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
Showing posts with label lehigh valley wines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lehigh valley wines. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
LEHIGH VALLEY WINE TRAIL ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE OF 2011 EVENTS
The nine family-owned wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail have announced their 2011 schedule of special events.
- March Madness – weekends only in March – Customers purchase a March Madness passport for access to different wine and food pairings at each of the nine wineries each weekend. Passports are stamped during each visit and can then be entered into a drawing for over 20 prizes. Customers also receive a LVWT collectible tile as this year’s gift. (Please note: A limited number of passports remain for sale.)
- Wine in Bloom – May 21 & 22 – This first-time event replaces last year’s AVA Weekend. It takes place mid-Spring as bud break occurs on the vines. It still celebrates the importance that terroir (soil) plays in the development of the grapes, their flavor and the resulting taste of the wine, and stresses the importance of the A.V.A. designation in further legitimizing the area for wine making.
- Wine on the Mountain – July 23 & 24 - Held at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, this event includes wine samplings, local artisans displaying their arts and crafts, light fare available for purchase, and live entertainment. Tickets are required for this event and can be purchased at each winery as well as at the door.
- Harvest Weekend – The Butcher, The Baker and The Winemaker – September 10 & 11 –The wineries proudly promote the state’s “Pennsylvania Preferred” program by partnering with manufacturers of other Pennsylvania products to showcase their high level of quality. Wine pairings, vineyard tours, food, music and other special activities are featured.
- Chambourcin Weekend – October 15 & 16 - Taking place after the harvest is over, this event celebrates the “official wine grape of the Lehigh Valley,” the Chambourcin.
- Nouveau Weekend – November 19 & 20 - This is the earliest chance to sample the first vintages of the new harvest. It’s also a great opportunity to purchase wines for the upcoming holiday season to give as gifts or to drink at dinner. March Madness passports also go on sale this weekend.
All events are free except for Wine on the Mountain at Penn’s Peak and March Madness, which requires the purchase of an event passport. Event hours are Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon – 5 p.m.
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.
Members include:
- Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth
- Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville
- Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli
- Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville
- Franklin Hills Vineyards, Bangor
- Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas
- Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown
- Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards, Saylorsburg
- Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville
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 75% 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.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Last call for Wine on the Mountain!
Hopefully by now you've heard or seen us promoting our next Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event which takes place tomorrow and Sunday at Penn's Peak in nearby Jim Thorpe, Pa.
We're been working hard this month to get the word out through our social media marketing efforts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and this blog, as well as through public relations with the media in the Lehigh Valley and Poconos. We've even done some advertising on WDIY-FM 88.1, Facebook ads, and in local newspapers including The Morning Call. So obviously we're hoping for a BIG turnout!
Just wanted to remind everyone that Wine on the Mountain is a rain or shine event since it takes place indoors. The outdoor deck offering panoramic views of Beltzville Lake and the surrounding mountainside. But if it's a little too hot outside for you, don't worry; there's plenty of room inside the air conditioned venue for everyone.
And also remember that we're not just sampling wines at this event but we're selling them too - individual bottles and cases. So find a few favorites at each winery and take some bottles home with you. Or buy a bottle to enjoy there with friends. There is also live musical entertainment and arts and craft vendors.
Hope to see you Saturday or Sunday at The Peak!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wine on the Mountain reminder
7th Annual “Wine on the Mountain” event returns to Penn’s Peak on July 24 & 25. Tickets now on sale at all nine Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries. 9 wineries under one roof!
The Wine on the Mountain wine festival includes wine samplings from nine Lehigh Valley wineries, local artisans displaying their arts and crafts, light fare available for purchase, and live entertainment.
Tickets are required for this event and are now on sale at all nine Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries (see list below). They are $10 in advance or $12 at the door the weekend of the event. Admission includes a commemorative tasting glass. Attendees must be 21 years of age or older.
WHEN: Saturday, July 24 from noon – 6 p.m., and Sunday, July 25 from noon – 5 p.m.
WHO: The nine wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail:
- Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth
- Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville
- Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli
- Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards, Saylorsburg
- Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville
- Franklin Hills Vineyards, Bangor
- Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas
- Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville
WHERE: Penn’s Peak, Jim Thorpe - Visit www.pennspeak.com for driving directions.
Friday, July 9, 2010
An update from Pinnacle Ridge Winery
Brad and Christy at Pinnacle Ridge in Kutztown just sent out their latest e-newsletter with updates on the vineyard (this hot, dry weather is great for grapes) and an upcoming
LATEST VINEYARD NEWS
2010 is shaping up to be a spectacular year. Bud-break this year was two weeks ahead of normal due to an
early heat wave that caused most plants to push growth earlier than normal. The growth continued with
moderate rainfall and average to above-average temperatures in April and May. June was much warmer than normal with slightly below-average rainfall. July is starting off with a bang. The grass is brown and crunches
underfoot like one is walking on corn flakes. These conditions make the crop farmers (corn and beans) cry
and we really feel for them. But at Pinnacle Ridge, we're smilin'.
