Galen Glen starts winter hours, announces Chili Cook-Off event

Many exciting things are happening here at Galen Glen and we wanted you to be the first to know.  Please mark your calendar for our upcoming events, bookmark our website on your favorites, "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and view our photos and add yours on Instagram for up-to-the-minute action.

If you are planning to come for a tasting or to any events with a group of 6 or more, we do require reservations. These may be made by calling the winery at (570) 386-3682 during our normal business hours. Our weekend reservation openings fill very quickly, so please plan early. All wine that is sold to be consumed on our premises will be by-the-glass only. This will not affect wine tastings at the wine bar. We welcome you to visit, enjoy a tasting, take in our breathtaking views, and savor some snacks and a glass of wine at a table inside the tasting room. Please note that due to space constraints on food and wine pairing event weekends, we may not have indoor seating available.

Winter Hours
Beginning the week of Sunday, December 29 we will resume our winter hours. We will be closed Monday, December 30 through Thursday, January 2 and will reopen Friday, January 3 at noon.

During January through March we are only open Friday noon - 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday noon - 5 p.m. We will resume our spring hours of Wednesday through Sunday on April 2 at noon.

Chili Cook-off
Saturday, January 18 (snow date: Saturday, January 25)

Are you a home or professional chef? Do you love to make meals that make others comment or smile? Then our Chili Cook-off is for you. This is a free event. That's right - free to enter and free to taste. We have space for just 12 entrants, so enter early. Galen Glen will be offering a complimentary taste of Chambourcin or Cellar Red to go with the chili samples that day. Every person who visits the winery that day will be able to taste and vote for their favorite chili. We have great prizes for our winners too. For more information on entering, please email Kathy at gruveegruner@galenglen.com for an entry packet.

Galen Glen is going green
Have you purchased a bottle of Winter Mountain White lately? Have you noticed something different? That's right. We're going green.

As many of you know, our beautiful blue bottles for Winter Mountain White and Ice Wine were very popular. Unfortunately, they were not good for the environment. Blue bottles, because they contain cobalt, cannot be recycled. We offered our blue bottles from wine consumed here to crafters for upcycling but never knew what happened to the others that went home with our customers. We wanted to reduce our carbon foot print, and switching to a exciting green bottle, that can be recycled, was our best option. So in 2014 as you purchase new vintages of Ice Wine and also Winter Mountain White you will begin to see and be able to recycle the green bottles.

Franklin Hill Vineyards launches new social media hashtag contest for the holiday season

Doors and Windows of Bethlehem

It's that time of year again and we need your vote. The Downtown Bethlehem Association is holding their annual contest to see who can create the most beautiful and unique doors or window. Take a stroll through beautiful Downtown Bethlehem and be sure to vote for Franklin Hill Vineyards starting November 23.

Here we go again...

We know you're crafty. Your table decor is the talk of the holidays. Now we want to give you a free case of wine just for showing off.

Take a picture of your Thanksgiving table, Christmas table or any time you think your table is amazing. Make sure there is a bottle of Franklin Hill wine visible and post it to social media with the hashtag #tablewine. We are accepting submissions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We will judge entries based on creativity, beauty, wine placement and maybe even how delicious everything looks. The winner gets a free case of wine! Yes, you read that right, a FREE CASE OF WINE!

All submissions must be posted by January 1, 2014. We will pick the winner January 6. Good luck and Happy Holidays.

As the holiday's approach we hope you take the time to reflect, cherish and enjoy all the season has to offer.  We have so many loyal and valued customers, and for this we are truly thankful. Cheers!  Elaine, Adam and the Franklin Hill Vineyards family.

Featured Recipe - Apple Cider Sangria
We've found the perfect drink for your Thanksgiving Day guests.
Take a bottle of our Seyval Blanc and add in 2 1/2 cups of fresh apple cider, 1 cup of club soda and 1/2 cup of ginger brandy.  Chop up 3 apples and 3 pears and enjoy.

