Taste and buy wine at the Vynecrest booth at Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem starting this weekend

The 2014 harvest is over and it feels good to take a breath before the busy holiday season begins.

Vino in the Valley 2015 passports are now on sale for $35 each. Christkindlmarkt starts Nov. 20 and runs through Dec 21. It is open Thursdays 11 am - 6 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 11 am - 8 pm, and Sundays 11 am - 6 pm (closed Thanksgiving Day).

Our winery's gift area has locally made products that make wonderful gifts for teachers, hostesses, family and friends. Soy candles, crackers, dips, cheese. Remember we have make your own baskets ($5 for basket and wrapping) where you add whatever wine, candles, cheese, crackers, dips, wine gifts you want and we'll make it up for you.

November Specials 
* Wine of the Month - Spiced Winter Red 10% off
* 3 Pack of the Month - Pinot Grigio, 3 for $35

Wine of the month and 3 pack available at winery only; 3 pack can't be combined with other discounts.

Thank you to everyone who purchased our wine of the month during October. One dollar of every bottle purchased during October went towards a donation to the PA Breast Cancer Coalition. We sold over 500 bottles. Thank you.

New Vynecrest Website

Check out our new website, www.vynecrest.com. We have updated our website with additional information on our wines, more pictures of the vineyard & winery and have made it easier to order wine online.

To help kick things off we are going to pick randomly select one person who ordered during the month of November to win a Vynecrest gift basket.

Upcoming Events

Nov. 20 - Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem at SteelStacks opens for the holiday season. Visit our booth for wine tastings and sales.

Nov. 30 - Jazz Sunday, Live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller from 1 - 4 pm

Glass Half Empty by John Landis

Harvest! When I mention harvest to people, everyone has their own perception of what that is.

For us harvest is the culmination of eight months of vineyard effort to produce grapes of high quality. For us harvest is the camaraderie of working together to hand pick, crush and press the grapes.
For us harvest is being outside enjoying the cool clear days with spectacular fall colors of gold, orange, brown and red.
For us harvest is relief that no major disaster like hurricanes or tornadoes damaged our vineyard.
For us the 2014 harvest has been exceptional.
Finally, for us harvest is the anticipation and excitement of tasting the wines that will be produced. Harvest - what a wonderful time of year!

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!

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.

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.

Lehigh Valley Wine Trail introduces a new promotional brochure

Wine tastings, vineyard tours and special events draw thousands of visitors to the eight family-owned and operated wineries that make up the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail in eastern Pennsylvania each year. To help them plan their visit, the Wine Trail has introduced a new promotional brochure that highlights the wineries and their special events.

Designed by Dina Hall of Dina Hall Graphic Design in Bethlehem and printed by Nacci Printing in Allentown, the new brochure features detailed listings on each of the wineries including hours of operation, driving directions, wine shop extensions, and amenities provided at each location. 

Also included is a map of the wine trail on which each winery location is plotted, and information on each of the organization’s six annual events. The events include:

• March Madness – also known as Passport Weekends
• Wine in Bloom – May
• Wine on the Mountain at Penn’s Peak – July
• Harvest Weekend – September
• Chambourcin Weekend – October
• Nouveau Weekend – November

A PDF version of the brochure can be downloaded on the home page of the Wine Trail’s web site: www.LehighValleyWineTrail.com.

The printing of the brochures was underwritten in part by Discover Lehigh Valley, the designated destination marketing organization of Lehigh and Northampton counties. The non-profit organization will also distribute the free brochure through its network of more than 60 brochure racks at local hotels and attractions. Brochures can be requested by mail on the tourism bureau’s web site: www.DiscoverLehighValley.com.

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.

 

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.

Lehigh Valley Wine Trail launches a new web site!

The web portal for the Lehigh Valley’s eight wineries that make up the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail has been revamped with a fresh look and improved features.

The new web site, designed by Liz Buck of EB Designs in Reading, highlights the group’s six annual wine-themed events and its social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Taste of the Trail blog. There’s also an e-newsletter signup box on the homepage for the organization’s free monthly emailed information.

Each of the eight member wineries also has its own detailed information page with address, telephone number, web site link, directions, hours, and description. Retail outlet locations and tasting polices are also featured.

Other pages include:
•    Events – overviews of March Madness, Wine in Bloom, Wine on the Mountain at Penn’s Peak, Harvest Weekend, Chambourcin Weekend, and Nouveau Weekend along with dates.
•    Just Pressed – announcements regarding awards, honor and other accolades for the member wineries and the wines they produce.
•    Trail Friends – a list of local restaurants that sell Wine Trail wines, and hotels, inns and B&Bs for overnight accommodations.
•    Media – a section is for the press which includes recent press release announcements.
•    Directions – features a Google map with each winery’s location pin pointed on it. One click on a pin launches the Google Maps application with driving directions from one winery to another.

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail is a 501c6 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
•    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.