Penns Woods part of 'Taste Local' event

Penns Woods Winery kicked out a release Thursday touting its participation in an event called "Taste Local: A Celebration of Regional Food, Wine, and Beer" that will be held from noon to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 6 in Malvern/Great Valley, Pa. Tickets are $35/person for the event, which will be housed at the Desmond Hotel & Conference Center.

Sounds like around 15 wineries and breweries will be offering samples of their product. You can purchase tickets by calling 610.249.2180 or clicking on this link.

Penns Woods has its tasting room in Chaddsford and its winery down near the Philly airport, in Eddystone. A member of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, the winery produces maybe a dozen and a half of largely dry reds and whites. Had a chance to sample (and savor) their wines twice, at a vintner's dinner before Christmas in 2008 and at Barrels on the Brandywine, a wine trail event that takes place annually every weekend in March. A few people that I respect, such as Craig Laban of the Philadelphia Inquirer and regional wine writer Roger Morris, laud the work that owner and winemaker Gino Razzi done since he took over what used to be called the Smithbridge Winery in 2004.

Regional calendar offers classes, discounts

Three events to put your your calendar involving regional wineries.

1, The wineries of Pennsylvania's Brandywine Valley Wine Trail are offering a 10 percent discount on all their wines through the end of the month.

2, Fiore Winery in Pylesville, Md., has two classes on pruning scheduled for a pair of Saturdays in February, the 6th and the 20th. Call 410.879.4007 for information and to register.

3, Adams County Winery in Orrtanna, Pa., will hold wine appreciation classes on a pair of Saturday evenings (6 to 8) the next two months, one on Jan. 30 and the other on Feb. 20. The cost is $35 per person per class. Its next home winemaking class will be Sunday, Jan. 31, from 1 to 3 p.m. Cost is $25/person.

Talking a little Mischief and 20 percent sale at Pennsylvania winery called Black Walnut

Should you get in the vicinity of Chester County, east of the Gap around the point where Route 30 turns into an elevated four-lane highway, steer down Lincoln Highway and stop in to Black Walnut Winery. A member of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, Black Walnut now has its facility open for business. Nose around the 200-year-old renovated bank barn, and give the wines a try. It's a winery owned by two couples -- Val and Lance Castle and Karen and Jack Kuhn -- that's similar to a few others around the region in that it imports all of its grapes.

Was reminded of the winery, which officially opened in August, when we opened a bottle of their wine last night called Mischief. It's a medium-bodied to full-bodied white that blends their 2006 Pinot Gris and 2007 Chardonnay. Dry, with some hints of oak and the distinct smell of citrus. We just sampled enough to sip and enjoy, but it would have gone well earlier with the mix of vegetables, salad and shrimp we had out on a platter.

Black Walnut is open four days a week, from noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Also worth mentioning: As of Black Friday the winery launched its 20 percent off sale on all of its inventory that will last through the end of the year.

Weekend includes Harvest Festival at Kreutz Creek, birthday party at Black Anle

Champions of last week's Kreutz Creek grape stomp.

Among the multitude of wineries holding events this weekend are Kreutz Creek Vineyards in West Grove, Pa., and Black Ankle Vineyards in Mt. Airy, Md.

It's the second weekend of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail's Harvest Festival, and as part of that celebration Kreutz Creek will be holding a grape stomping competition. Indeed, the photo attached to this post was taken at last week's stomp romp, and shows "Team Big Feet," which crushed more grapes than anyone else who challenged them.

This weekend's stomp will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Be there by 12:45 if you're interested in participating, since the competition will be limited to 10. Beyond that, there will be music by Swing Set, performing gypsy, swing and jazz. And owner Carole Kirkpatrick wil be making her world-famous pulled port sandwiches. As they noted in their e-letter, "stop by, taste wines, grab a bite, get jazzed and take a self-guided tour of the vineyard."

Carole and Jim Kirkpatrick are in their 20th year of making wine. Their list of 14 wines runs from Chardonnay and Niagara to Chambourcin and Cabernet Franc, along with several blends. Had the pleasure of sitting with them at last year's vintner's dinner and enjoyed their company immeasureably. They will be open for business from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, pretty similar times to what the rest of the trail's wineries will be serving.

Meanwhile, Black Ankle Vineyards will hold a special celebration for friends and case club members on Friday night, then invite the public Saturday (noon to 6 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.) for a first birthday party. There will be music, hors d'oeuvres and an opportunity to taste the wines from a producer that has won first place in the state's Governor Cup competition two straight years.

Talked to co-owner Ed Boyce by phone on Wednesday and will post some of his thoughts about one of the most successful debuts that any business could have. Plan to get that up online by Friday morning.

Patone, the 8th member of Brandywine Valley trail, to pour at Harvest Festival's second weekend

Patone Cellars will be open for visitors during this second weekend of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail's Harvest Festival. The official opening is probably a good six months off. Patone said by phone on Tuesday that various obstacles have pushed back the opening of the winery to next spring. But doing what they can to participate with their partners as one of the newest members of the eight-winery trail, they will be pouring a few samples out of what amounts to a garage where the winery and tasting room will be built at 646 S. Guernsey Road in West Grove, Pa.

