Wine & Cheese Pairing this weekend at Galen Glen Winery

Wine & Cheese Pairing With Janet Derkits, Cheesemonger & Sarah Troxell, Winemaker
Sunday, June 14 at 1 pm

Join cheesemonger, Janet Derkits, and winemaker, Sarah Troxell as they lead your palate on an adventure with six wines and six cheeses. Janet, a true cheese enthusiast, had her own catering business on the Main Line near Philadelphia before moving to the Lehigh Valley. Her enthusiasm for cheese will have you booking your tickets to the countries of origin of every cheese you taste during this event.

Learn about protected areas and the animals who produce the milk, all while having fun in a social setting with other wine and cheese enthusiasts. Reservations are required. $10 per person due at time of reservation.

Make your reservations by calling our tasting room Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5pm.

Also this weekend at the winery:

Triple-Treat Repeat (with a twist)
Enjoy three chocolate truffles: Raspberry Champagne, Chambourcin (made with our Chambourcin) and Double Dark, plus 3-oz of wine for only $3 (while supplies last).
Half-pound boxes of the new Chambourcin truffles are available for purchase too.

Every Saturday & Sunday in June
Enjoy Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Santisi Imports and a baguette from Padora's Italian Bakery for $4.

Happening soon:

Sunday, June 21st, noon - 5 pm
"I Love You Man!"

Celebrate the men you love - fathers, brothers, sons, grandfathers, boyfriends...
We will offer complimentary wine tastings to all men and Frank & Tony from The Red Castle in Lehighton will be here selling their famous Polish sandwiches. Don't let it go to his head, but they will also have complimentary samples of two of their beverage menu items.

We are now on Pinterest.

Food trucks come to Galen Glen this spring and summer

Wine Education - Wine Myths and Misconceptions
Sunday, May 3 at 1 pm

$10 per person - Make your reservations now
                                     
Join us on Sunday, May 3rd at 1pm for a wine education event. Wine broker, Mike Schiffman, has designed this class to help you approach wine with a spirit of adventure, rather than fear of the unfamiliar. Mike has found that wine appreciation is much more than knowing geography, grape varietals, appellations, and thinking that the more expensive the bottle, the better the wine. As he says, "without the tasting experience, all the information or knowledge in the world is simply useless." This is sure to be an entertaining and educational tasting experience as you will taste wines from Pennsylvania and Austria.

Seating is limited. Reservations are required. Payment of $10 per person requested at time of reservation.

Call the tasting room at (570) 386-3682 during normal business hours to secure your place for this event. Our last wine education class was a sell-out.

Sarah on stage at The Sands Casino Resort

Get your tickets for the Lehigh Valley Food and Wine Festival online through Ticketmaster or at the Sands box office: Monday - Friday 10 am - 4 pm, Saturday 10 am - 2 pm. Sarah will be speaking on exquisite white wines Saturday, May 30 and Sunday May 31 at 3 pm.

Mark your calendar

This summer, on the fourth Friday of May, June, July and August we will host different Lehigh Valley Food Trucks from 5-8 pm so you may purchase a great dinner and a glass of wine and enjoy the evening in our peaceful vineyard setting.

Friday, May 22 from 5 - 8 pm, we will welcome Tim and Hala and the TAZA Truck--a full-service, mobile, gourmet kitchen that serves fresh Egyptian cuisine that include beef, chicken and turkey options as well as vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. Don't miss this fun evening in the vineyard.
Get more info on the TAZA Truck.

NOTE: These are rain or shine events.  There will be indoor seating if necessary.

Planning ahead? Check out these vendors too:

• Friday, June 26 from 5-8 pm - The Full of Crepe Green Machine
• Friday, July 24 from 5-8 pm - Bob-B-Q Sliders & Sides
• Friday, August 28 from 5-8 pm - Vince's Cheesesteaks

Labor Day Weekend fun at Galen Glen

Tours, Additional Holiday Hours, Food and Wine

Saturday, August 30, 10 am - 5 pm
Food on the Roll with Ellen's Edibles will be at the vineyard offering menu items like mac n' cheese, flounder stuffed with crab meat, chicken piccata and shrimp scampi to name a few. Plan to enjoy a glass of wine and some lunch while drinking in our breathtaking views.

