Lehigh Valley Restaurant Walking Tours to feature two of our wineries

The Lehigh Valley's PBS station, WLVT, has launched a new fundraising initiative that two of our Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries are participating in. The Lehigh Valley Restaurant Walking Tours take place in April with one happening in each of our three cities.

Franklin Hill Winery will participate in the Bethlehem walking tour since they have a store location in downtown Bethlehem inside the Main Street Commons building. And Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards will participate in the Easton walking tour since they have a store location in downtown Easton on Third Street.

Each tour is self guided and goes from 1 - 4 p.m.  Participants visit each restaurant or cafe on the tour at their own pace to enjoy sample-sized tastings of food and/or beverages. For a list of participating restaurants, see the lists on the PBS web site.

The Easton tour takes place on Sunday, April 3, followed by the Bethlehem tour on Sunday, April 10 and finally the Allentown tour on Saturday, April 30.

Tickets to the Walking Tours are $25 per tour in advance. If tickets remain the day of a tour, they are $30 each. Or you can purchase tickets to all three walking tours in all three cities for $70.

Please help us support WLVT PBS, a fellow non-profit organization, in making these three Restaurant Walking Tours a success.

More holiday news from Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards

HOLIDAY PARTY AND GIFT BASKET SALE - THIS WEEKEND ONLY!
December 18 - 19

Come join us this weekend for our blowout basket sale and holiday party. All gift baskets will be featured at 25% off the original prices. Enjoy free hot mulled wine, free wine & pasta food pairing prepared by Mary Sorrenti, and free holiday treats and cookies all day! We will also be releasing our secret holiday wine, which will be available only until Christmas.

Artisan Jewelry for sale this weekend

Beautiful handcrafted jewelry for under $20 will be on show during the holiday party.   

Limited time Holiday Gift Sets

Included in the set are:
-Blackberry Merlot
-Peach Wine
-Blackberry Wine
-Blueberry Wine

The wines come in a gift box and are priced at $35.         

Custom Holiday Labels - available for a limited time

Free labels with your purchase of two cases or more.

Give the gift of wine this holiday season by ordering custom holiday wine labels for your bottles. We can fulfill orders within 10 days, and they can even be placed over the phone for your convenience. Choose from half-sized bottles at $4/each or from any of our large sized bottles. Visit our website for more information, all 14 of our holiday label choices and an order form that you can fill out and fax or email if you'd like.

Winery:

RR5 Box 5100, Saylorsburg, PA 18353

Phone: 570.992.2255 Fax: 570.992.5083

Easton Location:

22 N. 3rd Street, Downtown Easton, PA, 18042

Phone: 484.373.3208

Cherry Valley Vineyards shares holiday plans

Our friends at Cherry Valley Vineyards in Saylorsburg shared their plans for the holiday season in the latest edition of their e-newsletter which came out yesterday. Here are some highlights.

Limited time Nouveau Blush!

Thanks to all you joined us during this past Nouveau Weekend, where we released our very first Nouveau Blush wine. It was a huge hit!

Our Nouveau Blush was bottled fresh from stainless steel, and tastes crispy, clean, fruity and slightly tart. Only a few cases are available at the winery and will likely be sold out this week. If you didn't make it this weekend for your bottle, stop by right away! In addition to it's fresh, young flavor, it's lovely commemorative label makes it stand out!

Attention fans of Mary's Chicken Florentina! The recipe has now been made available on our website. Click here to start cooking!
          
HOLIDAY SALE EVENTS!

At the Winery:

Come join us the weekend before Christmas for our blowout basket sale and holiday party!

All baskets will be featured at 25% off the original prices, and we will be giving away free hot mulled wine, holiday treats and cookies all day! Look out for our holiday wine with special label to be released for that weekend.

Winery:
RR5 Box 5100, Saylorsburg, PA 18353
Phone: 570.992.2255

At our new Downtown Easton location:

Join us for the "Easton Shines" event in downtown Easton, December 4 & 5. Each store in downtown will feature a special discount or offering, and gift wrapping will be hosted by a charitable organization in the center square. Holiday greens will be for sale as well.

Our store in Easton will be offering 25% off baskets, free hot mulled apple wine, and free custom labels for the weekend. We will be open 10 am - 8 pm on Saturday and 10 am - 6 pm on Sunday.

Easton Location:
22 N. 3rd Street
Phone: 484.373.3208


         

Cherry Valley Vineyards plans Grand Opening at new Easton location

Join the team from Cherry Valley Vineyards for the grand opening of their new downtown Easton store the weekend of October 30 & 31. Hours are Saturday from 10 am - 8 pm and Sunday from noon - 7 pm.

They will be offering free samples of their hot mulled wine all weekend and giving away free personalized labels for the holidays. There will also be a raffle for a case giveaway as well as fantastic wine specials.