Extended Holiday Hours - starting November 25

Short on time this holiday season? Let us help. Our retail stores will be opening earlier and closing later,. So whether we're your first stop or your last, we'll be there for you.

Tannersville & Easton -
Mondays - Saturdays: 10am - 7pm
Sundays: 11am - 5pm

Bethlehem -
Mondays - Wednesdays: 10am - 7pm
Thursdays: 10am - 8pm
Friday & Saturdays: 10am - 9pm
Sundays: noon - 6pm

Tasting room hours at the winery in Bangor will remain the same.

Take Sir Walter's Red on vacation with you this summer and enter Franklin Hill's contest

Where's Walter?
Do you take Sir Walter's Red on vacation with you? We bet you do! Take a picture or video of a bottle of Sir Walter's Red at your favorite vacation spot, whether it be the beach or in front of the Eiffel Tower. Wherever you take Sir Walter on vacation, we want to see it!

Upload your picture or video on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Vine and use the hashtag #whereswalter.  Entries will be judged on the uniqueness of your location. The winner will be announced September 20 on Franklin Hill Vineyards Facebook page. The prize is a FREE CASE OF WINE! We look forward to seeing where Sir Walter has traveled this summer!

(Some rules and restrictions may apply.)

Sensory Overload Wine Tasting
Saturday, August 31 at 2 p.m.

Join our winemaker as we learn about wine and have fun. This is a detailed look at the smells and tastes commonly found in wine. We will provide samples and aromas that will help you understand the nuances of wines and identify certain characteristics unique to wine.

Cost: $35 per person. Reservations required. Reserve your spot by calling 610-332-WINE.

Musikfest 2013 - August 2-11

Stop by our Downtown Bethlehem store in the Main Street Commons building anytime during Musikfest. Sangria and wine by the glass will be available for purchase.  

Clover Hill Classic to raise money for Jimmy Fund cancer research

Mother Nature has us on our toes this year! Our spring was much cooler than what we experienced over the last few years and bud break was two weeks later than what we typically expect. Then we had a late spring frost followed by a few stray hail storms. Overall the vineyards look good, but we did have minor damage from both the frost and hail. Right now the vines are producing flower clusters. Next the flower clusters will bloom and the fruit will set. Every week the vineyard brings us a new look and feel. There is no better way to enjoy our beautiful landscape than to sip a glass of wine on the patio at Breinigsville or Robesonia and watch the grapes grow!

We are very excited to be hosting the first ever Clover Hill Classic on June 15 (rain date - June 16) from 1-5 pm. Have an antique car, roadster, or a fancy ride that you would like to show off? Bring it to the winery in Breinigsville for this event. We are raising money for the Jimmy Fund and are suggesting a donation of $10 per car to participate. As a thank you for your donation, we will give you a token for a free glass of wine! 100% of the money raised will be donated to the Jimmy Fund to help fight cancer. Wine by the glass and food will be available for purchase.

From all of us at Clover Hill, we wish you a fun and safe summer. Stay connected with our summer happenings in the vineyard and the winery on Facebook and Twitter. Also, if you are planning a visit, please check out our latest house policies.

Owner's Selection
Save 10% on your purchase of Generations Sparkling Pinot Noir. Now only $22.50.
People always ask us, ‘what is your favorite wine?’ Well if you ask owner, Pat Skrip, she will certainly tell you her favorite is Sparkling Pinot Noir. When asked why she loves the Sparkling Pinot Noir, here is her response: “Oh, the bubbles and the beautiful pink color. How can you not fall in love with this wine just by the looks alone? Then you sip this beauty and your mouth is filled with delicate strawberry flavors and a classic yeasty undertone. Served well chilled, in a tall flute on a warm summer’s night…it doesn’t get better than that!"

Sparkling Pinot Noir is made in the Méthode Champenoise fashion and produced from 100% Pinot Noir grapes from our Broxspen Vineyard. As a reminder ~ use great caution when opening a bottle of bubbly! Always have the bottle very well chilled (at least two hours in the fridge and 20 minutes in the freezer works nicely) and never shake the bottle. Remove the wire hood on the bottle and keep your thumb over the cork. Gently hold the cork and slowly twist the bottle until you hear a soft pop. Always have a towel and flutes close by.

