Six new wine releases at Clover Hill this summer

Our Winemaker John Skrip III has been busy and is excited to share six new Clover Hill wines with you. 2015 was a kind vintage to our red wines. We had great quality with our red grape varieties, but the trade off is we have very little yield. That means all of the 2015 vintages listed below are in limited supply. Taste them while you can! Tasting is complimentary for these wines at all Clover Hill locations.

• 2015 Dolcetto: a dry rosé that is light, fresh, and fruity with a green apple finish. This release of Dolcetto has just a slight bit of fizz. $13.99 
• 2015 Sangiovese: a medium bodied dry red wine. Sangiovese shows rich flavors of black cherry and ripe plum with toasty American (PA) oak undertones. $16.99 
• 2015 Pinot Noir: This vintage of Pinot a bit fuller bodied than previous years and it is truly a superstar! The wine is full of classic strawberry characteristics and soft oak notes. $16.99 
• 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon: This Cabernet is packed with rich oak flavors of vanilla and spice from French oak aging and ripe fruit flavors of raspberry, blackberry and cherry. $17.99 

These two wines are limited release and are available for sale at all locations while supplies last, but ONLY available for tasting at the Winery in Breinigsville on a regular basis. Due to the very limited nature of these wines, there are tasting fees.

• Sparkling Vidal Blanc: Welcome Clover Hill's newest sparkling wine. This bubbly is made from 100% Vidal Blanc with crisp flavors of lemon and grapefruit with soft, yeasty undertones. $16.99/bottle; $3 for a 1oz tasting fee 
• 2016 Vidal Ice Wine: Our Ice Wine is back! This Ice Wine was hand harvested in January 2016. The berries were dehydrated, frozen solid and rich in flavor and sweetness. The harvest was basket pressed and yielded 1,500 bottles of Vidal Ice Wine; or as we like to call it...liquid gold. The flavors are complex and rich including honeycomb, orange blossom and bright acidity. $32/bottle (187ml); $6 for a 1oz tasting fee

1st Tuesday Tours
The Winery in Breinigsville
Tuesday, August 2 at 2 p.m.
Reservations suggested; $8 per person (Tuesday special)
No charge for under 21.

Join Clover Hill Winery for a Tuesday tour. We will show you the Clover Hill way from the grape to the glass! Tours last approximately 1 ½ hours and we sample a few wines as we tour. Tour groups are limited in size so please make advanced reservations by calling 610-395-2468. Please dress casually as comfortable shoes are suggested since this is a walking tour. Handicap accessible.

Harvest Flights with Bites
The Winery in Breinigsville
August 13, 14, 15 and 16, noon - 5 p.m. all days
Tickets required - $12 per flight

Purchase your flight ticket, pick your day you plan on attending, and choose between the winemaker (dry flight option) or the vineyard worker's flight (sweet flight option). Each flight will consist of four samplings of food each paired with a different wine. Check back for the menu. Please call 610-395-2468 or visit the Winery in Breinigsville for your tickets.

Mother's Day, wine slushies, and vineyard and winery tours this spring at Clover Hill

Mother's Day Flights
May 7, 8, 9 and 10 from noon - 5 p.m. all days
Tickets required: $12 per flight

Let us help you celebrate all the beautiful Mothers at Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery. We will offer a dry wine flight and a sweet wine flight. Please call 610.395.2468 or visit the winery in Breinigsville for your tickets.

Spring Wine and Cheese Pairing Event with the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail
May 21 - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
May 22 - noon - 5  p.m.

Learn the art of pairing wine and cheeses together. We will offer a free sampling of two wines each paired with a cheese. We will feature Riesling paired with a Ghost Pepper Habanero Jack and our Catawba paired with Cotswold. Cheeses will also be available for purchase. Stop in the winery in Breinigsville for this free tasting.

Wine Slushie Weekend
May 27, 28 and 29 from noon - 5 p.m. all days
To kick off the summer season we will be offering a wine slushie for sampling and available for purchase by the glass.

Public Vineyard and Winery Tours
June 12 at 2 p.m.
July 17 at 2 p.m.
Reservations required; $12 per person. No charge for guests under 21 years of age.