That room was a bit too cramped for any business last weekend, but the grapes that occupied that space have been moved out and the boutique winery will be open during the afternoon of both days to serve visitors. "We're going to pour some of the '08 stuff we made last year," Patone said, noting that includes some Merlot out of the barrel and a blend of Chardonnay and Viognier. The latter is a white, he said, that has been "real nice, real clean, real crisp . . . it's been a real big hit so far."

Patone said they made around 1,000 gallons of wine last year and expect to make a little more than that this year. Maybe the winery isn't open, but he's plenty busy between making wine out of the grapes he's importing, focusing on the plans for the building project that's just about ready to grow, and, oh yeah, working his regular job.

I forgot about that part of his life he had to juggle, I told him.

He began to laugh. "Unfortunately, I don't," he said.

Rest, relaxation become a thing of the past for winemakers once harvest season gets started

Sometimes I'll rag on winery owners for not calling me back right away.

Then there's the other side; not posting information for a week or two from winemakers and owners who DO call me back. That's the case with Jason Price at Twin Brook Winery in Gap, Pa., where large crowds are expected these next two weekends as part of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail's Harvest Festival.

He called me a few weeks ago in response to an e-mail about the harvest, one he noted can begin as early as late August and continue into November. They grow 12 varieties of grapes at Twin Brook; the earliest to come off the vine are the Foche and Cayuga grapes and the latest are the Cabernet Sauvignon.

"Not the case for this wonderful vintage," Price said about the timeliness of the ripening, which has been delayed several weeks by all the rain. "That's not the case everywhere. Southeastern Pennsylvania there seems like there are all these microclimates that have their own thing going on, but we're experiencing some real delay in ripening."

It hasn't quite provided the same number of horror stories as the 2003 vintage, the worst this decade."I wasn't here then," he said, " but I know that was a real challenging year and I think this year is really giving '03 a run for its money."

Price said the days are long during the several months of harvest, up and picking with the sun and then into the cellar to crush and press the grapes and get them into the tanks. "It can be a 16-hour day," he said. "Last week, Tim [Jobe] and I ran 22 hours straight. We were doing Cayuga, some grapes we got in Gettysburg, and by the time we got all the grapes back and cleaned up the press and locked the door, it was 22 hours straight."

But, like accountants during tax season, there's no sense griping about it. "You realize [the hours are going to be long this time of the year]," Price said. "You can't complain about it because you know about [the long hours during harvest] when you went into it."

Twin Brook to release Chard Reserve in a few weeks

Been trying to no avail to actually talk to winemaker Jason Price at Twin Brook Winery in Gap, Pa. But he has an excuse, with harvest season just beginning, increasing the hours in the field and in the cellar. We'll eventually catch up.

He did give me enough to post with a short e-mail earlier this week. Twin Brook, a member of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, produces eight dry wines, three off-dry wines, and nine sweet wines, including a 2006 Vidal Reserve. The tasting notes describe the Reserve as a sweet, fruity white with hints of guava and pineapple. It sells for $15/bottle.

As for Jason, he writes: "Hey Paul, doing well. Getting geared up for harvest, so we are wicked busy. Chard Reserve is still a couple weeks away. This wine will be perfectly balanced with just the right reduction in acidity, a soft mouthfeel without tasting like a stick of butter and everyone that has tasted it agrees the oak aging was more than agreeable with this Chard. Just like the Naked, this barrel aged Chard is something we are going to be proud to pour. We are everyday (as long as it isn't raining) in the vineyard . . ."

Needless to say, the periods of rain, some heavy, forecast for tonight and tomorrow is the LAST thing that waterlogged regional wineries need at this point.

Paradocx teaming with Schmidt's Tree Farm to put on wine, harvest festival into November

Don't have the time to put together the extensive events list that I once did, and frankly I'd like to get away from targeting the events too much and just concentrate on the wine. Still, as I see these releases move, I don't mind posting them and giving them some additional exposure.

This one comes from Paradocx Vineyard, a member of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, and Schmidts’ Tree Farm, which are teaming this fall to offer the public an “A-MAIZE-ing Wine & Harvest Adventure.” It's what they are calling a one-of-a-kind opportunity to enjoy a fun-filled, memorable outing with friends and family, all while supporting local agriculture.

Every Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 29 through Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the two parties will put on an array of activities on Paradocx Vineyard’s 100-acre farm in Landenberg, Pa., featuring 15 varieties of premium estate grown wine available for purchase by the glass or bottle, a five-acre corn maze, a “pick-your-own pumpkin patch,” hayrides through the vineyard, a pedal car track, children’s wagon train, reindeer antler toss, pumpkin sling shot and pumpkin bowling. On select weekends throughout the fall, the releases adds, guests can enjoy live music and food from local caterers.

Admission fee is $10. No admission fee for children under 3 years of age. Pumpkins are sold by weight. Wine tastings and wine by the glass can be purchased for $7.

For more, call 610.274.8560 or e-mail kellie@paradocx.com. Paradocx's signature in terms of publicity has been its two wines in a decorated "paint can," the equivalent of four bottles of wine. Barn Red and Pail Pink each go for $40.99.

