Kreutz Creek Winery plans wine-bottling day on Labor Day Monday

A look at what the last wine-bottling day looked like, a photo courtesy of the winery.

Two of my favorite people in the industry -- Carole and Jim Kirkpatrick -- of Kreutz Creek Winery in West Grove, Pa., will be holding another wine bottling day on Labor Day Monday, Sept. 7. But it's not all work. You'll get to learn more about the wine-making process and at the same time bond with others who are there. It's one of several unique events they're holding this year at Kreutz Creek, including a vine-planting day in the spring and a grape stomp in the fall. Basically they'll go from around 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the wine bottling If you're interested for something different on what's generally a pretty slow day on the calendar, call Carole at 610.869.4412.

Brandywine Valley Wine Trail switching to a holiday open house for its December celebration

Hearing there won't be a Brandywine Valley Wine Trail vintners dinner this fall is disappointing but understandable. It's a lot of work and has to be costly, considering that the wineries involved not only provided the wine served at dinner but poured far more during an hour-plus time frame that preceded the dinner, as folks arrived and hors d'oeuvres were being served. All of this took place amid the spectacular backdrop that Longwood Gardens offers.

Instead, the wine trail this year will hold a holiday open house on the weekend of Dec. 5-6, according to communications chair Karen Cline. She noted that the trail is "doing an open house this year as a coordinated event to bring attention to the idea of gifting wine for Christmas---local/regional wines in particular. I don’t have all the particulars yet from each winery but so far, I see a trend of no tasting fees and wine pricing specials. Stargazers is introducing some new wines. Festive holiday atmospheres, including music and holiday sweets, will be the standard."

More details will be forthcoming on that and the annual Harvest Festival, scheduled for the last weekend in September and the first weekend in October. That will include a grape stomp at Kreutz Creek Vineyards in West Grove, something you're beginning to see at more wineries around the region..