Join Clover Hill Winery for a vineyard and winery tour. We will show you the Clover Hill way from the grape to the glass. Tours last approximately 1½ hours and we sample a few wines as we tour. Tour groups are limited in size, so please make advanced reservations by calling 610-395-2468. Please dress casually as comfortable shoes are suggested since this is a walking tour. Handicap accessible.

Taste the Grape, Taste the Wine this weekend at Galen Glen

It's harvest time. Have you ever thought about the grapes that make your favorite wines? Join us this weekend for a unique opportunity to taste a grape varietal being harvested this week along with the last vintage of the wine made from that grape.

Weekends during the harvest season, Galen Glen Winery is offering a unique tasting experience for their visitors.  On Saturdays and Sundays in late-September and early-October, the winery is inviting customers to "Taste the Grape, Taste the Wine" by sharing the fruits of their harvest with winery visitors.

Tasting Room Manager Kathy Matson notes, "often when drinking wine one does not think about the actual grape varietal that makes the wine. Not only are we giving our visitors the opportunity to think about the grapes, but we are offering the grape as part of the tasting."

Each weekend during harvest, the winery will offer a sample grape of the varietals being harvested that week along with a complimentary taste of the wine that is produced from that varietal.  

Tour Time

Join us Saturday and Sunday at 3 pm for a guided walking tour of the vineyard. Walking tours are about one hour and one mile in length. You will meander through the vines, to our crush pad and wine cellar and then return to the tasting room. Tours are complimentary and reservations are not required.  We do suggest sturdy footwear.  Tours are given weather permitting. Tours are complimentary, and no reservations are required.

Future tour dates -  October 3 & 4 and 10 & 11

Galen Glen Winery
255 Winter Mountain Drive, Andreas, PA 18211

Are you following on Facebook? Enter our "Fan Friday" contest by Saturday, September 26 to win a new Evolution of Wine T-shirt.  Winner and some big news to be announced on Sunday, September 27.

Vynecrest September wine specials, new wine releases, and harvest update

Harvest update - Traminette has been picked and is in the winery fermenting, and we’ve also finished picking the Pinot Gris and Cayuga. We picked Pinot Noir and crushed it to become a Pinot Noir Dry Rose.

What's new - We have recently released the 2014 Lemberger, Vynecrest White, Vynecrest Red and Riesling.

September Specials 

* Wine of the Month - Summertime Red, additional 10% off 

* Three pack of the month - 3 First Blush for $25

*at winery only, 3 pack can't be combined with other discounts.

September 27 - Vineyard & Winery Tour and Jazz Sunday

Vineyard and Winery tour begins at noon. $5 per person. Tour should wrap up just in time to enjoy some live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller from 1 - 4 pm.

Glass Half Empty by Sam Landis

We started our 39th harvest here at Vynecrest this week and let me tell you there is nothing so romantic, poetic and inspiring as picking, pressing and fermenting the first grapes from a new year's vintage....booooooring.....let's take a quick peak into what "harvest" really is.

Yes, of course there is some inner beauty of growing and producing a future wine right from your own soil. There is the change of seasons and the maturation of the vines from spring through fall. There is the reward of all the hours spent in trying to fine tune 25 acres of grapes each plot of vineyard needing its own specific blueprint. There is the marrying of minds between the Vineyard Manager John and the Winemaker Malachi. There are notes, numbers, graphs and data to ensure the when that stem is clipped and that bunch of grapes falls into our press we have done the best we can for that future wine.

Then there is the other 90 percent of harvest which entails doing the same thing over and over and over. Once all of the intellectual capital is expended harvest really is all about shutting your mind off and becoming a robot. Set up, pick up, lift up, stack up, clean up, repeat. Mind you, this is not that terrible a thing in the least. You would be amazed at how quickly 10-12 hours disappears when you are not tethered to your iPhone, iPad or laptop (which I am as guilty of as anyone). It's actually incredibly liberating and lends itself to the best eight weeks of every year.

When a telemarketer calls to try and set up a meeting I tell them "Sorry, it's harvest season." 

Trash night at my house... "Sorry, it's harvest season." 

Can you do a special free tasting for our club, you will get such great exposure... "Sorry, it's harvest season." 

Sam, you are up on this month's newsletter write up... "Sorry, it's harvest season."

60 percent of the time it works every time.