Grapes love hot and dry growing conditions and that is exactly what we have. The beginning of the 2010
growing season was warmer than any other year in the last decade. The early bud-break coupled with hot dry
conditions will result in an early harvest. This is a good thing because it means the fruit will mature in warmer
weather than normal and we might get to harvest before hurricane season. If all goes well, we'll be sipping some of the best reds produced in the last decade.
THE WINE MAKER'S WIFE SINGS FOR HER SUPPER!
SKIP MOYER'S JAZZ JAM - Sunday, July 18 from 3 to 6 p.m.
Pinnacle Ridge hosts Skip Moyer's third 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, John Stoneback will dazzle us on the trombone! 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!)
Pinnacle Ridge is serving Mexican for our Jazz Jam. Fresh corn tortillas filled with home made roasted garden veggies and black beans, garden fresh tomato salsa, chicken tenders and jack cheese. No matter if the weather is HOT. There will be lots of fans and a misting tent. Great wine, food and jazz is COOL!
There is a $5 cover charge, however, this event is free for those 18 years and under and free to all case club members! Buy a case of wine on Sunday; stay and listen for free!
LATEST VINEYARD NEWS
2010 is shaping up to be a spectacular year. Bud-break this year was two weeks ahead of normal due to an
early heat wave that caused most plants to push growth earlier than normal. The growth continued with
moderate rainfall and average to above-average temperatures in April and May. June was much warmer than normal with slightly below-average rainfall. July is starting off with a bang. The grass is brown and crunches
underfoot like one is walking on corn flakes. These conditions make the crop farmers (corn and beans) cry
and we really feel for them. But at Pinnacle Ridge, we're smilin'.
Grapes love hot and dry growing conditions and that is exactly what we have. The beginning of the 2010
growing season was warmer than any other year in the last decade. The early bud-break coupled with hot dry
conditions will result in an early harvest. This is a good thing because it means the fruit will mature in warmer
weather than normal and we might get to harvest before hurricane season. If all goes well, we'll be sipping some of the best reds produced in the last decade.
SKIP MOYER'S JAZZ JAM - Sunday, July 18 from 3 to 6 p.m.
Pinnacle Ridge hosts Skip Moyer's third 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, John Stoneback will dazzle us on the trombone! 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!)
Pinnacle Ridge is serving Mexican for our Jazz Jam. Fresh corn tortillas filled with home made roasted garden veggies and black beans, garden fresh tomato salsa, chicken tenders and jack cheese. No matter if the weather is HOT. There will be lots of fans and a misting tent. Great wine, food and jazz is COOL!
There is a $5 cover charge, however, this event is free for those 18 years and under and free to all case club members! Buy a case of wine on Sunday; stay and listen for free!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Cabernet Franc and the Lehigh Valley - Part 2
Today's blog post is written by wine lover and guest blogger Jim Hutchings. To read part 1 of this blog post, click here.
If consumed at a cool cellar temperature, Cabernet Franc pairs well with summer picnic or barbeque foods, and is fantastic all by itself.
Franc actually plays a significant role in Château Cheval Blanc’s wines which are said to be among the best in the world. At one thousand dollars per bottle, I have not yet been fortunate enough to try a Cheval, but five of our very own Lehigh Valley wineries are producing outstanding examples of Cabernet Franc.
Blue Mountain, Franklin Hill, Galen Glen, Pinnacle Ridge, and Vynecrest all produce a Cabernet Franc varietal though supply is low at a few of them. If you enjoy more complex and robust wines, Blue Mountain and Franklin Hill have fine examples of the full orchestra to continue yesterday’s metaphor. Vynecrest, Galen Glen, and Pinnacle Ridge have some of the most elegant Francs I’ve tasted. Their Francs stand apart from their other bold reds and leave you with a powerful simplicity which lingers well after your last swallow.
If you haven’t done so yet, give our Lehigh Valley Cabernet Francs a taste. With an elegant flavor, wisdom, maturity, and simplicity, Cabernet Franc knows where it wants to go, what it wants to do, and does it very well.
If consumed at a cool cellar temperature, Cabernet Franc pairs well with summer picnic or barbeque foods, and is fantastic all by itself.
Franc actually plays a significant role in Château Cheval Blanc’s wines which are said to be among the best in the world. At one thousand dollars per bottle, I have not yet been fortunate enough to try a Cheval, but five of our very own Lehigh Valley wineries are producing outstanding examples of Cabernet Franc.
Blue Mountain, Franklin Hill, Galen Glen, Pinnacle Ridge, and Vynecrest all produce a Cabernet Franc varietal though supply is low at a few of them. If you enjoy more complex and robust wines, Blue Mountain and Franklin Hill have fine examples of the full orchestra to continue yesterday’s metaphor. Vynecrest, Galen Glen, and Pinnacle Ridge have some of the most elegant Francs I’ve tasted. Their Francs stand apart from their other bold reds and leave you with a powerful simplicity which lingers well after your last swallow.
