Spring Wine & Cheese Pairing weekend details announced

Taking place mid-spring, the Spring Wine & Cheese Pairing Weekend features the pairing of cheeses with local wines at each of our nine member wineries. Each winery will select one of its fine wines to pair with the perfect cheese and will offer complimentary tastings of the pairing to wine lovers who will explore how the texture, acidity, fat and tannin compliment or contrast each other. Guests will also learn tips to help them skillfully develop their own pairings.

Event hours are Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m.

(While the wine and cheese pairing samples at each winery are complimentary (limit one per person, per winery), most of our member wineries charge a fee for wine tastings. So be sure to ask what the tasting policy is when you arrive at each winery, or consult their respective winery page on this site.)

WINE & CHEESE PAIRINGS

Amore will serve a variety of Italian cheeses paired with wines appropriate to the nature of the cheese and the customer’s palate.

Big Creek will introduce its wine by the glass program and for the epicurious, an augmented cheese plate.

Blue Mountain will feature Strawberry and Goat Cheese Bruschetta paired with their 2015 Riesling (dry) or their 2015 Vignoles (Semi-Sweet). Cheese and wine will be available for purchase.

Clover Hill will feature Riesling paired with a Vermont Maple Sriracha Windsordale cheese, and Turtle Rock Red paired with Drunken Goat cheese.

Franklin Hill – will offer Cheddar, Bacon, and Bourbon Fondue served with pretzel bites prepared by our sister company, Social Still. They’ll pair it with White Jade, which was recently awarded the Best Dry White Wine at the Pennsylvania Wine Association Competition. For sweet drinkers they’ll offer Vidal Blanc as a pairing. Local vendors and specialty cocktails will also be available.

Galen Glen will feature its decadent Cannoli Dip (made with ricotta and cream cheese – recipe available) and a locally smoked cheese paired with their wines.

Pinnacle Ridge will team up with Camillo’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria on Kutztown whose chefs are preparing mini cheese pinwheels made with buffalo mozzarella and Camillo’s very own fresh dough. After baking, the pinwheels are sprinkled with garlic and Parmesan cheese. They will have two wines available for pairing: customers can choose either the smooth, full-bodied, French Oak-aged 2015 Chardonnay, or for a sweeter option, the 2016 Vidal Blanc.

Tolino will pair Mama’s Rose with Pastae, a Tolino family recipe. Pastae is similar to quiche and is made with hard Italian cheeses, eggs and pasta. This rich and decadent dish is a tasty side at any party. The touch of sweetness in the fruity rose is a perfect complement to the savory dish. Live music Saturday (and every Saturday) by Jeff and Karen.

Vynecrest will pair PA Preferred September Farms Mango Fire Cheddar with their seductive, spicy Traminette wine.

Vynecrest and Clover Hill plan annual Spring Fling event in early June

The vineyard is starting to come back to life after the harsh winter. The vines are pruned and buds are starting to open up. We planted an additional 800 Chardonnay vines last week and replanted 300 vines that were lost to winter injury.

The Vyneskeller is now open seven days a week from 1 - 5 pm. Monday through Friday it is self service. You can buy everything you need upstairs in the tasting room (wine, cheese, crackers) and take it with you downstairs to the patio or out to the picnic tables. Saturday and Sunday is business as usual with our full staff.





May Specials 
* Wine of the Month - Naked Chardonnay - additional 10% off
* 3 Pack of the Month - 3 Autumn Gold for $25

(*available at winery only; 3 pack cannot be combined with other offers.)

June 6 - Third Annual Spring Fling

Spring signals new beginnings and new releases at the wineries. Join Clover Hill and Vynecrest Wineries in Breinigsville in celebrating with three wine pairings at each winery – with cheese at Clover Hill and with dessert at Vynecrest. Tickets on sale now at both wineries and the day of the event. Tickets are limited so call Clover Hill 610-395-2468 and Vynecrest 610-398-7525. (Ticket includes 10% discount on your purchase on the day of the event.)

Clover Hill:

Vidal Verde paired with Buche de Chevre. Vidal Verde is Clover Hill’s newest release, a dry white wine that is patterned after the Portuguese Vinho Verde wines. In the wine you will taste pineapple and citrus flavors with a hint of effervescence. The wine is complemented by Buche de Chevre, a goat’s milk cheese with a rich yet tangy taste.

2013 Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Collier’s Cheddar. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is full of rich, ripe flavor and hearty tannins. This is a perfect partner to serve with an aged cheddar cheese like the Colliers.