Stop in for a wine tasting and buy a few bottles to take to your Halloween party.

Have your next special event or party at a Lehigh Valley winery!

The Vyneskeller at Vynecrest Winery.

Looking for a location in which to host a surprise birthday party, anniversary celebration or bridal shower? Skip the boring hotel ballroom or meeting room option and consider hosting your event at one of our wineries.

Several of our Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries have special event space that can be rented for your occasion. While not all of the wineries host weddings, most of them will be glad to have your party at their place and can even arrange catering services for you.

Blue Mountain Winery in New Tripoli has an enclosed deck that can be rented for bridal and baby showers. Vynecrest in Breinigsville has their Vyneskeller on the lower level of their barn that features its own bar with TV which is great for watching the big game.

Clover Hill Winery also in Breinigsville has a special event space just off their wine tasting showroom. Sorrenti Cherry Valley has a grand pavilion and other areas for hosting events. Amore Vineyard in Nazareth recently remodeled the second floor of their barn to accommodate dinners and parties.

So next time you have a special event to plan for a friend, a family member or maybe yourself, consider having at a local Lehigh Valley winery!

A view of downtown Easton from the new Cherry Valley Vineyards wine shop

Guest blog post from Lucia Sorrenti of Cherry Valley Vineyards in Saylorsburg. 

From an outsider's point of view, Easton is a city built entirely around a crayon factory. But while Crayola indeed adds to its ambiance, it is far from being the only attraction. As I help to incorporate my family's vineyard into the unique texture of Easton, I find myself observing, discovering, and enjoying what the city has to offer.

The majority of traffic flows in and out through the quaint Centre Square, and a number of independent and atmospheric restaurants and shops dot the sides of Northampton and Third streets. During the weekdays, the city's inhabitants always seem to be busy at work, and I find myself wondering how they keep themselves so well hidden. The small but growing number of people that find their way into the store are interesting and memorable, all seeming so connected with this city and its history.

On the weekends, Easton comes alive with its fresh and local farmer's market, and time seems to slow down for the residents as they mill through the streets, stopping for a coffee at the Quadrant, or an ice cream at the Purple Cow.

Eventually, they find themselves in the mood to pick up a bottle of wine for their weekend dinners and gatherings, and we open our doors - and our bottles - for them to experience the fresh and local wines Cherry Valley Vineyards has to offer. Our business is just like any other in the city, and it remains dependent on the people of the town to keep it alive and thriving.

As the Sorrenti family makes themselves a small home at 22 N. Third Street, we can only hope the future is just as bright as Sunshine Yellow and Burnt Sienna can paint it to be.

What's going on at Cherry Valley Vineyards this fall

Take a trip to the Poconos this fall to visit Mary and Dominic Sorrenti at Cherry Valley Vineyards in Saylorsburg. Here's what they have planned at their winery this fall:

Live Music Sundays: Come and enjoy free music at the winery each Sunday throughout the summer. From 1-5 pm in our pavilion, we will feature live acoustic, jazz, and folk musicians as well as fresh sangria and snacks. See you there!

Murder Mystery Dinner: September 18, from 6 - 10 pm. The “Sit-In” Murders is the theme of this fun and spooky event here at Cherry Valley - the Poconos most haunted winery!  The year is 1972 and the place is Fumaunch University. The students are about to launch a protest against Dean Hugh Ryders and the administration. The Dean has expelled student Byron Gedwan for calling in a bomb threat to the administation offices, but the students are sure that he has been framed.

Can Professor Dustin DeWine mediate a compromise between the students and the college? You might be an administration officer, a student, a town official, or a professor. And you ma be a victim or a suspect (should something bad happen to someone). Come on our and have some laughs while solving a tie-dyed, bell-bottomed mystery!

The event will spread all over the grounds and dinner guests will be able to participate in either an active (speaking) or passive role as they hurry to figure out the mystery. Tickets are $45 and include a full buffet prepared by Mary Sorrenti as well as soft drinks, wine and/or beer. The grooviest sixties costume wins a prize! Call us or visit the Murder Mystery Website for more details.


The Lost Ramblers: Formed back in 1978, the Ramblers are one of the best known folk/bluegrass bands in the Poconos. Known for their fun, high-energy performances and eclectic mix of polka, celtic, and jazz tunes, the band is sure to put on a great performance in our pavilion at Cherry Valley. Come down on Saturday, October 2 from 1-5 pm to listen, dance, drink sangria, and enjoy small hot plates from our kitchen. The $7 cover charge includes a glass of sangria or wine ($5 value), so this day won’t hurt your pocket.

Get the latest from us and our wineries with free e-newsletters

Did you know that we have a free informational e-newsletter that you can sign up for?