Want to see and know more about how your wine gets from vine, to bottle, to your home? We will be offering one walking tour of the vineyard and wine cellar each day on Saturday, Sunday and Monday at noon.  Tours are complimentary, held weather permitting, and we suggest sturdy foot wear (sneakers, boots, etc.).

 
Sunday, August 31 - noon - 5 pm
Come and enjoy a relaxing day at the winery. We will offer one tour at noon. You may purchase a glass of wine or cheese to enjoy while taking in the pre-harvest beauty of our vines. Or join our staff and other wineries at The Schuylkill County Wine Festival.

Monday, September 1 - Labor Day - 11 am - 4 pm
We will have special holiday hours on Labor Day. Enjoy one walking tour at noon, stock up for your end of summer picnic, or enjoy a picnic on one of our patios.

Crooked Stick Red is back
Have you missed this combination of Chambourcin with splashes of our other red wines? For those who have been asking "When is Crooked Stick coming back?" it has returned and is available on the wine bar for tasting this weekend. In 2013, Crooked Stick debuted in August and was sold out by December. Don't miss your opportunity to taste this ever-popular wine. This wine pairs well with grilled foods, BBQ, sausage, bacon, and cheese steaks.

In the news
Since being named Best Woman Winemaker by the International Women's Wine Competition in California, Sarah has been very busy, not just making wine, but meeting with various media outlets to discuss everything from her award to vineyard conditions. We would like to thank everyone who has visited and shared our story.

In case you are out of the viewing area, Sharon Gaeta from our NBC affiliate WBRE in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton stopped by to chat with Sarah. View that story here. We also welcomed Mary E. Young from The Reading Eagle.  You can read her article here. Keep watching the news because in mid-September Jennifer Glose's article will appear in Lehigh Valley Business.

Sarah is ever so humble and always credits the entire crew at Galen Glen for her success. We, the staff, never stop being inspired by her and Galen, their tenacity, strong work ethic and passion for creating internationally award-winning wines.

Two big announcements from Galen Glen

Galen Glen Winery in Andreas recently shared two big announcements:

Galen Glen Winery's Stone Cellar Riesling wine was featured in a lecture with Stuart Piggot, famed wine critic, during the Riesling Rendezvous at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington on Monday, July 15. This was a three-day conference that featured wines from all over the world.

Stuart Piggot is a British wine critic and author who has resided in Berlin, Germany since 1993.  He is an expert in the area of German wines. Chateau Ste. Michelle is the largest American producer of Riesling wine. The three-day event celebrates the Riesling grape and Riesling wines from around the country and world. In the program for the event Piggot stated; "2011 Stone Cellar Riesling - Galen Glen/Lehigh Valley/Pennsylvania Eastern Kingdom: I am a great admirer of this small Eastern Pennsylvania winery that (just a two hour drive due west of NYC) is one of the United States' best interpreters of Austrian style Riesling & Grüner Veltliner."

Galen Glen's winemaker, Sarah Troxell stated, "The greatest Riesling winemakers of the world gather every few years to discuss, drink and dream about the future of this magnificent variety. Having our Riesling poured to attendees during Stuart's 'Riesling from Unexpected Places' was a humbling honor."

Galen Glen Winery has been invited to participate in the Six Nations Wine Challenge for the title of the New World Champions. This is the only wine show in the world where the wines are exclusively invited by the judges. A mere 100 wines from the US have been selected to compete and will be judged with wines from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and Argentina totaling 600 wines.

Galen Glen will be entering the 2012 vintage Stone Cellar Grüner Veltliner. This wine most recently took a bronze medal in the Riverside International Wine Competition, where several other Galen Glen wines took silver, gold and double-gold. It is truly an honor to be invited to participate in a competition of this level.

Dan Berger, author, wine critic, and judge at Riverside stated of the Stone Cellar Grüner Veltliner, "Mineral/slate notes, hints of dried wildflowers and star anise, and a succulent but totally dry entry. This is one of America's most dramatic wines, one that will never be discovered by the number scorers. And it's from a place you would never guess could make a wine this superb. But Sarah Troxell has a deft touch with this Austrian grape and the result is worth ordering from the winery."

This award-winning wine is currently available for tasting at the Galen Glen winery.

Galen Glen Winery is awarded Gold and Double-Gold in the Riverside International Wine Competition

Galen Glen Winery was awarded The Chairman's Award (double-gold, unanimous vote) at the Riverside International Wine Competition for the 2012 vintage medium-dry Riesling. In addition, the 2012 Stone Cellar Riesling (dry Riesling) was awarded a gold medal. Only 31 wines from around the world received the gold or above award; of those 31 only two were from Pennsylvania and both were from Galen Glen Winery.

