Lehigh Valley Wine Trail - Valentine's Day/Weekend events

Amore

Weekend of 2/11 & 12 - We will be pairing dark chocolate with Rapport, Blackberry bliss, and Cabaret Dolce. (pairing included in the regular $5 wine tasting fee.)

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Blue Mountain

February is the month of love. Love makes the world go round, but chocolate and wine makes the trip worthwhile. Every Saturday and Sunday in February, savor a delicious cupcake from local baker, The Buttered Crumb, or indulge in three decadent handmade chocolate truffles from local chocolatier, Sweet Finesse. Enjoy them with your favorite wine in their glass-enclosed room with cozy fireplaces overlooking the vineyard.

Wondering what to do for Valentine's Day? Try something a little different! Impress your significant other with a romantic candlelit dinner catered by The Culinary Experience. Enjoy soulful music provided by Jean Therapy Combo, and a souvenir glass to take home to remember this magical night. Tickets must be purcahsed by 2/3/17. Limited tickets. Ages 21 and older only

When: February 10 (snow date February 25)

Time: 6-9 pm; Dinner is served at 6 pm

Where: Blue Mountain Vineyards

Cost: $110/couple (+tax) includes two souvenir glasses, live music, catered dinner, and a glass of wine with dinner.

MENU

Appetizers

Roast Beef Crostinis

Arancini Balls

Mini Pineapple Pulled Pork Sliders

Dinner

Top Round Carving Station

Breaded Chicken Cutlet

Garlic Alfredo Sauce Cavatappi Pasta

Vegetable Medley

Caesar Salad

Fresh Baked Dinner Rolls

Dessert is provided by The Buttered Crumb. Chocolate mousse with handmade whipped cream, fresh berries, and two chocolate hearts on top.

Wine Pairing Suggestion: You can’t go wrong with a limited -dition wine and a simple, but delicious pasta dish to impress your lover on Valentine’s Day. We recommend their 2013 Cabernet Franc, which is a medium-bodied dry red with bright fruit and herb notes, paired with Portobello Mushroom Parmesan. Find the recipe at their website: http://www.bluemountainwine.com/portobelloparmesan.html

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Clover Hill

Beat The Winter Blues with a Wine Slushie Weekend

The Winery in Breinigsville

February 4 & 5 from noon - 4 p.m.

Slushies are available for purchase by the glass.

Forget the cold weather and join us for a little wine slushie fun. They will be wearing their best island outfits, Caribbean music will be playing and will be serving wine slushies by the glass. Slushies will be $6 by the glass (you keep the glass) and $5 refills.

Love Flights

The Winery in Breinigsville

February 11, 12, 13 & 14; noon - 4 p.m. each day

Reservations required (limited availability); $12 per flight

Love Flights is a sweet way to do a casual tasting of 4 wines each perfectly paired with a sweet treat. If you want to join us for Love Flights call us and make a reservation. They will need to know what day you would like to attend, how many people will be joining you and if you prefer dry or sweet wines. Please call 610-395-2468 for reservations.

Wine Pairing Suggestion: They just released the 2013 Merlot. The wine is fuller bodied with a touch of sweet oak and vanilla on the taste. If you are planning a special steak dinner, this wine would be a delightful partner.

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Franklin Hill

Valentine’s Day dinner at Social Still featuring Franklin  Hill’s not-yet-released Cask 530

February 14

$60/person

Join the winery Valentine's Day evening at Social Still and be one of the first to try our soon to be released Cask 530, a bourbon-barrel aged Chambourcin.

Course 1: Appetizer served with a Signature Cocktail

Smoked Beef Carpaccio with preserved lemon, smoked salt, arugula and kalamata olives

or

Prince Edward Island mussels, shallots, garlic absinthe, herbs, with charred bread

Course 2: Salad or Soup

Baby lettuce, blood orange, fennel, roasted beets, with candied hazelnut vinegrette

or

Wild mushroom soup with truffle foam

Course 3: Entree served with Franklin Hill Vineyards Local Wine

Thai style grilled lancaster free range chicken with fingerling sweet potatoes, green papaya salad and a sweet sambal sauce

or

Chimichurri marinated skirt steak, cheesy soft polenta, garlic spinach

Course 4: Dessert

Molten Chocolate cake, berry sauce, with white chocolate ganache

Tickets available online: https://www.opentable.com/social-still

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Galen Glen

Every Saturday and Sunday in February

Wine & Local Chocolate Pairings

Savor a delicious brownie with peanut butter icing from local baker, Mama C’s or three decadent handmade chocolate truffles from local chocolatier, Steve Evans with a glass of their wine.

