Pinnacle's Knapp on wines and winemaking

You might say that April was just bubbly for Brad Knapp of Pinnacle Winery in Kutztown, after receiving the news a few weeks ago that the Finger Lakes Competition awarded he and his winery eight awards. This international competition gave his BRUT rosé a double gold. In addition, Pinnacle Ridge (see below) won two silver and five bronze medals. Knapp said you can't base your year on the awards you win. "I try not to get too wrapped up in the awards and try to not use them as a guide for how I'm doing," he said during a lengthy interview earlier this afternoon. Knapp talks about everything from the fun and drudgery of the winery work to the Day in the Vineyard program that will be held June 7 and June 8 at Pinnacle Ridge -- which will include Knapp and the winemakers from nearby Clover Hill Winery and Vynecrest Winery -- to naming three of his own favorite wines.

I have taken the release about the Pinnacle awards from the Pennsylvania Wine & Wineries Web site and have pasted it below:

Competing against over 2,300 wines worldwide, Pennsylvania, though considered neophyte in the wine community at large, once again proved itself as the serious albeit, upstart contender with this award shared only by 36 out of nearly 500 winning wineries. This year, 1600 medal winning wines in total were selected by the competition’s forty wine judges. The Finger Lakes Competition is one of a few US based International Wine Competitions and allows winemakers to not only show off their wines against the Californians and the New York wineries but those in Canada and abroad as well. This competition is nearly 10 years old; and this year, about 2300 wineries participated drawing from 44 United States and 14 countries worldwide.

Pinnacle Ridge Winery’s BRUT rosé is produced via the ‘methode champenoise’ the traditional French method for making sparkling wines, often casually referred to as champagnes. The use of this ‘methode’ is rather distinct because few wineries outside of Champagne, France produce bubblies in this traditional, classic style. Pinnacle Ridge, touching back to the cultural legacy of champagne making, opts to make its sparkling wines in a very, rustic and hand-made fashion including operating out of the historic farm’s old potato cellar, now champagne house, as it is essential to keep the pressurized bottles cool at all times. Pinnacle Ridge Winery’s proprietor and winemaker Brad Knapp has been producing these classically styled bubblies since 1993.

What makes a BRUT rosé? The style selected for the production of this vintage is a rosé produced out of black, Pinot Noir grapes harvested from the estate vineyard at Pinnacle Ridge Winery. The fruit is carefully hand-picked and whole berry pressed as per the “Methode Champenoise”. The delicate juice is cold fermented and allowed to settle for approximately six months prior to the second bottling. The wine ages for two years before being finished in the traditional way. The resultant wine shows a delicate, salmon-color and is crowned with a frothy wreathe of bubbles. Although the color and festive nature suggests that this indeed might be a sweeter bubbly, it is not. It is a true Brut and its light and delicately soft character makes it appealing to virtually any taste palate and a terrific partner to any meal or celebration.

Upon hearing the news about this extraordinary win, Brad Knapp responded, “We’re very pleased with this prestigious medal. Sparkling wines are receiving more and more accolades and were proud to be part of the Finger Lakes Competition and proud to receive this award.“

Pinnacle Ridge Winery could not just walk away with only the Double Gold for this bubbly from the competition, it was graced with additional accolades from this competition such as a pair of SILVER MEDALS, one for its 2005 VERITAS, which is a hearty red blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon and the other for its 2006 MERLOT. BRONZE MEDALS showered five of the winery’s other varietals: 2007 TRAMINETTE, 2007 NAKED CHARDONNAY, 2007 CHAMBOURCIN ROSé, 2006 CHAMBOURCIN as well as one of the winery’s other signature bubblies: CUVEE CHARDONNAY.

This is not only tremendous acknowledgement of the quality winemaking by an individual winery in eastern Pennsylvania, but an exceptional representation of how far winemaking has evolved in both Berks and Lehigh Counties. PINNACLE RIDGE WINERY, located outside of Kutztown, is an active member of both the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail and the Berks Country Wine Trail and is a beloved destination to many customers per year - over half of whom are tourists who have come to see and enjoy this area of Pennsylvania and its burgeoning wine community.
PINNACLE RIDGE WINERY features many award-winning wines, but for the champagne lover, it is well-keep secret that it is one of the few wineries in the state of Pennsylvania that produces quality sparkling wines. PINNACLE RIDGE WINERY and winemaker Brad Knapp, winner of over two hundred wine awards at the state and international level, has been delighting wine lovers old and new since 1993. The Knapp family and staff are proud to be able to preserve beautiful countryside landscapes and the agricultural heritage of Pennsylvania farming through the growing of its own grapes in its nearly 15 acres of grapes from its Kutztown and Kempton vineyards.
For more information about the winery and its wines, please visit: www.pinridge.com or email: pinnacle_ridge_winery@yahoo.com