Finally, I'm starting to see more wineries take a shot at producing a periodic blog like this one on the Paradocx site. With their time stretched and frayed, winemakers and staff usually have these on the bottom of their list. But with marketing taking a number of forms these days, even a blog that comes out once in awhile can serve a winery well.

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..

Black Walnut's spacious bank barn becomes Pennsylvania's newest winery

Congrats to Val and Lance Castle and Karen and Jack Kuhn, whose longtime dream of opening a winery was realized on July 31 when Black Walnut Winery in Chester County opened its doors. The couples go back to 2001 when they first started winemaking; several years later they took the first steps toward transitioning their passion into a business.

Overcoming a number of hurdles the past year, and still with some work to do, the renovated (almost) 200-year-old bank barn opened for business a little more than a week ago. It's worth the trip out Route 30 (about 2 miles from where two-lane Route 30 turns into an elevated bypass and heads toward Downingtown and King of Prussia) to see what they've done and try the wines. By the way, if you're headed east of Route 30, stay on the business route. You'll find the winery on the right-hand side about 2 miles after passing a Wawa and crossing Route 10.

From the wide-planked flooring to the gorgeous high ceilings, you'll spend the first few minutes just wandering around the top floor and marveling at how they've converted what some called the oldest antique shop in America into the home of Pennsylvania's newest winery. A member of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, expect it to open officially Labor Day weekend or the weekend after. But already on Friday afternoon, as we were finishing up our tastings, several parties were funneling into the place. The winery itself is located below the tasting room. Tasting hours are noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

No grapes are grown on the premises, all are brought in from other vineyards, primarily from other members of the trail. Tastings are $6 to try any seven of the six whites and five reds that the winery has bottled. We wound up carrying away a bottle of Mischief ($18), a blend of 2008 Pinot Gris and 2007 Chardonnay that we found interesting and worthy of a spot in our wine refrigerator. And, frankly, we liked the doggone name.

And there were other to savor. Wine writer Roger Morris, who has earned the title of expert when it comes to the wines of the Brandywine Valley, included Black Walnut's Blanc Franc ($16) on his third annual News Journal Case of the Brandywine. The Black Walnut's owners describe this 2007 wine as made of grapes "harvested two weeks before the other Cabernet Franc grapes, crushed and pressed within 24 hours after crush to limit the contact between juice and red skins. The result is a white wine with soft fruity flavors and with about 1 1/2 percent residual sugar, a soft sweet finish."

In short, congrats to the state's newest winery. Here's to a long and fruitful future of producing good wines.

Wine biz Tweeter these days on social media

Karen Cline does yeomen’s work as coordinator of publicity and marketing for the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail. She’s a go-to resource for me, someone I can hit with an e-mail or phone call on any given day and get what I need – story ideas, trail info, contact information for a winemaker or proprietor or someone associated with wine -- to continue churning out the blog posts on a daily basis. Any trail or winery would be lucky to have her.

So while I was pleased to hear that the trail sent her to Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio, a few weeks ago to participate in the third annual License to Steal Marketing Conference, as someone who works for a newspaper I wasn’t thrilled to hear that we and our media brethren are being slowly phased out. Not maliciously, mind you, but because so many other forms of marketing, much of it now through social networking, are becoming increasingly successful at a cost far less than running an ad in any of the major media.

“A lot of wineries are slashing their advertising budgets and using more social media to get to customers,” she said. “One person said they slashed their ad budget for print media and traditional radio, and things like that, to 25 percent of what it normally would be.” Gulp.

Cline was one of around 90 people who attended the three-day conference, sponsored and coordinated by statewide wine offices of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Essentially it was a chance to share experiences and swap notes, then bring the ideas back to their respective wineries or wine trails to see what might work for them.

“Some wineries realize the value of bloggers, some of them have contacts like yourself,” she said. Others are doing [the blogging] on their own.”

One irony was that Cline wasn’t sure when we talked exactly who was making contact through myspace and Facebook and Twitter or producing their own blog because the event’s coordinators gave out a list of attendees that only included physical addresses. Not a phone number or Web site or anything else. But that problem was soon to be rectified, and Cline was waiting for that other data to be e-mailed so she could make a better assessment of who was dabbling in what social media.

Appropriately, a local newspaper carried a story on the event. Lifestyle editor Carl Feather wrote that Bill Geist, a marketing consultant from Wisconsin, was the guest speaker. Editors and representatives from major wine media, including the Wine Enthusiast, Vineyard and Winery Management and Wines and Vines, presented a session and were available for story pitches from the attendees. Tim Morarity, editor of Wine Enthusiast, was one of the evening’s keynote speaker.

Several observations based on a year doing this blog and out of my conversation with Cline:

* Check out this home page for the Norton grape, part of an extremely successful marketing campaign being done in Missouri. “Norton is a variety of grape, and they’ve actually personalized Norton himself into a person and they have very cute promotional ads and stuff, and he has a Facebook page," Cline said. "And the woman who does the marketing and advertising for Norton, she’s on Twitter, so I'm following her around now.”