Saturday, February 11 & Sunday, February 12

Noon to 2 pm

Romance Book Signing

She writes sweet. She writes steamy. Meet local, award-winning author, Autumn Jordan and take home your signed copy of her Valentine’s Day romance novel, Perfect Hearts. She will also be signing Perfect, Seized By Darkness and her newest release, Obsessed By Darkness. Books are $10 each (cash only).  Autumn has been recognized by the Romance Writers of America as a National Golden Heart® finalist and is a Golden Leaf Winner.  Recently, she received a “Best Indie Romance Author” nomination from Amazon’s Kindle Book Reviewers for Seized By Darkness.  More at www.autumnjordon.com.

Wine Pairing Suggestion: Their favorite treats for Valentine’s Weekend, paired with wine:

Galen loves raw oysters with his Stone Cellar Riesling and Fossil Riesling.

Sarah has a glass of their sparkling Gruner Veltliner with tuna and salmon sashimi.

For dessert – Sarah’s homemade tiramisu with their port style Barrel Twenty-Nine.

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Pinnacle Ridge

Weekend of Feb 11-12:

This year we’re teaming up with our good friends at the Mediterranean Café & Grill in Fogelsville. They’ll be baking some crispy, flaky baklava, filled with honey, cashews, pistachios – and most importantly, drizzled with chocolate.

This delectable treat will be paired with our new 2016 Vidal Blanc – a wine made in the classic Germanic tradition of stopped fermentation. Aromas of peaches and nectarines are intermingled with a clean minerality. The naturally retained sweetness blends with the flavors and crispness for a perfect finish.

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Tolino

Valentine's Day Weekend (2/11 and 2/12) Tolino will feature chocolate truffles by JP Hepp of Chocodiem.  JP was named one of North America's top 10 chocolatiers by the Institute of Culinary Education.  Live music on Saturday by George Baier and Erin McClelland on Sunday.

At Tolino’s Easton Public Market booth they will be doing a demonstration on February 8 from 5-7 pm in the community kitchen with JP of Chocodiem pairing their wines with various chocolates.

Wine Pairing Suggestion - pair their Cabernet Franc with dark chocolate for traditionalists, and Lilly with white chocolate for adventurers.

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Vynecrest

Valentine Weekend - February 11 & 12

Vynecrest Winery will be serving brunch in the Vyneskeller from 10 am to 1 pm, reservations required. It is an a la carte menu of mimosas for $3 and an assortment of sweet treats such as chocolate-covered strawberries, almond croissants, cheese pockets, chocolate éclairs, apple Danish and petit fours. They will be taking advanced orders for personal-sized cakes for two to share for $7 each: Oreo Cream and German-Chocolate. Steve Myers will be playing romantic songs on the Baby grand piano 10 am - 4 pm, and 1 – 4 pm on Sunday.

They will also feature both days from 11 am – 4:30 pm a flight of three wines and three chocolates for $10 (no reservations needed).  They will pair the following from Billy’s Candies in Temple, Pa. with their Vynecrest wines:  Sparkling Traminette with Milk Chocolate Covered Strawberries; Vynecrest Red paired with Chocolate Figaro Hazelnut Truffles; and Cherry Divyne paired with solid Dark Chocolate Hearts. Vynecrest.com. 610-398-7525.

Get to know... Tina Keller of Galen Glen Winery

1.     Which winery do you work for and how long have you worked there?

I have worked at Galen Glen Winery for the past three years.

2.     What is your favorite wine that your winery makes, and why? What do you like to pair it with?

My favorite wine is our Fossil Riesling. All of our Riesling wines are special to me because once you help with the harvest and see the amount of grapes to be picked and hand selected to create this wine, you gain a whole new appreciation for the wine. It is amazing to witness. A lot of hard work and dedication goes into making quality wine. Anyone that knows me knows I HATE to cook. When I sip Fossil Riesling I'm inspired to cook....but I don't. That's Karen's job. She feeds our staff well, even if it is just vegetables.

3.     What is the most popular question you get asked by visitors about Lehigh Valley wine or wineries, and how do you answer it?

The biggest question I get asked is, "What is your favorite wine?" Usually I respond, "honestly, it depends on my mood. I love our wine so its hard to pick a favorite."

4.     What do you like most about local, Lehigh Valley wine and wineries?

What I love most about local wines, especially wines on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail is that you are tasting everything this area has to offer. One thing that I have noticed about our wines in particular is that you can almost taste the weather from vintage to vintage. Was it cooler or warmer, wet or dry? All these things are part of that amazing experience of drinking local wines.

5.     What is the one piece of advice you offer to wine lovers traveling along the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail?

One piece of advice I offer to wine lovers that travel the trail is to keep an open mind. When tasting, try something new or something you didn't like before, you may be pleasantly surprised. Also bring a big vehicle because if you find a wine you love you should buy it in bulk. I consider wine a necessity like paper towels. It's better to have too much than none at all!