Enjoy wine cocktails, a winemaker's dinner, and gourmet hot dogs this month at Galen Glen

Celebrate America's Independence Day with Wine Slushies & Tours
We will create a special "Red, White & Blue" Slushy featuring ice (white) and flavors of raspberry and pomegranate (red), blueberry (blue).
 
We will offer one complimentary walking tour each day on Friday, July 4; Saturday, July 5; and Sunday, July 6 at noon. The tour takes you on a meandering stroll through the vineyard, to the wine cellar and back to the tasting room. Tours are weather-permitting and we suggest sturdy foot gear.   Our terrain is great for grape vines but not good for flip-flops and stilettos.  No reservations are required for the tour.

Wine Cocktails -
Sunday, July 13 from noon to 5 pm (or while supplies last)
Join us for Groovy Cosmo Day. Gather your besties and come to sample this fun wine drink using our white wine. Enjoy a sample on the wine bar or purchase a glass for $4 to enjoy on our patio while you also drink in our breathtaking views.
 
Saturday, July 19 from 10 am to 5 pm (or while supplies last)
Join us for 80's Wine Cooler Day. This great wine cocktail features our white wine. Enjoy a sample on the wine bar or purchase a glass for $4 and savor the memories as you enjoy some time on our terrace.
 
Winemaker's Dinner
Sunday, July 13 - 6 pm
Mountain Valley Golf Course, Barnesville, Pa.

Sarah is continuing her summer road trip and is inviting you to join the ride. Join us next at Mountain Valley Golf Course located in Barnesville, Pa. The Golf Club is offering some great stay & play packages so you can golf before the dinner or the next day. For reservations and more information about staying or playing, call Mountain Valley at 570-467-2242 extension 3.

Love Hot Dog Co. & Love Food Truck Company
On Saturday, July 12 from 10 am to 5 pm, Jason and Bob return with the Love Food Truck. They serve hot and cold sandwiches and salads, ribs, and many other gourmet menu items that are different from the dog truck. Bob is a Culinary Institute of America trained chef, and he and Jason enjoy putting their own loving spin on every menu item.
 
On Sunday, July 20 from noon to 5 pm, enjoy a lunch you will never forget. Love Hot Dog Company will be onsite and selling gourmet sausages and dogs and delicious toppings like the now-famous bacon jam. Invite your carnivore friends, everyone is welcome to purchase a little lunch to enjoy with a glass of wine on one of our patios while sharing the love of summer sunshine.

Walking Tours of the Vineyard & Cellar
Throughout the summer months we offer walking tours of our vineyard and wine cellar on scheduled weekends. These tours are held weather permitting and we strongly urge you to wear sturdy foot gear (sneakers, hiking shoes, etc.) While the vines thoroughly enjoy it, stilettos and flip-flops do not bode well on our  rocky soil. The tours usually last about one hour and offer the opportunity to see how your wine develops from the vines in our vineyard to our crush pad and tank room and finally to the bottles that you take home.

While in the cellar you will learn our famous Hollywood connection too.  The tour provides a great opportunity to ask questions and learn more about our history, our wines, our awards and why we are passionate about what we create. Tours are complimentary and no reservations are required. Tours depart the tasting room at noon on the following dates: July 4, 5, 6, 13 & 19.

Warm weather = better grapes at Clover Hill

Grape growing weather

This type of summer is made for growing grapes. The days are warm and dry, evenings have been a little cooler and overall the weather has been relatively dry. During these types of growing conditions, wine grapes will yield less fruit, but the quality will be greater with intense, rich flavors. We are eager to see what this harvest will bring, but right now the vineyards look fantastic.

Owner's Selection - Catawba

A great summertime sipper! Savor the sweet, grapey, and candied flavors of this wine. Don't forget to sniff first to best enjoy the sweet aromas of grapes in the glass. Try it in our wine cake recipe. 

Enjoy a 10% discount on Catawba the entire month of July. Receive a 20% discount on the Owner's Selection when included with case purchases.

2012 Vineyard & Winery Tour Series
Call now to get your tickets

Spend the afternoon sipping and touring Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery. We will share with you our grape growing and winemaking process from start to finish. Please expect to spend 1 ½ hours at the winery for the tour.  Weather permitting we will go into the vineyard. Casual attire is recommended. $12 per person and advance tickets are required. Free for anyone under 21. The tour is handicap accessible.