* There are marketing directors out there working wonders by utilizing the media without incurring a cost. Certainly, the Brandywine and Lehigh Valley trails have generated much publicity for some of their events. To a lesser extent, from what I’ve seen, the Bucks County and Berks County trails have gotten stories written in the mainstream press. Alison Smith with the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau seemed to create a ton of coverage for the recent Tour de Tanks, including TV drive-bys, that helped to drive record crowds into all the wineries during the March event. A few at this point -- Chaddsford, Crossing Vineyard and Hauser Estate -- are leaning on agencies to provide press releases for upcoming events, but those remain in the minority.

* Wine trails are becoming more and more useful in order to drive traffic. And you’ll see those continue to develop in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The half-dozen wineries in Maryland’s Frederick County have developed a trail, for instance, and another seems to be taking shape in and around Lancaster, Pa. The Mason-Dixon Wine Trail actually includes four wineries from Pennsylvania and four from Maryland, and after several years of falling by the wayside has re-energized its efforts to develop new initiatives.

* Finally, my observations is that some proprietors seem put off by even a phone call; indeed one question that some of the old-line winery owners seem to ask is how they’re going to find the time to upgrade their marketing and promotional arms with all the work required to run the winery. It’s a good question, but taking five or 10 minutes to talk to someone (whether it’s me or one of many other bloggers now writing on wines in this area) would seem to be a good way to get the word out with an absolutely minimum amount of investment. As someone told me a while back (and if you don't mind me getting just a bit self-serving), “It only takes a little while to talk to you. You’re doing all the work and taking the pictures and writing them up. They don’t do anything. They should be very grateful.”

The Event Grapevine: April 9-12

Two wineries – Chaddsford and Crossing Vineyards – with promotions schedules that rival the Phillies in quantity and quality have a couple of events on tap the next week that are worth noting.

Per my friend Rebecca Felton at Bull’s Eye Communcations:

A new course designed to take the guesswork out of selecting cheese to complement one’s favorite wines was such a hit when Crossing Vineyards and Winery in Washington Crossing rolled it out in January, that it’s been added to the Spring offerings of the “Wine Institute,” the educational arm of the winery.

The course, “Pairing Wine & Cheese,” will be offered at 7:30 p.m. April 16 at the winery, 1853 Wrightstown Road and will include wine tasting, cheese samples, instruction and learning materials.

“All our classes are created to enhance the wine experience,” said Crossing co-owner Christine Carroll. “They’re designed to take the tension out of wine selection. We want our “students” to be confident in making choices that will please them and their guests.”

Crossing Vineyards expanded its own knowledge of cheese when it teamed with igourmet.com last July to open the “Crossing Vineyards Wine and Cheese Shop” at Project Sunrise, a $208 million, 300,000 square-foot gaming and entertainment complex at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre. It offers exclusively igourmet.com’s product line which includes more than 850 imported and domestic specialty cheeses.

Carroll said wine and cheese tastings at social gatherings are becoming a popular replacement for expensive dinner parties. The course not only will help potential hosts select good pairings, but will give tips on identifying different types of cheese so guests will know, for example, if they’re selecting cow, goat or sheep’s cheese.

Cost of the course is $35. Reservations may be made by calling 215.493.6500, ext. 19 or online at www.crossingvineyards.com.


Meanwhile, Chaddsford will be holding its Crazy Eric Sale on Saturday morning. This is a twist on the library sales I’ve attended at several wineries, where they get rid of some of their older (but still very drinkable) stock. Co-owner Lee Miller agreed that the reference to the event as more of a garage sale is accurate. She wrote: “We are cleaning out old inventories we no longer consider to be in good shape. The wines range from $1/bottle to $5/bottle, with a few $6 wines and some large 3-5L bottles at higher prices.”

Still, she noted, “As for any drinkable wines, yes, there are a lot of $5 reds that are just a year older than our current release, and a palette of wines Eric ‘thinned out’ from his library - some very interesting things like '02 Due Rossi, 05 Merlot, 04 Miller Estate Chardonnay - I think these are all $6 wines.”

As for the “official release” on the event, this was gleaned off the Web site:

Following a tradition begun years ago when Chaddsford winemaker Eric Miller decided to make space in the cellar by selling off odd lots of old bottles for "a buck a bottle," we are once again planning to clean up and clear out the Chaddsford warehouse at a one-day sale on April 11, beginning at 9 a.m. The days of "buck a bottle" are long gone, but we will be offering over 200 cases of odd bottles at deeply discounted prices, plus over 950 bottles that Eric has gleaned from his library - going all the way back to 1985 and including a few 3L and 5L bottles.

The wines are a mixture that includes over-stocks in our library that are now past their prime, current cases that were returned from restaurants or wholesalers with unknown storage conditions, and others that just got lost or buried in the lab, cellar or warehouse. Since the conditions of these wines, or their drinkability, is unknown, we recommend they be used for cooking, punches, hot mulled wine recipes or Summer Sangrias!