Sarah Troxell, vintner, was pleased to learn that every wine from Galen Glen that was submitted to the competition received a medal. In addition to the Gold medals above, the following wines also won: 2012 Grüner Veltliner, silver; 2012 Stone Cellar Grüner Veltliner, bronze; and 2012 Stone Cellar Gewurztraminer, bronze.

Galen Glen Winery is located in the beautiful rolling hills of Andreas, Pa. The vineyard is on the family's double-century farm and is full of history. Their tasting room's knowledgeable and engaging staff always make your visit enjoyable. Year round we are open every Friday from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 pm. Beginning June 12 they will be open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m. Plan to spend an afternoon enjoying their exceptional views and award-winning wines with some locally-made cheeses or your own picnic lunch.

For more information about our award winning wines and other upcoming events, please visit our website www.galenglen.com or "Like" us on Facebook. Contact the winery at 570-386-3682.

Galen Glen brings home 8 medals from Finger Lakes

Congratulations to Sarah and Galen Troxell of Galen Glen Winery in Andreas for their win of 8 medals at the recent Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Medals included:

Gold:
2010 Stone Cellar Riesling

Silver:
2008 Cabernet Franc
2010 Grüner Veltliner
2010 Vidal Blanc
2010 Riesling
2010 Erin’s Auslese
2010 Cellar White

Bronze:
2010 Cellar Red

The 11th Annual Finger Lakes International Wine Competition is judged by a diverse and highly skilled group of 60 national and international judges representing sommeliers, educators, enologists, winemakers, writers, importers, retailers and industry consultants from Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, and elsewhere, as well as the United States.

All judging is single blind tasting and awarded on four levels of excellence: Double Gold (unanimous panel vote), Gold, Silver and Bronze. Last year, more than 3,000 wines from 15 countries and all 50 states were judged.

FLIWC is the largest charitable wine competition in North America. All net proceeds benefit Camp Good Days and Special Times. Located in the heart of New York State’s Finger Lakes wine country, this not-for-profit organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children, adults and families whose lives have been touched by cancer and other life-threatening challenges.

What's going on this holiday season at Galen Glen

Here's the latest from Sarah and Galen at Galen Glen Winery in Andreas. 

Thanksgiving Greetings!
This weekend, try our Riesling with authentic Pennsylvania German Potato Filling and Gravy.
Hours: Saturday, November 20 from 10 am -5 pm and Sunday, November 21 from noon - 5 pm.

Let our winery family help you select the perfect wine for your Thanksgiving Meal!

Black Friday Sale!
November 26 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.

Winery hours for the Holiday Season:

• Open every day beginning Friday, November 19 through January 2, 2011
• Sunday through Friday noon - 5 pm and Saturday 10 am -5 pm
• Closed: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day
• Special Exceptions: Christmas Eve and New Years Eve - 10 am -3 pm

BYOB in the Lehigh Valley

This post was written by guest blogger Sarah Troxell, co-owner of Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery in Andreas.

Every other month, I gather up the girls and head out for a night of gabbing, gossiping and good old fashioned giggling. Typically, we schedule our evening out early in the week, when restaurants are less busy and more inviting for small groups.

While we’ve tried various dining establishments with everything from belly dancing to hibachi, it’s the BYOBs that keep luring us back. Not only does BYOB make for a less expensive check, but it also allows everyone to bring a bottle of their newest find.

My gal pals come from all over the Lehigh Valley and often tote along bottles from their neighborhood winery. I like to bring our Vin Gris, it’s a crispy rosé blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin and a splash in everyone’s glass starts the fun!

Here’s where we might be spotted next:

• The Mediterranean Café – Best gyros and arnabit (unusual fried cauliflower)
• Liu’s House – I now have Pad Thai cravings
• Paese Mio – Fried flounder that tasted like I was in NJ
• Cactus Blue – Rowdy spicy fun with a great waiter
• Antelao’s – Delaware Water Gap, far but worth the trip

We’re always looking to expand our list. We have one new must try, Bamboo, which is the latest establishment from Liu of Liu’s House. I look forward to hearing about your favorite recommendations for restaurants and Lehigh Valley wine selections. So gather up your group and get to it!