Easter food & wine pairings from the wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail

The owners of the nine family-owned and operated wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail understand how important the Easter meal is for gathering with family and friends, and offers the following food and wine pairing suggestions for this year’s dinner.

Amoré Vineyards and Winery, Nazareth - Pair Amore Pink Passion with ham, pork and sauerkraut or Rose Amore with baked ham. 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 great all-around wine for traditional Easter dinners. Both sweet and dry wine fans will enjoy the glass-filling aroma of this semi-dry rose. It 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 lots of flavor. It works as an aperitif, or with ham, turkey, or baked ziti.

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli – Winery owners Joe and Vickie Greff recommend their 2014 Pinot Noir to compliment a glazed Easter ham. For lamb, they recommend the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. If you’re serving a chocolate dessert, go with Victoria’s Passion or Harvest Moon, a late harvest Seyval Blanc dessert wine, with apple pie, custards, and carrot cake.

Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery, Breinigsville - Riesling is a great option for Easter ham; the winery produces a dry Generations Riesling and a semi-sweet Riesling. Try making a Holiday Ham Glaze with 1 cup of Clover Hill Holiday wine mixed with 1 cup of brown sugar. Blend ingredients, coat ham, and baste frequently.

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor - Pair their Gold Medal award winning Hard Cider with the Easter meal. For a more traditional pairing go with Seyval Blanc, which just won at the East Meets West Wine Competition, which will compliment your ham or turkey beautifully. For dessert pair the winery’s sour yet sweet green apple wine named Envy with a slice of key lime pie, or pour a little Envy over vanilla ice cream in a blender and make adult Shamrock Shakes.

Galen Glen Vineyard and Winery, Andreas – Winemaker Sarah Troxell recommends setting the family table with one of their Rieslings alongside a glazed Easter ham or a roasted turkey. For dessert, enjoy a glass of Twilight, which is naturally sweet and perfectly paired with cheesecake.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown - Their Vidal Blanc is the perfect companion for traditional Easter fare. To make more of a splash, their Brut Rose sparkling wine would be a festive choice.

Tolino Vineyards, Bangor - Celebrate with the family by sharing a bottle of Pinot Grigio. This dry white wine has citrus notes that complement the ham and gives the meal a refreshing taste. For red wine lovers, try their bold and smoky 2013 Cabernet Franc to bring out the seasoning of the meat. Sunnyside, a sweet concord, is a special treat that pairs well with semi-sweet Easter Chocolate for dessert.

Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville – Whether you go the traditional ham with pineapple route or do ribs and chicken on the grill, Autumn Gold is a sweeter wine that pairs well with either choice. It's made from Vynecrest's signature blend of estate-grown grapes, and is also the March Wine of the Month with 10 percent off the regular price of $9.99.

Winners are announced for two ticket contests - Wine on the Mountain

We're excited to announce the winners of our two contests, one on our Facebook page and one on our web site, giving away pairs of tickets to next weekend's Wine on the Mountain event at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe.

Contest #1 - Facebook

The winners are:

Bernadette Burton
Dave Cohen
David Emmons
Karen Jones
Cory Manning
David McCarthy
David Polley
Nancy Schwartz
Ross Thomson
Lisa Wesley


Contest # 2 - LVWT Web Site

The winners are:

Karen Batson
Judy Bryant
Jessica Coleman
Richard Dewey III
Michael Kracum
Joseph Miscavage
Kathie Nelms
Sheila Potts
Alfreda Pugliese
Donna Saliby
Kammie Verdolina
Susan Walter

Each of them will receive in the mail next week of pair of complimentary tickets.

Thank you to everyone who entered! Tickets are still on sale for our wine festival and can be purchased online here (credit card only) or in person at one of our 9 member wineries (cash only).

Vynecrest celebrates the Big Game with a chili and wine event February 1

Vynecrest Winery will pair chili and wine on Saturday, February 1, the day before the Super Bowl. 

A popular annual event, this year they will feature Mr. Bill’s Poultry Market's chili from the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market paired with their recent PA Farm Show award-winning wines.

Mr. Bill’s turkey chili (red sauce) is made with locally grown, antibiotic-free, skinless turkey from Koch’s Turkey farm, a Tamaqua premium turkey grower. The recipe has gone through many improvements over the years and is a great blend of tomatoes, beans, lean turkey and spices. It will be paired with the winery's 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's does not use a cream-based sauce, but instead purees the white beans and adds sautéed onions, garlic, celery and a unique spice blend as well as whole white beans. This slightly spicy chili lends nicely to a pairing with their 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 chilis and wine pairings. The chilis will also be available for purchase by the bowl to eat in the Vyneskeller Wine Bar or for take out.

For more information visit www.vynecrest.com or call 610-398-7525.