Just visit the homepage of our web site. www.LehighValleyWineTrail.com and plug your e-mail into the field at the very bottom of the page and hit submit. It's that easy!

By the way, several of our wineries have free e-newsletters also. Here's a quick rundown with hyperlinks to the pages on their sites where you can register to receive their e-newsletter too!

• Pinnacle Ridge
• Galen Glen
• Cherry Valley
• Vynecrest
• Blue Mountain
• Big Creek
• Clover Hill
• Franklin Hill

We like to cook with wine, and sometimes we even put some in the food!

We might be excellent wine makers but we're also lovers of good food. After all, what does better with one of our vintages than a homemade meal?

So we've started a series called Cooking with Wine on our Facebook fan page featuring recipes from our member wineries. There are desserts, appetizers, entrees and even drinks.

If you're a Facebook member and aren't already a fan of our page, then we invite you to become one today. Once on our fan page, click on the Notes tab toward the top of the page to see the recipes we've collected so far. Why not print a few out to try at home this weekend? Then post a reply comment here and a photo to our fan page and let us know how what you made turned out.

And if you like these recipes, be sure to pick up a copy of our Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Cookbook at the next Lehigh Valley winery you visit! 

Here's a sample recipe from Mary Sorrenti, owner of Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards in Saylorsburg, to get you started:

Rosemary Garlic Cream Wine Sauce over Cheese Ravioli
Put 2 cups white wine (Cayuga or Chardonnay), 3 or 4 springs fresh rosemary finely chopped and reduce (about 20 min.). Should be around 1/2 cup when finished.

Saute 5 cloves of fresh garlic finely chopped in 1/4 cup good olive oil until very light brown. At the end of saute add hot peppers to liking (we use a Peruvian pepper).

Combine wine, garlic saute and one pint heavy cream, simmer on very low for about 15 minutes.

Serve over cheese ravioli, put good Parmesan on ravioli before topping with the sauce. Sprinkle more cheese and serve with Chardonnay or Cayuga.

Sorrenti Cherry Valley wins slew of awards in Finger Lakes International Wine Competition

Congratulations to Mary Sorrenti and the wine making team at Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards in Saylorsburg on their big win at last month's 2010 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Of the 11 wine entries they submitted, 9 of them received medals.

The winners are:

1. Blueberry Spumante - Silver
2. Raspberry - Silver
3. Raspberry Spumante - Silver
4. Apple wine - Bronze
5. Blackberry - Bronze
6. Blackberry Merlot - Bronze
7. Chancellor - Bronze
8. Niagara - Bronze
9. Raspberry Blush - Bronze

Visit Cherry Valley this weekend for the Wine Trail's first A.V.A. Weekend and try some of these award-winning wines to see for yourself why they received these honors. An A.V.A. is a Federal designation of an American Viticultural Area, and the Lehigh Valley is one. So be sure to ask Mary about how the soil in her region of the Poconos affects the grapes she grows and thereby the flavor of her wines. After all, that's what A.V.A. Weekend is all about!

Lehigh Valley wineries offer their pairing suggestions for Easter Dinner

Easter is a special occasion that brings families together for a day of egg hunting in the backyard, visits with an oversized bunny, and baskets filled with candy and treats. But the highlight of the day is the celebratory meal.

The nine family-owned and operated wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail understand how important that meal is and are pleased to offer the following wine pairing suggestions for this year’s dinner.

Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth
Pink Passion is a perfect match for pork and sauerkraut or ham.

Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville
Vin di Pasqualina is best served lightly chilled with lamb.

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli
The newly released 2009 Vignoles pairs nicely with ham, lamb or pork.

Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyards, Saylorsburg
Seyval Blanc, a crisp, clean white wine similar to Pinot Grigio, with citrus- like characteristics, is fantastic with shellfish, fish and fowl.

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville
Clover Hill Cuvee is a semi-sweet, traditionally made sparkling wine. It’s excellent as an aperitif or served as a Mimosa.

Franklin Hills Vineyards, Bangor
Kiss, which is a blend of Cayuga and Vidal with just a touch of Chambourcin, is perfect with an Easter dinner of turkey or ham.

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas
Vin Gris is a crisp rosé blended from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin with hints of cherry, making it ideal to serve with ham or turkey.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown
The 2009 Riesling is the perfect accompaniment to the Easter meal.

Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville
Vynecrest White is a versatile, semi-sweet, all-occasion dinner wine. It's a "house" blend of grapes with an aroma of apricots and green apples, with a soft pleasant finish.

Join the nine wineries of the Wine Trail on April 24 and 25 for their first A.V.A. (American Viticulture Area) Weekend, as they celebrate this important, new national designation. Visitors will learn about the uniqueness of the region’s soil that adds complexity to their wines.

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.