Wine and Food Inspiration
Allentown Fairgrounds Farmer's Market
June 8 from 11 am - 4 pm

Get ready for Father’s Day and summertime grilling with Mr. Bill’s Turkey London Broil paired with Chambourcin to highlight the peppery notes in the Chambourcin. For those with milder tastes, we will pair it with the Riesling which perfectly balances the turkey's marinade.

Clover Hill Classic
Saturday, June 15 from 1-5 pm
Rain Date: Sunday, June 16 from 1-5 pm

Clover Hill owners John and Kari Skrip are riding a 200 mile bike race across the state of Massachusetts and have pledged to raise more than $8,000 to be donated to the Jimmy Fund for cancer research. Help them to reach their goal by joining us to show off your favorite ride or to check out the area’s hot rods. For a suggested donation of $10 per classic car you will receive a token for a free glass of wine. 100% of the money raised will be donated to the Jimmy Fund! Food and wine by the glass will be available for purchase to enjoy on the property.

Connect with our wineries on Facebook and Twitter

We're excited that our wineries are embracing social media. All eight Wine Trail members are now on Facebook and would love to have you "Like" them. Here are links to their pages:

• Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth
• Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville
• Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli
• Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville
• Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor
• Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas
• Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown
• Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville 

In addition, three of our wineries are also active on Twitter. Please give them a follow.

• Vynecrest
• Blue Mountain
• Franklin Hill

And just in case you haven't already connected with the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail via social media yet, here are links to our various accounts:

• Facebook 
• Twitter
• LinkedIn 
• Flickr 
• YouTube

Before hitting the trail, check out our web site

If you haven't checked out the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail web site lately, you might not know about all of the information you can find on it about our wineries, special events and more. Here are some highlights:

• On the web site's home page you can sign up to receive our free monthly e-newsletter and download a PDF of our new promotional brochure to print out at home. You can also find icons linking to our social media accounts with Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr.
• Across the top of the web site find buttons for each of our eight wineries' pages where you will find their contact information, links to their own social media outlets, a list of their wine shops, hours, driving directions, tasting policy, and a brief overview.
• On the Events tab, get the dates for this year's six wine trail weekend events and details on each one. In the weeks leading up to an event we add specifics such as discounts, food and wine pairings, live music and more that will be taking place at each winery during the event.
• The Just Pressed page features news from our member wineries including recent awards, specials and discounts, and events.
• Our Trail Friends page features a list of area restaurants where you can find some of our wines for sale, and local hotels, inns and B&Bs that are our partners. We will soon be adding a list of local farmers' markets that several of our wineries participate in.
• The Media page is the place to find our current press releases, which are great sources of information whether you are a member of the media or not!
• Use the Google map on the Directions page to see winery locations, and click on a pinpoint for a pop-up box which links to driving directions.
• And finally, under the Contact Us page, feel free to drop us a line with any questions or comments you have about the wine trail.

Thanks for visiting our web site and for connecting with us on social media!

News, blues and specials from Blue Mountain Winery

Blue Mountain Winery News:

Joe and Vickie had the pleasure of attending the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce's 23 Annual Snow Ball Gala held this past Saturday at the University Center at DeSales University in Center Valley. It was a wonderful event and our wines were very well received!

Prior to attending the Snow Ball Gala, Vickie took part in this year's Your Heart, Your Choices Heart Expo held at the Montgomery Mall. She had a table set up so people could sample some wine and learn about the health benefits of wine.

February Specials:

$2 off 2004 Chambourcin
$2 off Ruby Rose 

Sunday Blues Schedule:

02/19 ~ Scott Marshall & the Hillbilly Souls
02/26 ~ Jake Kaligis & Mike Rauscher's Dynamic Duo
03/04 ~ The Large Flowerheads
03/11 ~ Wow Brothers
03/18 ~ Billy Patrick
03/25 ~ Jake Kaligis & Mike Rauscher's Dynamic Duo

Get all the latest news & updates from our Facebook page - Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars and follow us on Twitter too.

