Pinnacle Ridge ready to lavish customers

So how many pizzas will owner and winemaker Brad Knapp have to make if all of his customers show up for Appreciation Weekend at Pinnacle Ridge Winery in Kutztown, Pa.? Oh, he better have had started tossing the dough a week ago Wednesday.

“We’re probably selling around 10,000 gallons annually,” he said by phone the other day, “so that’s about 50,000 bottles. And I figure a typical transaction is four bottles. So that tells us we have like 12,500 sales in a year, most of those would represent a couple. Obviously some of those are returns. So I think we probably get 15,000 to 20,000 through our door a year, something like that.”

Knapp noted that the winery’s e-newsletter list is up to around 5,000. “So when we send one out, it’s significant. We get some who drop off, but we get a lot more who pick it up, so it’s growing.”

A portion of that number figures to take advantage of Knapp’s hospitality and stop by this weekend for what Knapp says they’ve been doing annually for years. The hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 on Sunday. “It’s basically along the line of an open house kind of thing,” he said. “We put out a spread of food as a way of thanking people for being customers of Pinnacle Ridge. I make pizzas actually. . . . We typically go over to Wegmans and get a nice selection of cheeses and have some other things there as well, and we’ll be pairing the wines. I’m not sure exactly what we’ll be pairing yet, but we’ll have to figure that out. Should be a nice time.”

That pairing with the tomato pies probably will include what we can call the distinguished 2007 Chambourcin, which was recently released. That wine earned an American Example of Greatness award at the invitation-only Jefferson Cup competition in Kansas. Doug Frost, one of only three humans in the world to hold the titles of Master Sommelier and Master of Wine, directs the contest.

Around 400 wineries were invited, with Chaddsford being the only other one from Pennsylvania. In addition to the award for its Chambourcin, Pinnacle Ridge netted a Certificate of American Merit, essentially a bronze medal, for its 2007 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc.

“What’s a little odd about this particular competition is that because they choose the wineries that enter, it’s truly a U.S. competition,” Knapp said, calling the list of judges one of the best he has ever seen. “There’s lots of wineries from the Midwest, from New York It’s not as heavily dominated by the West Coast.”

All in all, it has been another year of recognition for the 15-year-old winery: six awards at the Pennsylvania Farm show and a double gold for its Brut Rose among the eight honors it took away from the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. And more could be reaped from what was recently released – the 2008 Naked Chardonnay and the 2006 Reserve Chambourcin – and what’s yet to be bottled – the 2008 Riesling and ’08 Vidal. “We expect those to be out late December, early January,” Knapp said.

Chaddsford class reviews dessert wines

Chaddsford Winery reminded subscribers to its monthly e-letter about a class coming up there from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11. Wine educator Frank Patterson will present a wide range of delicious dessert wines ranging from a Gold Medal award winning Riesling “Ice Wine” to a Sauternes from Bordeaux, plus late harvest wines and fortified wines including Port and Madeira.

Besides the wine tasting, Patterson will pair dessert samples with the wines, including key lime pie, crème brulèe, ultimate chocolate cake, cheesecake, fruit tarts and assorted cheeses – you especially won’t want to miss his surprise CA wine matched with peanut butter cups! All you need is a sweet tooth and a love of these magnificent dessert wines. $35/person; by reservation only at 610.388.6221.

Kreutz Creek to run discount thru December

In the spirit of keeping the region up on what promotions individuals are running, there's this info from Kreutz Creek Vineyards in West Grove, Pa., that went out in an e-letter.

They are planning their first Christmas open house this coming weekend at the winery. They're planning to have chocolate fondue with special treats for dipping as well as Christmas cookies and holiday Wassail. Harpist Maureena Spadaro will be playing Christmas Carols on Saturday, from 2 to 5 p.m. Tastings at the winery are on the house during the open house event.

One promotion they are running is 10 percent off a purchase of six bottles and 20 percent off case purchases throughout the entire month.

Boordy drinking up Friday to 75-yr. anniversary

Give thanks to the repeal of Prohibition??!!

That’s what president Rob Deford and the rest of the folks at Maryland’s Boordy Vineyards are planning to do this Friday with an event as unique as they get in these parts. Their “75th anniversary of the repeal of the 21st amendment” is scheduled to run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and pay tribute to an event that Deford says dawned on them in a most fortuitous fashion.

“It was sort of one of the little brainchildren we had,” he said earlier tonight, taking time out from some bonding time that was wrapping up the first day of what has become an annual gathering of disciples of viticulturist Lucie Morton. That’s a meeting I’ll tackle with more detail tomorrow. But first, here’s more of Deford’s story. “We have a decanter that came out of my parents’ attic that says, ‘Success to Repeal, 1933,’ and we sort of had it sitting around and one day we said, ‘You know, I think there’s an anniversary coming, we need to do something here because we wouldn’t be in business if this hadn’t happened.’ So we decided just for fun put it out there and so far, so good, it looks like we’re going to have a good party.”

