Crossing Vineyards list two Riedel workshops, wine and chocolate pairing

Crossing Vineyards & Winery in Washington Crossing, Pa., will toast the holidays with a tasting workshop Dec. 27 (and Jan. 24), featuring four of its premium wines served in Riedel Crystal specifically designed for each varietal. It also will offer a wine and chocolate pairing workshop Jan. 3. Included below some specifics, and you can learn more about other Crossing events and its wines at this link.

Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009, and Jan. 24, 2010

Riedel Crystal Wine-Tasting Workshop, In 90-minute class, sample premium wines in Riedel Vinum glasses, analyzing taste difference using various shapes and sizes of stemware. 2 p.m. starting time both days. Crossing Vineyards & Winery, 1853 Wrightstown Road, Washington Crossing, PA. Cost: $99, includes Riedel sampling kit with four glasses. Anyone purchasing Riedel stemware will receive 50 percent off a second item. Information and reservations: 215-493-6500, ext. 19 or www.crossingvineyards.com.

Sunday, Jan. 3

How Sweet It Is: Pairing Wine & Chocolate, Tips on enjoying wine and chocolate together, presented by Eric Cavatore, sommelier at Crossing Vineyards and Winery; 2 p.m., Jan. 3, Crossing Vineyards and Winery, 1853 Wrightstown Road, Washington Crossing, Pa. Cost: $35, includes samples, learning materials and the Lindt Chocolate bar of the participant’s choice. Information and reservations: 215-493-6500, ext. 19 or www.crossingvineyards.com.

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.

Waltz extends hours starting this week

Wanted to mentioned that with the warmer weather and the fact that Waltz Vineyards in Manheim, Pa., has a month of operation completed in its new tasting room, it will be increasing its hours starting this weekend.

Open until now only on Saturdays, it will be open Thursdays through Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. Kim Waltz adds that small, private dinners/wine club or evening appointments might also be available. The number is 717.664.WINE.

Stargazers adding warmth to the old pad

When the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail begins welcoming guests for the 2009 Barrels on the Brandywine next Sunday, Stargazers Vineyard will be one of two new members pouring wines. As noted on the Web site, the winery is located just north of Unionville, Chester County, not far from the "Stargazers Stone," which marks the location of the observatory Mason and Dixon used in surveying the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland. According to the site, they were known as "the stargazers" because they used celestial navigation to correct their measurements over the ground.

It’s a vineyard and winery that has been owned and operated for years by Alice and John Weygandt, who are just beginning a succession plan that will turn over full operation to Jennifer and Brian Dickerson.

Reached by phone the other day, Brian said this phasing in of the new owners could take three to five years. “We want it to be [that length of time] so I can get as much knowledge with them around as possible instead of just saying, ‘Here ya go, have fun.’ We want it to be a smooth transition, not just for the entities involved but for the business itself, the winemaking and the wingrowing.”

Brian said they should soon complete work on enclosing a patio overlooking the Brandywine River and valley that to this point has had a roof over it but was open on three sides and connected to the winery on the fourth. Not that it will change what Brian called “probably the best view in Chester County as far as the wineries go,” but it will turn that spot into a 12-month-a-year site that can be heated during the winter and open for breezes during the summer. “We’ve framed it in and put in very large glass overhead doors so when we have inclement weather, like in March, they’re going to be closed and [it will be] warm and toasty,” he said.

They plan to be pouring eight wines during Barrels: two of their sparkling wines, their oaked and unoaked Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Dornfelder. Care to taste? They provide two wines from the barrel: their 2008 Chardonnay and their 2007 Cabernet Reserve.