Casting a Spell to End Hunger - Galen Glen Winery to hold food drive to help Shepherd House Food Pantry

On Saturday, October 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 27 from noon to 5 p.m., Galen Glen Winery will host Verhext Weekend. Verhext translates to bewitched in German. The Winery staff is asking, "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" Are you like Elphaba Thropp or Glinda from the Wizzard of Oz? The winery's always bewitching, fun, and energetic staff will be offering a complimentary food pairing of Flying Monkey Muffins with our Witches Brew, Muller Time. We invite everyone to come to the winery and eat, drink and be scary while helping others.

During this weekend our staff wants to help our local food pantry, Shepherd House, which is an emergency pantry that provides three days of meals (including breakfast, lunch and dinner) to families in need in the following communities: Beaver Meadows, Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Nesquehoning, Palmerton, Summit Hill, Tresckow, and Weatherly. Between December 2012 and May of 2013 Shepherd House served 16,944 people. The pantry operates on donations and grants and does not receive government funding. Per Director, Stanley Haupt, they are currently awaiting news on a grant from the PA Department of Agriculture.

Galen Glen Winery is asking everyone who visits the winery on October 26 and 27 to consider bringing donations of non-perishable food items (peanut butter, canned tuna and vegetables, pasta, etc.) or monetary gifts to help Shepherd House as they enter their most critical time of the year. For each family who brings donations, Galen Glen will offer a small thank you gift. Harvest is a time of abundant blessings, please help us bless Shepherd house!

About Galen Glen Winery
Galen Glen Winery is located in the beautiful rolling hills of Andreas Pennsylvania. The vineyard is on the family's double-century farm and is full of history. Our tasting room's knowledgeable and engaging staff always make your visit enjoyable. Year round we are open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Plan to spend an afternoon enjoying our exceptional views and award-winning wines with some locally-made meats and cheeses or bring your own picnic lunch.

For more information about our award winning wines and other upcoming events, please visit our website www.galenglen.com, "Like" us on Facebook at Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery or follow us on Twitter @galenglenwine. Contact the winery by telephone at 570-386-3682.

Clover Hill celebrates 28 years in business this month

Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery, the Skrip family and our staff are proud to share 28 years of Clover Hill wines. A few facts:

• In 1976, John and Pat Skrip purchased the property where Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery stands today. They planned on building a new home on the property and also wanted to farm the land. Initially, they intended to plant Christmas trees, then thought about a potato farm, and finally settled on growing grapes.
• 1977 was their first grape harvest and they sold the fruit to local home winemakers. For 5¢ more a gallon, John and Pat would crush and press the grapes for you!
• In 1985, John and Pat decided to make Clover Hill their full time occupation and received a PA Farm Winery license. The first year of business, they produced and sold just under 2,000 gallons of wine a year.
• Currently, Clover Hill owns and operates six vineyards, has four tasting rooms, and produces almost 80,000 gallons of wine a year.
• John and Pat Skrip have been joined in the business by two of their children, John III and Kari.

We are very proud to be a second generation, family-owned business. We thank our customers for enjoying and sharing Clover Hill wines over the years. A very special thank you to all current and past Clover Hill staff, who have helped make our dreams come true. Thank you for continuing to enjoy Clover Hill wines and we look forward to many more years to come!

Chamourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail
9850 Newtown Road, Breinigsville, PA 18031
October 19 and 20
Saturday 10 am - 5 pm and Sunday noon - 5 pm

Cheers to the Chambourcin grape! The Chambourcin grape is the only grape all eight wineries on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail grow, but it is produced in many different styles. So take this weekend to travel the trail and sample various styles of wine made from the Chambourcin grape. Each winery will celebrate this special grape in various ways.

At Clover Hill we will hold cooking demonstrations to be paired with our 2012 Chambourcin and our Turtle Rock Red (also made from 100% Chambourcin grapes). Our cooking demonstrations will take place at 1, 2, 3 and 4 pm both days. Visit our website soon for more details on what’s going to be cooking at Clover Hill. You can also visit www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com to find out what each winery has in store for this annual Chambourcin grape celebration.

Grape harvest 2013 begins at Vynecrest

The grapes are starting to come in. Recently we picked Seyval Blanc and a grape named Geisenheim that we use for our Riesling blend. Now we are picking Vignoles, Chardonnay and Traminette. The harvest has been great so far. Soon we will pick Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir.

It was a big week for Vynecrest at the Great Allentown Fair. Once again, John Landis was a chocolate cake judge, and then on September 1 we participated in the Great Grape Stomp along with Clover Hill Winery.

Our team was the politicians - Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, Lehigh County Commissioner Percy Daugherty, Lehigh County Executive Matt Croslis, and Pa. Rep Gary Day, who stomped against Clover Hill's team of media representatives. It was a very close finish with the slight edge going to Clover Hill. It was all in good fun to emphasize the importance the impact of our local Lehigh Valley wineries have on Pa. agriculture and local business and industry in the Valley. The stomp was followed up by a cupcake tasting with our Cherry Divyne wine.

September Specials 

• Wine of the Month - Riesling, additional 10% off 
• Three pack of the month - 3 Vynecrest Red for $30

(at winery only; three pack can't be combined with other discounts)

Upcoming Events

• September 19 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 - 7 pm
• September 26 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 - 7 pm
• September 29 - Jazz Sunday - Live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller, 1 - 4 pm
• October 3 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 - 7 pm

Glass Half Empty
by Sam Landis

Harvest.. September usually signals a lot of similar thoughts to many people. Back to school. End of summer. The beginning of football. But for me, for the last 30 years of my life, September has always meant one thing - harvest.

