest White
• Pinot Noir
• Chambourcin

April specials

• Wine of the Month - Riesling - additional 10% off (at winery only, not to be combined with other discounts)

• Three Pack of the Month - 3 Niagara for $25 (can be combined with other discounts, so if you buy a case, the wine of the month is 20% off.)

Upcoming Events

April 14 - Live music in the Vyneskeller, Jake Kaligis, 1:30-4:30 pm
April 14 & 15 - Bear Creek Spring Wine & Food Festival,  1-5 pm both days
April 21 - Live music in the Vyneskeller - Connie Edinger, 1:30-4:30 pm
April 28 - Live music in the Vyneskeller - Mike Pilgermayer, 1:30-4:30 pm
April 29 - Jazz Sunday, Live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller with Andy & Dan 1:30-43 0pm
May 5 - Live music in the Vyneskeller, Jake Kaligis, 1:30-4:30 pm
May 12 - Live music in the Vyneskeller, The Large Flowerheads acoustic trio, 1:30-4:30 pm
May 19 - Taste of Kutztown, 3-8 pm

May 19 & 20 - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Weekend - Wine in Bloom

We will be releasing our 2011 vintage of Lemberger, made from our estate-grown red vinifera grapes. We will be pairing it with Amish farmstead Goot Essa woodsmoked cheddar cheese. There will be a winemaker’s tour both Saturday and Sunday of the vineyard and wine cellar at 1 p.m. On Saturday, there will be live music 1:30-4:30 p.m. by Art’s Acoustic Oldies in our Vyneskeller Wine Bar. Open to the public with no charge.

In The Vineyard

The pruning is done and the buds are starting to open up. It is nice to see the vineyard come back to life in the spring. Over the next few weeks we will be planting another two acres of grapes and keeping our fingers crossed for no late-spring freezes.

October events and harvest update from Pinnacle Ridge

FROM THE VINEYARD: HARVEST 2011

Every year we anxiously await the moment when the harvest starts. We check all our equipment to make sure everything is working. We order yeast and the various supplies we need to get us through the busy  season. We plan to make sure we have enough barrels and tank space and help to get through the busiest season in the winery year. 

When the decision is made to start picking the fruits of our labor its off to the races. This year the harvest started on September 12 with Cayuga for our Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine. Sparkling wine grapes are always the first to be picked. We look for a crisp, less alcoholic wine as the base for sparkling wines. We also picked Chardonnay for sparkling wine. Pinnacle Ridge has not produced a sparkling chardonnay for a number of years. This year we are making the Cuvee again instead of the Brut Rose. Patience! In a couple of years you’ll be able to taste our Cuvee Chardonnay.

Chardonnay for Naked Chardonnay and our barrel-fermented Chardonnay has been harvested as well Riesling, Syrah and Pinot Noir for our Quaff.  We’re fully in the middle of harvest at this point and it will continue for another four weeks or so.

For those of you “tuned” into the local grape scene, you may have noticed that it has rained a bit this year. Grape growers are not very fond of rain during pre-harvest and harvest. Rain can cause a number of issues with grapes, including increased disease pressure, more difficulty in scheduling harvest activities and bloated fruit.

2010 was a really great vintage with hot dry weather throughout most of the harvest period.  However, we face less than ideal conditions pretty regularly. 2009 was an example of a very cool, wet year that ended up
producing some very nice wines.

The good news for the 2011 vintage is that it has been warm. I’m sitting here writing in my living room on September 29 in shorts and t-shirt.  The windows are open and it is warm and muggy. Much like a late August day. The warm weather has kept the acidity in the grapes at a good level and has allowed flavor
development. I think we will get some balanced and very pretty aromatic wines!

PINNACLE RIDGE'S JAZZ IN THE BARN
    
Sunday, October 9 from 3-6 p.m.

Our last live music of the 2011 summer season! Musicians Andy Warren on guitar, Nimrod Speaks on upright bass, Alan Gaumer on drums and Pete Souder on saxophone. They’ll be playing great jazz standards. You can sit and relax with a glass of wine. Light fare will be available for purchase.

