Berks County trail's eight wineries serving up cheeses and wine as part of weekend festival

Gotten away from those long weekly list of wine-related activities, but still want to steer you toward specific events that you might want to consider as a weekend destination. One this coming Saturday and Sunday will be the Berks County Wine Trail's Artisian Cheese and Wine Weekend. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

That trail includes eight wineries, with four running north to south along a western flank from north of I-78 to around Rt. 422, and then east to Blair Vineyards near Rt. 100 in Mertztown and south to Kog Hill Winery in Morgantown.

You can click on the wine trail Web site and then on each winery's link to see what they're planning for food and events in addition to having wine available for tasting. But you can start right here with three wineries that I want to mention:

Blair Vineyards in Mertztown is offering two cheese from Hendricks Farm and Dairy in Telford. One is an aged Gouda that will pair with a 2005 Merlot, and the other is their Keystone Classic that will match with Blair's 2005 Chardonnay.

Breakaway Farms of Manheim will cart its organic cheeses and meats into Clover Hill Vineyards' Robesonia location, open noon to 5 p.m. both days.

Finally, Manatawny Creek Winery in Douglassville will offer cheeses from three local producers: a fresh goat cheese from Woodchoppertown Chevre will be paired with its Riesling wine; a cheddar cheese from Wholesome Dairy Farms will be paired with its Cabernet Sauvignon, and Fat Cat cheese from Birchrun Hills Farm will be paired with its Chardonnay.

Asian pears will be available to sample at all the wineries.

Best part of the Berks County trail, at least at last check, is the absence of a tasting fee to sample their wines. That won't last forever, but it makes this trail unique among all the others in the region.

Blair Vineyards seeks help for Sept. 26 harvest

If you live anywhere near Mertztown, Pa., and have the urge to pick grapes, Blair Vineyards will hold its harvest on Saturday, Sept. 26. The owners extend the invitiation to anyone 21 and over and ask that any visitors leave their dogs at home. The group will meet at 8:30 a.m. and head into the vineyard. Those assisting can stay as long as they want and, if they decide to hang around long enough, can watched the grapes they picked get crushed and pressed.

They're looking to hold the number of pickers to around 25.

Anyone with questions or who would like to RSVP can write Missy at mblair@blairvineyards.com or call 610.682.0075.

Blair's white wines include Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, and its reds include Pjnot Noir,m Cabernet Franc, Merlot, a blend called Rockland Red and a Cab Franc/Merlot mix called Wedding Cuvee. Actually, call it a marriage of the two grapes, since this wine was served at the weddings of two of the Blair children.

Blair, Berks wineries cooking up big weekend

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Blair Vineyards in Mertztown, Pa., yesterday distributed a shout-out to those on its e-letter list about next week's second annual Berks Country Wine Trail's Taste of Spring. All eight members of the trail will pair up with culinary arts students from Reading Area Community College to produce tasty treats using local ingredients. You can find those pairings on the wine trail's Web site. Blair Vineyards will be featuring its Enlightenment with mushroom caviar and its 2007 Pinot Gris with spring vegetable dip. The event is free and, as is similar with all the wineries on the trail, there are no tasting fees. You just need to be 21 to attend. For more info, contact the winery at 610.682.0075 or Missy Blair at missy@blairvineyards.com.