August events at Galen Glen Winery

Walking Tours

Come out for a fun and educational walking tour of the vineyard and cellar. We offer one walking tour that leaves the tasting room at noon on the dates listed below. Walking tours are weather permitting and do not require a reservation. Please wear sturdy foot gear. For more details, check out the Happenings page on our website: http://www.galenglen.com/happenings/events.php

• Saturday, August 3
• Sunday, August 4
• Saturday, August 17
• Sunday, August 18
• Saturday, October 13

Harry's Special Spritzers

Just like Tom Cruise in the 80s movie "Cocktail," our Harry is whipping up some special spritzers. The spritzer is a classic, just like Harry. Wine spritzers add fizz and fun to your wine and summer and offer a great way to cut calories too. Come see Harry at the wine bar to try one of his special recipes.

• Saturday, August 10 from Noon - 5 p.m.
• Sunday, August 11 from Noon - 5 p.m.

Slushies Return

The hottest drink this summer has been the coolest.  We will again offer our special wine slushies for tasting and purchase. You may also purchase the slushy kit to make your own special concoctions at home too.  During our special slushy days you may purchase a slushy by the glass for $3.

• Saturday, August 17 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Sunday, August 18 Noon - 5 p.m.

Love Hot Dog Co. visits the Winery

Jason of Love Hot Dog Co. and the Lemonade Brothers return to Galen Glen with their gourmet sausage, dogs and sauces. Have you tried the bacon jam? There's nothing like it. Come to the winery, invite a friend and share the Love.

• Sunday, August 25 from Noon - 5 p.m.
• Sunday, September 22 from Noon - 5 p.m.
• Sunday, October 13 from Noon - 5 p.m.

For more details on this and other events at the winery, check out our Happenings page on the website: http://www.galenglen.com/happenings/events.php

Blogging Dog?

Have you stopped by our website to read Clemens' blog? Yes, our 4-year old yellow lab has his own blog and writes about the happenings and daily events at the winery. He also offers practical advice on wine and other subjects. If you haven't already checked out Clem's blog, stop by and catch up. http://galenglen.com/wineblog/

It's Muller Time this weekend at Galen Glen Winery

It's Muller Time! (Our wine slang for warm, spiced wine.)
November 3 and 4

Wishing you a safe return to everyday life after the storm. Visit us for a taste of mulled Claret wine, which has been transformed into a warm, spicy and sweet delight, and you'll leave warm and smiling!

Upcoming Events:

Love Hot Dog
November 11
Lobster rolls, sausages & dogs

Thanksgiving Weekend
November 17 and 18
Amazing corn chowder with Riesling

Black Friday Sale
November 23 from 10 am - 5 pm
Once a year, we put the winery on sale. 15% off case sales only. Custom label orders and shipped orders are not included. All wine must be purchased at the Winery day of sale. ONE DAY ONLY. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Regular winery hours:
Friday: Noon - 5 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday: Noon - 5 pm

Winery hours for the holiday season:
Open every day from Friday, November 16 through Monday, December 31
Sunday through Friday: Noon - 5 pm  and Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm
Closed: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day (Special exceptions: Christmas Eve and New Years Eve - 10 am - 3 pm)

Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wins big at 2011 PA Farm Show!

The Pennsylvania Farm Show is taking place in Harrisburg and the wine competition happened this past weekend. We wanted to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to our wineries that won the following awards:

Best of:

Best American:
Franklin Hill 2009 Sir Walter’s Red

Best Vinifera:
Pinnacle Ridge 2007 Veritas



Cherry Valley Vineyard
Gold: Raspberry
Silver: Cranberry Blush, Pink Catawba
Bronze: Merlot Blackberry, Proprietor’s Red

Clover Hill Winery
Gold: Vignoles, Catawba, Strawberry Pear
Silver: 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Bronze: Riesling, 2007 Merlot, Clover Hill Rose

Franklin Hill Winery
Double Gold: 2009 Sir Walter’s Red
Silver: 2009 Kiss, 2009 Catawba
Bronze: 2009 Harvest Berry, 2010 Seyval Blanc, 2008 Chardonnay, 2009 Fainting Goat, 2009 White Jade

Pinnacle Ridge Winery
Double Gold: 2007 Veritas
Silver: 2008 Pinot Noir, 2009 Quaff, 2008 Chambourcin, 2009 Chambourcin Rose, 2009 Traminette, 2009 Vidal Blanc, 2008 Chambourcin Reserve, 2008 Cabernet Franc

Vynecrest
Silver: 2009 Cherry Divyne, 2009 Pinot Noir, 2009 Riesling, 2009 Lemberger
Bronze: 2009 Late Harvest Vidal, 2009 Pinot Grigio, 2009 Blueberry, 2009 Cabernet Franc, 2009 Chambourcin