The cost is $60 per person and includes music by a vintage band -- as Deford called them – an open wine bar and food. You can find the menu at this link. And they’ve planned a couple of other twists and turns to the evening.

“We’re going to be drinking out of teacups, which is what I understand they did in the speakeasy,” he said, “and there’s actually going to be a raid, and two people are going to be carted off to a bed and breakfast called Slades Inn, where they are going to get a free night. So it’s going to be fun, and it’s something different, too.”

A few spaces remain – “We’re getting close, but we still have room,” Deford said -- so anyone who wants to attend should call the winery ASAP to sign up. If you miss this one, you have a wait for the next one. “We probably won’t do it for another 25 years,” he said, laughing. “I’ll let my son take it over next time it happens.”

Call it Green Friday at Sugarloaf Mountain

Black Friday figures to become Be Back Friday at Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Dickerson, Md., off how well they did with discounting their case sales this past Friday. Partner Jim McKenna said sales went “very, very well,” proving that not everyone was out at Best Buy and Target on what’s considered the year’s busiest shopping day. Sugarloaf was one of several wineries across the region marking down case sales as a lure to draw in customers. “We’ll definitely do that again next year,” McKenna said.

McKenna said the Cabernet Franc was one of the big sellers, and added that they’ve run out of Pinot Grigio except for cases they’re holding back for The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Two of Sugarloaf’s wine are sold at the center’s Roof Terrace Restaurant and at the wine bar during performances. It’s the only winery in Maryland that currently has that arrangement with the landmark performing arts center.

Sugarloaf’s schedule over the next few months includes a barrel tasting on Sunday, Dec. 7, where you can try some of the wines that aren’t quite ready for prime time yet. That will include food and cost $18, although free for case club members. Reservations are required. Their case club Christmas party will run from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12.

With so much happening nearby in D.C, in mid-January, when Barack Obama takes office, the winery is planning its own inaugural weekend on Jan. 17-18 when it officially unveils its tasting room. Expect to find wine tastings and discounts, tours, entertainment and complimentary hors d'oeuvres. Do NOT expect to find the winery giving away tickets to the inaugural. One of the state newest wineries, they’re ahead of most regional wineries in coming up with special events to attract new customers. But free tickets --- hmmmmm, that's an enticement even out of their reach.

Crossing Vineyards plans December events

With wineries comes events and activities of all kinds, including this one at Crossing Vineyards & Winery.

A concert by candlelight influenced by Charles Dickens and a night of Christmas Jazz will put the holidays front and center Dec. 11 and 18 at Crossing Vineyards and Winery in Washington Crossing, Pa.

Kate and Dennis Varley and Friends will offer “From Carols to Classics,” Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the winery, 1853 Wrightstown Road. Dressed in Victorian finery, the group will sing a capella in four-part harmony, presenting traditional carols and holiday favorites.
Guests, treated to champagne and dessert in a candlelight setting, will be encouraged to participate with a number of sing-alongs.

The Varleys, a husband and wife team, and their “Friends” are making a return engagement to the winery after wowing an audience at Crossings’ “Summer Under the Stars” concert series with a night of Irish music and step-dancing in August.

On Dec. 18, another popular entertainer at Crossing, Eric Mintel, will bring his jazz quartet for an evening of Christmas favorites and original holiday music beginning at 7:30. Mintel performed at the White House at the request of President Bill Clinton and has played 10 concerts at the Kennedy Center. The evening will include champagne and dessert.

The cost of each event is $45; seating is limited. Reservations may be made by calling the winery at 215-493-6500, ext. 19, or tickets may be purchased on line at www.crossingvineyards.com

Fall Tour: Buckingham Valley Vineyards

Jerry Forest of Buckingham Valley Vineyards in Buckingham, Pa., was off in one of the rooms at the winery on Sunday, squeezing in some more tasks while folks ducked in out of the rain for a tasting or purchase.

Any news there, he was asked by phone? The former newspaperman didn’t skip a beat. Couple of things, he said. One was the release last week of the winery’s nouvelle and nouveau, each selling for $8. The white nouvelle is 100 percent Cayuga grape, “fresh and fruity, with some nose of Riesling,” he said. The red nouveau is 100 percent Chambourcin, and more and more is becoming a staple with the holiday meal.

Forest said they bottled enough to sell early into the new year. It’s meant to be consumed into January, he noted. Some people lay it away, but you run the risk of it losing its freshness and, more often, its color.

As for what’s ahead in December, Forest noted the Bucks County Wine Trail will hold its holiday celebration the weekend of Dec. 13-14. at Buckingham Valley, that means some food and wine for anyone who wanders into one of the state’s oldest wineries, founded in 1966.