If you haven’t done so yet, give our Lehigh Valley Cabernet Francs a taste. With an elegant flavor, wisdom, maturity, and simplicity, Cabernet Franc knows where it wants to go, what it wants to do, and does it very well.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Cabernet Franc and the Lehigh Valley - Part 1
Today's blog post is written by wine lover and guest blogger Jim Hutchings.
Cabernet Franc has long been ignored, looked down upon, and confused with its more robust offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon. Other times, Franc plays the second fiddle to Sauvignon and is used only in blending. In its blending capacity, Franc needs to be better understood. It is not merely a filler grape. Instead, Franc adds a maturity to young Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Meritage wines. It adds an elegance that greatly helps in keeping wild young wines under control.
This elegance became clearer to me while attending a recent orchestra performance. Each piece of the orchestra played flawlessly and added its own individual sound to the whole, which I compare to the big and complex wines Cabernet Sauvignon and blends often produce.
On this particular evening, though, Elizabeth Pitcairn was the violin soloist and her performance was my Cabernet Franc. The orchestra behind her was powerful, robust, and beautiful, but it was a completely different affair when she started playing. Her single violin rose above the orchestra with an elegance that was simply not available with a full orchestra.
Don’t get me wrong – big reds with lots of flavors working together or sometimes fighting for attention can be very fun. But as we move into the summer months and people tend to switch from big reds to lighter whites, the Cabernet Franc virtuoso is worth keeping on the summer drinking list. Thankfully this mature and elegant wine can be found at more than half of our Lehigh Valley Wineries!
To be continued tomorrow…
Cabernet Franc has long been ignored, looked down upon, and confused with its more robust offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon. Other times, Franc plays the second fiddle to Sauvignon and is used only in blending. In its blending capacity, Franc needs to be better understood. It is not merely a filler grape. Instead, Franc adds a maturity to young Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Meritage wines. It adds an elegance that greatly helps in keeping wild young wines under control.
This elegance became clearer to me while attending a recent orchestra performance. Each piece of the orchestra played flawlessly and added its own individual sound to the whole, which I compare to the big and complex wines Cabernet Sauvignon and blends often produce.
On this particular evening, though, Elizabeth Pitcairn was the violin soloist and her performance was my Cabernet Franc. The orchestra behind her was powerful, robust, and beautiful, but it was a completely different affair when she started playing. Her single violin rose above the orchestra with an elegance that was simply not available with a full orchestra.
Don’t get me wrong – big reds with lots of flavors working together or sometimes fighting for attention can be very fun. But as we move into the summer months and people tend to switch from big reds to lighter whites, the Cabernet Franc virtuoso is worth keeping on the summer drinking list. Thankfully this mature and elegant wine can be found at more than half of our Lehigh Valley Wineries!
To be continued tomorrow…
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
A wine blogger visits the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail
Our friend and wine blogger Paul Vigna recently visited the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail which he has been writing about for years but not really visited.
On a recent Saturday in June, Paul informed us that he would be driving through our region of eastern Pennsylvania on his way to visit family in New Jersey and would have a limited amount of time for winery visits, tours and tastings.
So he chose to visit Clover Hill and Vynecrest wineries which are located just a mile apart from each other in Breinigsville. At Clover Hill he joined a group on a walking tour of the vineyard and winery followed by tastings with co-owner Kari Skrip.
Then he visited with Jan and John Landis of Vynecrest for a peek downstairs in their Vyneskeller, followed by a round of wine tastings at the upstairs tasting bar and a little soccer match watching in the background. All-in-all we think Paul enjoyed his visit and will come back as soon as possible to visit the other seven wineries on the trail.
Paul's main profession is as the sports editor for Harrisburg's Patriot-News daily newspaper. But his love is wine. So his blog, The Wine Classroom, has its home on the PennLive.com web site of his employer. Here's a link to his first blog post about his recent visit, one on Vynecrest entitled "It's the battle of the Chardonnays at Vynecrest Winery." Give it a read and tell us what you think of it.
On a recent Saturday in June, Paul informed us that he would be driving through our region of eastern Pennsylvania on his way to visit family in New Jersey and would have a limited amount of time for winery visits, tours and tastings.
So he chose to visit Clover Hill and Vynecrest wineries which are located just a mile apart from each other in Breinigsville. At Clover Hill he joined a group on a walking tour of the vineyard and winery followed by tastings with co-owner Kari Skrip.
Then he visited with Jan and John Landis of Vynecrest for a peek downstairs in their Vyneskeller, followed by a round of wine tastings at the upstairs tasting bar and a little soccer match watching in the background. All-in-all we think Paul enjoyed his visit and will come back as soon as possible to visit the other seven wineries on the trail.
Paul's main profession is as the sports editor for Harrisburg's Patriot-News daily newspaper. But his love is wine. So his blog, The Wine Classroom, has its home on the PennLive.com web site of his employer. Here's a link to his first blog post about his recent visit, one on Vynecrest entitled "It's the battle of the Chardonnays at Vynecrest Winery." Give it a read and tell us what you think of it.
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