Also included in this sale will be furniture and appliances returned to our warehouse after our three mall locations were closed last year. Lots of leftovers and assorted "junk" we just need to move out to make room for the 2008 vintage that is being bottled, including a (new) dishwasher, microwaves, small wine refrigerators, assorted chairs and old office equipment ranging from copiers and computer screens to cash registers and phones. Our cellar crew also cleaned out and threw in a few old tools and ladders plus some used wine barrels.

Sale will be on the grounds of the winery beginning at 9 a.m.; first come, first served! All bottles sold as is, no returns. For more information, please contact our customer service line at 610.388.6221 x103.

Breakfast, by the way, will be available nearby at the Antique Mall Coffee Shop.


One other warning for this weekend: Call ahead. Most wineries are closed on Easter Sunday. As for what’s going on elsewhere, both this weekend and beyond, take a look:

PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES

Adams County Winery, Orrtanna: Home wine-making class ($$), Sunday, May 10; concert series will begin July 4, link to winery

Allegro Vineyards, Brogue: Fridays’ Weekly Winedown ($$), 4 to 7 p.m.; Sweet & Spicy Saturdays ($$), 2 to 5 p.m.; Sip & Savor Sundays ($$), 2 to 5 p.m., all require reservations at 741.3072, all events at the Wine Gallery in Olde Tollgate Village; music of Ravensun ($$), Saturday, 2 to 5 p.m., link to winery

Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars, New Tripoli: Sunday Blues Wine Tastings, music every Sunday ($$), 2 to 5 p.m., through April, except Easter; 13th annual Candlelight Barrel Tasting, 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, 1 to 6 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, link to winery

Boyd’s Cardinal Hollow Winery, North Wales: Nina singing live, Saturday, 5 to 8 p.m., link to winery

Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Reserve tastings ($$) begin in April, 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m. every Saturday; Wine 101 ($$), Thursday, 7 to 9 p.m. with Eric Miller, the first of a series of classes that run through May; next class is Thursday, April 16, Decadent Chocolates and Dessert Wines, 7 to 9 p.m.; Crazy Eric sale at the winery, Saturday, starting at 9 a.m.; technical tour program, free, starting April 1, on Fridays at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., reservations accepted, link to winery

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: Beginner tasting class ($$), Saturday, April 25, 3 p.m.; A Taste of Spring, a Berks County Wine Trail event, April 25-26; vineyard and winery tour ($$), Saturday, May 30, link to winery

Country Creek Winery, Salford Township: Music, Christine and Company, Saturday, April 19, no cover charge, 133 Cressman Road, Telford, link to winery

Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Wine 101 classes ($$) at the institute, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Monday, the next one will be Wines of the World on April 13; Pairing Wine and Cheese ($$), Thursday, April 16, 7:30 p.m.; Wine Tasting for Singles ($$), Friday, April 17, 7 p.m.; Wine Tasting for Dummies ($$), Sunday, April 19, 2 p.m., at the institute, link to winery

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor: Free winery tour, Wednesdays at noon, link to winery

Galen Glen Vineyard and Winery, Andreas: Mother’s Day party, Sunday, May 10; spring tour of the vineyards and wineries, May 16-17, tours begin at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m., link to winery

Hauser Estate Winery, Biglerville: Candlelight Friday, last Friday of every month, 5 to 8 p.m., wine tasting, music and warm food; Ken Garrett book signing, Saturday, May 2, link to winery

Kreutz Creek Vineyards, West Grove: Music at West Chester tasting room, 44 E. Gay St., Fridays and Saturdays, 6 to 9 p.m.; vineyard planning, volunteers welcome, Saturday, April 25; bottling work day on Memorial Day, May 25, both days will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and include Carol’s famous Vineyard Burgers -- reservations for both are requested at 610.869.4412; grand reopening on Saturday, May 30, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., music and snacks from 2 to 5 p.m. along with giveaways and wine sales, link to winery

Manatawny Creek Winery, Douglasville: Hours have changed to Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 6 p.m.; A Taste of Spring, Berks County Wine Trail event, April 25-26, link to winery

Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Wrightsville: Music Fridays (6 to 9 p.m.), Saturdays (2 to 5 p.m.) and Sundays (2 to 5 p.m.); Mother’s Day champagne brunch ($$), Sunday, May 10, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., call 717.252.9463 for reservations, link to winery

Naylor Wine Cellars, Stewartstown: Forget The Taxes and Red Wine Dinner ($$), Saturday, April 18, 3 to 6 p.m., and Sunday, April 19, 2 to 5 p.m.; Mason Dixon Trail event, April 25-26 and May 3-4; Grape Blossom Festival ($$), Sunday, June 7, noon to 6 p.m., link to winery
Nissley Vineyards & Wine Estate, Bainbridge: Will be pouring at one of the houses of a Time for Wine, a tour and taste of historic Marietta houses, Sunday, April 26, 4:40 to 7:30 p.m., enjoy wine or iced tea, delicious hors d'oeuvres, cheeses and appetizers in three of Marietta's lovely old homes. Your tour and taste will end with decadent deserts and coffee at the historic Union Meeting House, for reservations and tickets, please call Vivian Carroll at 717.426.1270, note the tour is limited to the first 100 reservations, to benefit the Marietta Restoration Associate's restoration of the Vesta Furnace Building, www.nissleywine.com

Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Kutztown: Taste of Spring, Berks County Wine Trail event, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, Day in the Vineyard ($$), at Clover Hill Winery, June 5-6, along with Vynecrest Vineyards & Winery, link to winery

Reid’s Ochards & Winery, Ortanna: New winery; call 717.677.7047 for more information.