LEHIGH VALLEY WINE TRAIL'S CHAMBOURCIN WEEKEND

Saturday October, 15 & Sunday, October, 16 - Noon to 5 p.m. both days

Celebrate the harvest of the 2011 Lehigh Valley’s Chambourcin. Pinnacle Ridge will be serving samples of Tender Beef French Dip with our Chambourcin wine reduction au jus. For vegetarians we'll be serving sautéed Vegetable French Dip with Chambourcin wine reduction vegetarian au jus. Pinnacle Ridge 2009 Chambourcin, 2008 Chambourcin Reserve and Sweet Seduction (100% Chambourcin) will be our featured wines.

Last Jazz Jam of the season is tomorrow at Pinnacle Ridge Winery

Sunday, September 26 promises to be a beautiful early fall day, so why not make plans to spend the afternoon at Pinnacle Ridge winery sipping wine, listening to great music and noshing on homemade goodies?

Pinnacle Ridge hosts Skip Moyer's Jazz Jam from 3 to 6 p.m. Listen to guitarist Andy Warren, drummer John Fundyga, Skip Moyer on bass and guest musician Tom Reese on flute. Christy will sing a few jazz tunes too. Pinnacle Ridge wine by the bottle or glass, soda, water and Mediterranean- inspired light fare will be available for purchase.

There is a $5 cover, but this event is free for children ages 18 years and younger, and is free to all Case Club members. Buy a case of wine on Sunday and stay and listen for free!

This will be the last Jazz Jam of the 2010 season. Ya gotta' check out some of the best local jazz around! Don't wait until next spring!

Pinnacle Ridge Winery

407 Old Route 22

Kutztown, PA 19530

phone 610 756 4481

www.pinridge.com

A weekend Jazz Jam and an update from Pinnacle Ridge

SKIP MOYER'S JAZZ JAM (Wine, Art and Music-all in one day!)
Sunday, August 8 from 3-6 PM

Pinnacle Ridge hosts Skip Moyer's fourth Jazz Jam of the 2010 Summer Season. Skip delivers something new each jam along with guitarist Andy Warren, drummer John Fundyga and Skip on bass, Jonathan Saraga joins on trumpet.  

Christy Allen (yes, wife of Brad) will make a special appearance and sing some jazz standards for some of her favorite customers (wine and jazz enthusiasts!)

There will be food available. Pinnacle Ridge is serving their Bubbly (with or without Concord) or any wine of your choosing, lots of fresh fruit and a selection of meats, cheeses and crackers from our neighbors, Dietrich’s Country Store and Bad Farms. Sounds good, just like jazz!  No matter if the weather is hot because there will be lots of fans and a misting tent. Great wine, food and jazz is COOL!

There is a $5 cover.  However, this event is free for 18 years and under and free to all case club members! Buy a case of wine on Sunday and stay and listen for free!

FROM THE VINEYARD

Late-July and early-August is a very exciting time in the vineyard.  Throughout the year we track the progress of the vineyard by observing biological changes in the vines. For example bud-break is the first observation followed by bloom and the last observation prior to harvest is Verasion. Verasion is when the hard, green grapes begin to soften and change color.  Black varieties first go to light purple and then darken. White varieties change from an opaque green to a more translucent color.   

Consistent with our early bud-break caused by very warm weather in early April, Verasion is occurring about two weeks ahead of normal. This means that the two-week jump we got at bud-break has been maintained.  This comes as no surprise based on the beautiful hot and dry weather we have had this summer. If the weather stays hot and dry and the harvest hurricanes miss us, the 2010 vintage could be the best vintage ever in our 18 years of harvesting grapes.

By the way, I don’t spend all my time in the winery and vineyard.  Every now and then I get to enjoy some gardening. We’re swimming in tomatoes, basil, potatoes, zucchini, string beans, eggplant and flowers. It is not only a great year for grapes but for the garden as well!