Wine Trail Web Site Update

If you haven't checked out the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail web site lately, give it another look.

Just Pressed
We've been making regular updates to the Just Pressed page with entries on what's happening at our wineries. This includes upcoming winery events, special promotions and discounts, wines that are back in stock, awards and more!

E-newsletter
Sign up to receive our monthly e-newsletter right on our homepage. It's quick and easy to do. All we need is your email address. And we promise not to sell it or give it to anyone else to use. It's safe with us.

Brochure
You can download a PDF of our Wine Trail promotional brochure to print out and take along with you when hitting the trail. It includes short overviews on each of our eight wineries, addresses to plug into your GPS, and driving directions as well.

Or look for a printed copy of our brochure at one of the more than 60 brochure racks around the region managed by Discover Lehigh Valley.

Social Media
And don't forget to connect with us on Twitter and Facebook, and check out our videos on our YouTube channel and our pictures on Flickr.

March Madness passports 
Passports are selling like crazy and the supply is limited. Your best bet at scoring a passport right now is to contact Galen Glen Winery or Big Creek Winery. They each have about 100 passports left for sale. Amore and Blue Mountain wineries have about a dozen each left and are bound to sell out this weekend. All other wineries are already sold out. Get 'em while supplies last! $35 each.

Blue Mountain Winery brings back three popular wines.

Here is the latest update from Blue Mountain Winery in New Tripoli:

Riesling is back!

We are very excited to announce that our Riesling is being bottled in our wine cellar. Also back in stock are Victoria's Passion and White Merlot. In the very near future we will be releasing Sauvignon Blanc. Stay tuned for details.

January Specials

Save $2  on 2007 Pinot Noir/Beaujolais
Save $1 on 2010 Vignoles

Make sure to print this coupon for a great deal on our 2007 Chardonnay.

For daily news and updates "like" us on Facebook! Our page is listed as Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars. Feel free to send us pictures and we'll get them added to our page. And follow us on Twitter too!

Sunday Blues Schedule

01/08 ~ Wow Brothers
01/15 ~ Billy Patrick
01/22 ~ Rob & Marty
01/29 ~ Jake Kaligis & Mike Rauscher's Dynamic Duo

Special Events

We are now booking events for 2012. Use our vineyard as a backdrop for your special occasion. Bridal showers, birthday parties, corporate events, you name it! For information on renting our private room please call or e-mail us.

Custom Labeled Wine Bottles

Custom labeled wine is great for any occasion! We can do any style in any amount. Check our website for samples or send us your own picture to use. Call or e-mail us for more details.

Taste the vintages of the harvest during Nouveau Weekend, 11/19 & 20

The eight wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail will debut vintages from their recent harvest this weekend, November 19 and 20, during Nouveau Weekend, their last Wine Trail event of the year. Wineries will also feature food and wine pairings for visitors to sample.

Nouveau Weekend is a great opportunity to purchase wine to give as holiday gifts or to complement holiday meals.

March Madness 2012 passports will go on sale this weekend. Passports are $35 each. A limited supply of passports is printed and often sells out well in advance of the month-long event, so event-goers are encouraged to purchase them early.

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.

For more information on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, visit www.LehighValleyWineTrail.com, and connect with them on Twitter and their Facebook fan page.

NOUVEAU WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

Amoré Vineyards & Winery, Nazareth will feature our new release Cabaret Amore with homemade barbecue.

Big Creek Vineyard and Winery, Kresgeville will pair its Nouveau Marquette with Millie's Chili.

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli will serve authentic Nouveau made from Pinot Noir grapes paired with roasted ham glazed with Tait Farms cranberry chutney. Sample other products produced locally by Tait Farms as well. They will also be releasing their 2008 Merlot and 2010 Chambourcin. On Saturday, Rob will be performing from 1 - 4 p.m. On Sunday from 2 - 5 p.m. will be Sunday Blues featuring Billy Patrick ($5 admission for live music).