Rushland Ridge, Rushland: Reopened, link to winery

Tamanend Winery, Lancaster: Open Thursdays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m., classically styled premium wines in their bottled wine group, and premium sweeter styled wines in their Bag in Box group of wines, link to winery

Va La Vineyards, Avondale: Open Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 6 p.m.; 2006 Patina being released in April; art of David Oleski through April 19, link to winery

Vynecrest Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: 20th anniversary weekend, April 18-19, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., link to winery

Waltz Vineyards, Manheim: New winery, open Thursdays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m., and by appointment; Chery Tree Merlot has been released, two bottle purchase limit, link to winery

Wycombe Vineyard & Winery, Furlong: Just reopened for the season, noon to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays, link to winery


MARYLAND WINERIES

Basignani Winery, Sparks: Pizza and herbs ($$), April 18-19, noon to 5 p.m., link to winery
Black Ankle Winery, Mt. Airy: winner of Maryland Governor’s Cup in 2008; Friday Night Flights, 5 to 7 p.m., beginning April 17, link to winery

Boordy Vineyards, Hydes: Reds, Whites and Bluegrass ($$), wine and music, Sunday, April 19 and April 26; Queen for a Day, Mother’s Day picnic ($$), May 9-10, winery link

Frederick Cellars, Frederick: Happy Hour, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every weekday, glasses are half-price; Music in the Cellar, every Friday and Saturday in April, 7 p.m., link to winery

Sugarloaf Mountain, Dickerson: Friday Flights ($$) is every Friday from 2 to 4 p.m., which consist of 3 half glasses of SMV wine, each paired with an appropriate cheese, fruit or chocolate, reservations at 301.605.0130; “April in Paris,” April 18-19, Noon to 5 p.m., come taste Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard's Bordeaux style red wines as well as its Chardonnays and Pinot Grigio along with light French fare, music and ambiance. Take a tour of the winery, link to winery; Countryside Artisans Tour, April 17-19, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., tour studios and meet artists who create fine handblown glass, prints, paintings, jewelry, furniture, sculpture, ironware and at SMV, sample our handcrafted wine. For information, an electronic brochure and a map, visit www.countrysideartisans.com.

Woodhall Wine Cellars, Parkton: Patricia Della Casual Fine Dining on location, will be serving dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and lunch, call 410.357.5078 for reservations, link to winery

Other MARYLAND winery events can be found at this link, VIRGINIA events at this link and New York events at this link

WINE TRAIL EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

A Taste of Spring, annual celebration of Berks County Wine Trail, which will be celebrating its fifth anniversary, April 25-26, with wine and food pairings, wineries include Bashore & Stoudt, Blair, Calvaresi, Clover Hill, Kog Hill, Long Trout, Manatawny Creek and Pinnacle Ridge, link to trail Web site

Mason Dixon Wine Trail Spring Event, April 25-26 and May 2-3, Travel the trail between the 8 wineries on the Mason Dixon Wine Trail and collect a different herb to plant in your garden and a recipe card using the eight different herbs. The event is open to new and existing wine trail members free of charge. Wineries include Adams County, Allegro, Naylor and Seven Valleys in Pennsylvania, and Basignani, Boordy, Fiore, and Woodhall in Maryland, link to trail Web site

Third annual Longwood Gardens Wine and Jazz Fest ($$), Saturday, May 2, wine and jazz, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and jazz concert featuring pianist McCoy Tyner, 7:30 p.m., For ticket prices, etc., please see http://www.longwoodgardens.org/WineandJazz2009.html

Margaritaville 2009 ($$), to benefit Mason-Dixon Public Library, Naylor Wine Cellars, Stewartstown, Saturday, May 9, 5 to 1 p.m., rain or shine, must be 21 or over to enter, For tickets contact Mason-Dixon Public Library, 250 Bailey Drive, Stewartstown, PA 17363, 717.993.2404

Wine in the Woods Wine Festival ($$), Columbia, Md., Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, noon to 6 p.m. each day, link to festival Web site

Bucks County Wine Tour ($$), Sunday May 30, 8 participating wine venues with food partners:
Buckingham Valley Vineyards - None Such Fard
Chaddsford Wine Shop - Earl's Prime Restaurant
Crossing Vineyards - Jamie Hollander Catering
New Hope Winery - Bobby Simone's Restaurant
Rose Bank Winery - Market by Shadybrook at Delaware Valley College
Rushland Ridge Winery - Luigi's Italian Ristorante
Sand Castle Winery - DISH Catering
Wycombe Vineyards - Andre's Cheese Shop
An after event reception will be held at the Tuscany at the Towpath in New Hope at 18 W. Mechanic Street from 5 - 6:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce, Doylestwon Bookstore or at any participating wineries the day of the event. Link to trail Web site