We began picking grapes recently, in what is now the 36th harvest at Vynecrest Winery. Some things have changed such as grape varieties, equipment, people, and vineyards. Some things have not changed such as paper, rock, scissors between Malachi and I to see who picks up the heavy lugs. Stupid fights with my dad over how to hook up hoses. Cold Miller lights at 7 p.m. as my mom brings us appetizers while we clean up.

But the biggest change at harvest at Vynecrest is that we are starting to look differently at what picking grapes really means. For years we would look at the grapes as grapes and see how we could grow the best possible grapes and then see how we could make the best possible wines from those grapes. Now, this is not the worst blueprint in the world, mind you, as it has served us well for many years.

But, recently in the last few years we have started working backwards. All grapes have their own identity (Ph, TA, Sugar, Tannin,), and that all stops once you make that final snip of the stem and they fall into the press. So we have started to work off the wine we want to make first as the determination of when we pick the grapes. Some of our wines are better served with higher Ph or lower acid or higher alcohol or lower alcohol, and these decisions are made in the vineyard and not the wine cellar.

There is still a lot to learn and we still make mistakes, but we are getting better and better every year and that is a pretty cool thing to be a part of and a very rewarding thing.

But I still like that some things never change. We are picking Chardonnay now so I am looking forward to a couple cold Miller Lights tonight at 7 p.m. with some snacks, waiting for the beginning of football... ah, harvest.

Pick and stomp grapes this weekend at Blue Mountain Vineyards

ANNUAL PICKING PARTY & GRAPE STOMP

September 21 and 22 and also 28 and 29 the fun begins at 9 a.m. with danish and coffee. Join us in the vineyard for a morning of picking grapes, taking pictures and just having fun. At noon we will gather at the winery for a wine tasting and you may choose a wine for your complimentary glass with your barbecue lunch.

After lunch we will show the classic "I Love Lucy" TV episode while you enjoy a make-your-own ice cream sundae. Then we head out to the deck for our grape stomp, complete with peasant dresses. (There is no charge for this event.)

Remember to wear comfortable clothing and shoes, and bring work gloves too. This is an adults-only event. Call today to reserve your spot for this fun-filled day in the vineyard. We may also do it on October 5 and 6 if the is enough interest. Like us on Facebook for updates.

Join us for live entertainment from 2 - 5 p.m. every Sunday:

• Sept. 22      Scott Marshall
• Sept. 29      Jake Kalegis and Mike Rauscher's Dynamic Duo

Look for us at these farmers markets!

• Bala Cynwyd - Thursdays 2:30 - 6:30 pm
• Ottsville - Fridays 4 - 8 pm
• Rittenhouse - Saturdays 9 am - 3 pm
• Saucon Valley - Sundays 9 am - 1 pm
• Emmaus - Sundays 10 am - 2 pm

September events at Galen Glen Winery

Tractor and Wagon Tours of the Vineyard and Cellar

Saturday & Sunday, September 14 & 15
Sunday, September 22
Sunday, October 6

Enjoy a tractor and wagon tour of the vineyard on each of the above dates listed. No reservations are required. Tours are weather permitting and depart the tasting room at 1, 2, 3, and 4 p.m. As you ride through the vineyard to the cellar you will learn about the grapes, how we harvest, then once in the cellar, how your wine is created and goes from vine to bottle. You might even get a glimpse of our Hollywood connection. Be sure to ask Galen about it during the tour.

Our final walking tour of the vineyard will take place on Sunday, October 13. Walking tours are complimentary and don't require reservations. Walking tours give a more intimate view of the vineyard and time to speak with the winemaker. This tour will be given weather permitting and we ask that you wear sturdy foot gear.

Smoky Mutts - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail's Harvest Weekend - the Butcher, the Baker, the Winemaker 

Authentic Southern BBQ available for purchase on Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15 from  noon - 5 p.m.

Pitt Boss Wes and his crew from Smoky Mutts return with their fantastic, authentic southern BBQ and fixins. You don't want to miss this. Plan to stop by the winery and purchase a glass of wine to enjoy with lunch or an early dinner. In the past, Wes has served everything from pulled pork, ribs, brisket, chicken and lamb. Come see what this weekend's menu features. Plan also to enjoy the cornbread and cole-slaw, more Galen Glen staff favorites.

Love Hot Dog Company & The Lemonade Brothers

Sunday, September 22 and Sunday, October 13, from noon - 5 p.m.

Jason makes his monthly pilgrimage to the mountains bringing his fantastic gourmet sausages and dogs. If you haven't come to the winery when Love Hot Dog Company is there, you don't know what you are missing. Jason serves everything from 100% beef to wild-game sausages and has the best home-made toppings. Be sure to ask about bacon jam. It's a Galen Glen staff favorite. All items are available for purchase while supplies last, come early so you won't miss out. Plan your visit now; you don't even need to pack a picnic on these dates!

Medals, Medals, Medals

Many of you may have seen the articles in the paper, spots on TV, and our Facebook and Twitter updates. Galen Glen has received many medals in the past month or so.

First there was the Riesling winning a double-gold and the Stone Cellar Riesling winning a Gold at Riverside. In addition we also received silver and bronze on the other wines entered. Then the Winter Mountain White won a Gold medal in the Finger Lakes competition. Again everyone we entered received either a gold, silver or bronze medal.

Last month Sarah received two silver medals for our Stone Cellar Chambourcin and Stone Cellar Cabernet Franc at the 2013 Women of Wine Competition in California. Later this month the Stone Cellar Gruner Veltliner will be judged at the Six-Nations Wine Competition in Australia. This is an invitation-only competition where a mere 100 wines from the US are selected. We are honored that one of them is ours. The results from that competition will not be announced until October.