DeChaunac paired with Red Dragon. DeChaunac is a semi-sweet red wine that shows both fruity and earthy characteristics. Red Dragon is a smooth, firm cheddar cheese made with mustard seeds. The hint of heat in the cheese is perfectly complemented by the bit of sweetness in the wine.

Vynecrest:

2013 Semi Sweet Riesling with coconut macaroon. Our Riesling is one of our staple grapes in our vineyard as well on our wine list. This wine exhibits a floral nose and clean, tart finish with a hint of sweetness which balances perfectly with the moist texture and rich decadence of the macaroon.

2013 Blueberry with frosted lemon pound cake. Made from 100% blueberries, we just get out of the way and let the fruit speak for itself… think roadside farm stand. While it can be difficult to pair with, we have found that it lends itself perfect when married with lemon and throw in the frosted exterior of the pound cake and you have yourself a homerun.

2013 Chambourcin with chocolate chip brownie.“The Jewel of the Lehigh Valley” our 2013 Chambourcin is no exception focusing on ripe, jammy fruit and soft delicate tannins on the back end. Because of that combination, you get the balance of the cherry flavors with the rich Brownie cake and the subtle French oak finish melding together perfectly with the semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Glass Half Empty by Sam Landis

We get questions all the time about the wine making process and how it works. For the most part, it is a very detail-oriented process. It starts in the vineyard as we look at blocks of vines and prune them and cluster thin so as to get the desired sugar and acids that we want reflected in those wines. Then we look at spreadsheet upon spreadsheet of sell out dates and projected sales and then crunch numbers and do trials and blends. We end up with wine plan after wine plan constantly updating, reallocating and finalizing.

But every once in awhile, we just wing it! That's what happened the other day when we were blending our 2014 First Blush. The blend was so unique (excess Riesling, Traminette and Pinot Grigio) that when we tasted it we said this is really, really good!

So on the spot we "stole" 300 gallons of that wine and said we are going to make a Dry Rose this year. Instead of finishing it off with some fruit-forward semi-sweet Chambourcin like we have in our First Blush, we added some dry, tannic, slightly oaked Chambourcin and presto... Dry Rose was born. While on paper the move does not make sense, I believe its things like this that keep you sane in the wine cellar and continue to push to make the best wines you can regardless of what a spreadsheet spits out. Winging it never looked and tasted so good!

So look forward to our new creation, Dry Rose, in June. An added plus is that my dog, Sadie, got on her first label, much to the happiness of my wife, who has been gently reminding me for seven years that my parents' dog Maizey is on three labels, and Sadie doesn't have any.

Galen Glen Winemaker's Dinner - November 6

 Sarah and Galen from Galen Glen Winery in Andreas have just announced their next winemaker's dinner. Below are the details on it. If you're interested in being a part of it, we suggest you register soon. These dinners are known to fill up quickly!

Winemaker's Dinner: Saturday November 6 at 7 p.m. at Galen Glen Winery, Andreas
Featuring the culinary creations of Tonimarie and her restaurant Macaluso's at The Lantern

Ammocete:
Compliments of the Winery. A casual way to start the Evening,
Let the Conversation begin.......
Wine - Mulled & Spicy Claret

First Course:
Cream of Cauliflower with fresh Jalapeno and Cheddar Cheese
Wine - Stone Cellar Gewürztraminer

Second Course:
Sweet Potato Ravioli served in a Brown Butter and Sage Sauce
Wine - Stone Cellar Riesling

Third Course:
Mediterranean Blend of Garbanzo Beans, Fava Beans, Craisins and Red Onions over Mixed Greens with a splash of Tonimarie's Vinaigrette
Wine - Traminette

Fourth Course:
Pork loin stuffed with Veal Sausage and Fennel accompanied by pan seared Brussel Sprouts
Wine - Stone Cellar Chambourcin

Fifth Course:
Mascarpone Cheesecake with Ginger Snap Crust
Wine - Stone Cellar Vidal Blanc Ice Wine
*Menu and wines subject to change at Chef's discretion.

Cost: $70 per person (please add 6% PA Sales Tax) Gratuity included

Reservations: Only by calling the winery at 570-386-3682. A credit card is required for all reservations. Cancellations after November 3 will be charged the full cost of the dinner.

Seating: We make every effort to accommodate seating requests.In order to use our space efficiently, we may need to combine parties. Also, our largest table can seat 8 guests.

For more information about Tonimarie: www.macalusosdining.com