Tour Dates:

• Monday, July 23 at 2 pm
• Saturday, August 11 at noon & 2 pm
• Monday, August 20 at 2 pm

Music & Tapas on the Patio

Chef Nathan Grube and musician Craig Thatcher will return to Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery on Sunday, August 12 from 1-4 pm. Tapas are available for $6 per plate.

Clover Hill Winery is wrapped up in spring fever!

Talk about Spring Fever! 70 degree days in March have us very busy in the vineyard at Clover Hill. We are feverishly pruning and tying the vines and finishing the general maintenance in our six vineyards. Bud burst is just around the corner and we are eager to see the vineyards spring back to life. 

We are equally excited to see people enjoying a glass of wine on the patio. Be our guest. Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at Clover Hill or try some of the local cheeses we have stocked for sale in the tasting room. Compliment either with a glass of Clover Hill wine.


Owner's Selection - Turtle Rock Red

Turtle Rock Red is a flagship wine for Clover Hill Winery. It is produced 100% from Chambourcin, the official wine grape of the Lehigh Valley. The deep, purple color, fresh berry flavors, a hint of sweetness and a touch of acidity are characteristics of this wine. This wine pairs nicely with grilled salmon or spicy chili.

Here is our favorite Turtle Rock Red recipe, the Wicked Turtle! Best served slightly chilled in the company of good friends.

Enjoy a 10% discount on Turtle Rock Red the entire month of March. Receive a 20% discount on the Owner's Selection when included with case purchases.

2012 Vineyard and Winery Tour Series
Tickets go on sale at the end of March. 

Spend the afternoon sipping and touring Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery. We will share with you our grape growing and wine making process from start to finish. Expect to spend 1 ½ hours at the winery for the tour.  Weather permitting we will go into the vineyard, so casual attire is recommended.  $12 per person; free for anyone under 21. Advance tickets are required. The tour is handicap accessible.

Tour Dates:

• Saturday, June 9 at noon and 2 pm
• Saturday, July 14 at noon and 2 pm
• Monday, July 23 at 2 pm
• Saturday, August 11 at noon and 2 pm
• Monday, August 20 at 2 pm

Music and Tapas on the Patio
Chef Nathan Grube and musician Craig Thatcher will be returning to Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery.  Tapas are available for $6 per plate.  Check back soon for the tapas menu.

Music and Tapas dates:

• Friday, May 25, 1 - 4 pm
• Sunday, June 10, 1 - 4 pm
• Sunday, August 12, 1 - 4 pm

Blue Mountain Winery announces plans for PA Wine Toast event on 8/14

Our wineries are gearing up for the big event on Saturday, August 14 at 3:30 p.m. What event is that, you ask? Why, it's The Great Pennsylvania Wine Toast!

The goal of the state-wide promotion is to celebrate another record-setting year for the Pennsylvania wine industry. In the process, we hope to set a world record for the largest wine tasting ever conducted!

Proud Pennsylvanian, wine lover and racing legend, Mario Andretti, will serve as toastmaster, as he leads all locations in a simultaneous toast via video. Proceeds from the event will support The Fund to Benefit Children & Youth, right here in the Lehigh Valley. The organization helps provide items and services to children and families in need.


Blue Mountain Wine & Vineyards in New Tripoli just shared their lineup for the special event with us. Here are the details:

1:30 PM  -  The Vineyard Tasting begins! They will offer 5 wines produced from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc.  Each of these wines will be served amongst the vines that produced the wines and they will accompany each wine with a cheese pairing.

2:30 PM – Tasting of the last of the 5 wines, and Lucas Lasagna, a local vocalist, will entertain with some Frank Sinatra standards as the tasting is completed and everyone returns to the winery.

3 PM – They will begin to form lines for counting, to be completed by 3:45 PM.

4 PM – Mario Andretti will perform the toast via live web video.

4:30-6 PM – Lucas will continue to entertain on the outdoor deck with panoramic views of the vineyards and mountains.

5:30 PM – Blue Mountain will auction off the bottle of wine and the wine barrel table signed by Mario Andretti with the proceeds to go to The Fund to Children and Youth.  



Please plan to join us for this special event! More details to come!