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville will have the first release from this year’s harvest of Boysenberry. Boysenberry is a sweet wine which is a marriage of grapes and Boysenberries in every bottle. Boysenberry displays a very upfront and intense Boysenberry aroma and finishes sweet and crisp. Their partner will be Sorrelli Jewelry from Kutztown who will be onsite Saturday and Sunday hosting a trunk show. Sorrelli will offer a 10% discount on jewelry purchases during the event.  

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor will release their 2011 Seyval Blanc paired with Ginger Butternut Squash soup. Delices Europeennes will be giving samples of her European treats. They will also be releasing their 2010 Evanswood. Try it with Robert Rothchild's Chipotle sauce over meatballs for a perfect pairing.

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas will feature the Troxell family Thanksgiving favorite, potato filling with their Riesling. Potato filling is a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, and every family has their own version. Galen and Sarah learned to make theirs under the tutelage of Galen’s mother.

Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown will serve salmon chowder made with fresh fennel and dill, potatoes, cream and salmon fillet. They will be pairing the soft and fruit-forward 2010 Naked Chardonnay or their crisp and slightly sweet 2010 Riesling with the chowder.

Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville will pair their Nouveau Beaujolais 2011 wine made from the Gamay Beaujolais grape with Hereford Country Store Provencal basil dip and Rip Rap artisan whole grain crackers, both of which will be available for sale. Smooth jazz sounds in the Vyneskeller from Dan Harakal and Andy Warren on Saturday from 1 - 4:30 pm. No charge.

Vynecrest announces three wine releases

A great year in the vineyard produces great wines and the 2010 vintage was no exception.

The San Francisco International Wine Competition results were just released and the Vynecrest 2010 Chambourcin won a gold medal and our 2010 Lemberger won a silver medal. This is the first gold medal we have received from this competition.

We are now back to our full lineup as we release our 2010 Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Blueberry. This week is also your last chance to take advantage of the June specials:

• 3 Pack of the Month - 3 Niagara for $25
• Wine of the Month - Chardonnay (additional 10% off)

Our winery is open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Also, if you're on Facebook like we are, please become a fan of our Vynecrest fan page and follow us on Twitter too!

Local wineries get hip to social media!

We're delighted that so many of our wineries have embraced social media and now have presences on Facebook and/or Twitter. We hope you are already a fan of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Facebook fan page and are also following us on Twitter.

Here is the list of our wineries that are active in social media and links to their accounts so you can become a fan and follow them too!

• Blue Mountain - Facebook, Twitter

• Franklin Hill - Facebook, Twitter

• Galen Glen - Facebook

• Clover Hill - Facebook

• Pinnacle Ridge -  Facebook

• Vynecrest - Facebook, Twitter

Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Flickr too!

We'd like to say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read our first blog posts for Taste of the Trail. While we've been on Facebook for quite awhile with a fan page of our own, we've recently expanded our social media involvement to LinkedIn, Twitter and Flickr too.

If you have a profile or account with these web sites, we'd love to connect with you there too. So please check us out. These sites are yet another way to stay connected to the Wine Trail and its member wineries. They're a great way to find out about upcoming special events, promotions, news and more!

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Flickr

Welcome to Taste of the Trail - the official blog of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail

Welcome to the inaugural post of the new Taste of the Trail blog from the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail. If you don't already know who we are, then allow us to tell you.

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail in eastern Pennsylvania is a non-profit organization of family-owned and operated 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 goal of this blog is to help inform those of you with a passion for buying hand-crafted, locally made wines about our wines, wineries, special events and much more. We plan to publish posts a few times a week, so please check back with us often to find out what's going on.

In addition to this blog, be sure to follow us on Twitter and become a fan of our Facebook fan page. We also have a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail group on LinkedIn that you are welcome to join. We want to stay in touch with you and hear about your experiences exploring our wine trail and wineries.

Do you already have a favorite Wine Trail experience that you'd like to share with us? If so, please leave a comment on this blog post. We'd like to hear from you.