CLASSES

Wine School of Philadelphia: Wine 101: Intro to Wine ($$), Thursday, April 16, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., 2006 Fairmount Ave., Philly; Core Wine Certification ($$), classes for spring semester will begin April 23, contact Keith at 215.965.1514 x55, link to Web site

Bin 604, 604 S. Exeter St., Baltimore: Wine 101: The Basics of Wine Tasting ($$), classes on April 11 and April 25, at 2 and 3:30 p.m., classes limited to 12 people, they look at the typical characteristics of popular grape varietals and explain the terminology and techniques of wine tasting and learn how to recognize the subtle and subjective flavors of wine; Rite of Spring Riesling Tasting ($$), Thursday, April 16; Food and Wine Pairing class ($$), Saturday, April 18; Call 410.576.0444 for information and reservations, link here to Web site


RESTAURANTS

John J Jeffries, 300 Lancaster Ave., Lancaster: Happy Hour Revival, Friday, 4 to 6 p.m., Wine by the Glass: $5, Organic Cosmos: $4, Local Drafts: $3, Straub Light Bottles: $2

$$ – Fee

Four Brandywine members to pour at Philly fete

At least half of the members of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail have a date with history next week. Four or five will be pouring at the party marking the grand opening of the newly renovated Independence Visitor Center in Philly. That event, scheduled for Thursday, April 16, also will celebrate the 15 million visitors who have come through the doors since 2001.

Set to begin at 5:30 p.m. and continue for three hours, it is by invitation only. Guests can expect live music as the backdrop for hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. Trail administrator Karen Cline, who just returned from a marketing workshop in Ohio that I'll puost about in the next couple of days, said by phone Tuesday night that Black Walnut, Chaddsford, Paradocx and Penns Woods have committed to serve their wines, and that she's still awaiting an answer from one more trail member.

That party is expected to draw 250 to 275 people, including government officials and members of the tourism industry. It's the kind of exposure in one grand evening that would be hard to put a price on.

"We just decided yesterday, in fact, [to participate], she said. "It [the renovated building] sounds really neat. They redesigned I think she said the north end of the visitors center . . . they're going to have digital screens and lots of really flashy visitor-friendly stuff going on in their center."

The Event Grapevine: March 26-29

OK, it’s not a wine event. But our friends over at John J Jeffries Restaurant, 300 Harrisburg Ave., Lancaster, Pa., alternate pairings that involve regional wines or beers. This Sunday, they will match a four course meal with beers from Swashbuckler Brewing Company in Manheim, Pa.

Happy Hour will start at 5:30 p.m., with the dinner to commence at 6. Tickets are $52 per person, include tax and gratuity. You can call 717.431.3307 to make reservations. As for what’s planned?

First Course: Spring Onion Bisque with Swashbuckler's Gold
Second Course: Spring Beet Carpacciowith Red Sea Amber
Third Course: Bistro Steak and Farmer Tom's Watercress Saladwith Porter


Fourth Course: Spring Maple Cheesecakewith Belgium Sasion

The folks at John J Jeffries also team up with Pinnacle Ridge and Chaddsford wineries for these monthly Sunday night events. We’ll publicize those, and the rest, as they send us the information.

As for what’s going on elsewhere, both this weekend and beyond, take a look:

PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES

Adams County Winery, Orrtanna: Wine Appreciation class ($$), Saturday, 6 to 8:30 p.m.; Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries; home wine-making class ($$), Sunday, May 10, link to winery

Allegro Vineyards, Brogue: Fridays’ Weekly Winedown ($$), 4 to 7 p.m.; Sweet & Spicy Saturdays ($$), 2 to 5 p.m.; Sip & Savor Sundays ($$), 2 to 5 p.m., all require reservations at 741.3072, all events at the Wine Gallery in Olde Tollgate Village EXCEPT for Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries; music of Ravensun ($$), Saturday, April 11, 2 to 5 p.m., link to winery

Black Walnut Winery, Sadsburyville: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, link to winery

Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars, New Tripoli: Sunday Blues Wine Tastings, music every Sunday ($$), 2 to 5 p.m., through April, although closed on Easter Sunday, link to winery

Boyd’s Cardinal Hollow Winery, North Wales: Nina singing live, Saturday, April 11, 5 to 8 p.m., link to winery

Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries; reserve tastings ($$) begin in April, 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m. every Saturday; Wine 101 ($$), Thursday, April 9, 6 to 8 p.m. with Eric Miller, the first of a series of classes that run through May; Pierre Noir release party, Friday, April 3; Crazy Eric sale at the winery, Saturday, April 11, starting at 8 a.m.; technical tour program, free, starting April 1, on Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., reservations accepted, link to winery

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: March Madness ($$), passport required, a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event; beginner tasting class ($$), Saturday, April 25, 3 p.m.; A Taste of Spring, a Berks County Wine Trail event, April 25-26, link to winery

Country Creek Winery, Salford Township: Dinner at Brazzo Downtown ($$), Thursday; Liquid Fridge will perform, Saturday, 6 to 9 p.m., link to winery

Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Wine 101, Mondays at the Wine Institute ($$), 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., topic on March 30 is Types of Wine; Pairing Wine and Cheese ($$), Thursday, April 16, 7:30 p.m., link to winery

Cullari Vineyards & Winery, Hershey: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Four Springs Winery, Seven Valleys: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor: Free winery tour, Wednesdays at noon, link to winery

Hauser Estate Winery, Biglerville: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries; winemaker’s dinner ($$), Friday, Restaurant Sydney in East Berlin; Candlelight Friday, last Friday of every month, 5 to 8 p.m., wine tasting, music and warm food; Fire and Wine, burning of the grape vine trimmings, Saturday, April 4, 3 to 6 p.m., link to winery

Kreutz Creek Vineyards, West Grove: Music at West Chester tasting room, 44 E. Gay St., Fridays and Saturdays, 6 to 9 p.m.; Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, link to winery

Manatawny Creek Winery, Douglasville: Hours have changed to Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 6 p.m.; Taste of Spring, Berks County Wine Trail event, April 25-26, link to winery

Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Wrightsville: Music every Friday (6 to 9 p.m.), Saturday (2 to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (2 to 5 p.m.); Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries; champagne brunch ($$), Sunday, April 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., call 717.252.9463 for reservations, link to winery

Naylor Wine Cellars, Stewartstown: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries; Forget The Taxes and red Wine Dinner ($$), Saturday, April 18, 3 to 6 p.m., and Sunday, April 19, 2 to 5 p.m., link to winery

Nissley Vineyards & Winery Estate, Bainbridge: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Paradocx Vineyard, Landenberg: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, link to winery


Penns Woods Winery, Eddystone: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, all events will be at the tasting room location, 124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, 610.459.0808, link to winery

Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Kutztown: March Madness ($$), passport required, a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event; Taste of Spring, Berks County Wine Trail event, April 25-26, link to winery

Reid’s Ochards & Winery, Ortanna: New winery; Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries, link to information

Rose Bank Winery, Newtown: Winter Wine Concert Series, Sundays through March 29, 1 to 4 p.m., at Shady Brook Farm, link to winery

Rushland Ridge, Rushland: Reopened, link to winery

Seven Valleys Vineyard & Winery, Glen Rock: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Stargazers Vineyard & Winery, Coatesville: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, link to winery

Tamanend Winery, Lancaster: New winery open, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m., classically styled premium wines in their bottled wine group, and premium sweeter styled wines in their Bag in Box group of wines, link to winery

Twin Brook Winery, Gap: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, link to winery

Va La Vineyards, Avondale: Open Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 6 p.m.; a proud participant this year in the 2009 Avondale League of Octogenarians Spring Swimsuit Festival, link to winery

Vynecrest Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: March Madness ($$), passport required, a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event; Championship Phillies Saturday, April 4, link to winery

Waltz Vineyards, Manheim: New winery, open Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. at least through the end of March, and by appointment, link to winery

West Hanover Winery, Harrisburg: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

MARYLAND WINERIES

Basignani Winery, Sparks: Pizza and herbs ($$), April 18-19, noon to 5 p.m., link to winery

Black Ankle Winery, Mt. Airy: winner of Maryland Governor’s Cup in 2008; winter hours start Dec. 1, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., other times by appointment; Crumbling Rock vs. the World ($$), Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.; seven-course wine dinner at Buds of Silver Run ($$), Monday, March 30, 6:30; pasta making and wine pairing with Michael & Laurie Forster ($$), Sunday, April 5, noon to 2 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m., link to winery

Boordy Vineyards, Hydes: Stew in Our Juices ($$), homemade stews and wine pairing, with musical entertainment, every Sunday in March, 1 to 5 p.m., winery link

Frederick Cellars, Frederick: Happy Hour, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every weekday, glasses are half-price; Music in the Cellar, Saturdays, 6:30 or 7 p.m., link to winery

Sugarloaf Mountain, Dickerson: Friday Flights ($$) is every Friday from 2 to 4 p.m., which consist of 3 half glasses of SMV wine, each paired with an appropriate cheese, fruit or chocolate, reservations at 301.605.0130; “April in Paris,” April 18-29, noon to 5 p.m., come taste Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard's Bordeaux style red wines as well as its Chardonnays and Pinot Grigio along with light French fare, music and ambiance. Take a tour of our state of the art winery and its 200 French oak barrels used for aging SMV wines. Further details will be posted at www.smvwinery.com in the near future, link to winery

Woodhall Wine Cellars, Parkton: Annual barrel sale, futures sale and chocolate tasting ($$), extending every weekend through March 29, 2 to 4 p.m., call 410.357.8644 or send an e-mail to reserve your spots; Patricia Della Casual Fine Dining will be serving lunch and dinner from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. each weekend by reservation (410.357.5078), link to winery

Other MARYLAND winery events can be found at this link, VIRGINIA events at this link and New York events at this link

WINE TRAIL EVENTS

Tour de Tanks, continuing every weekend in March, noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays, cost is $15 per person, pick up tickets at any participating winery or order online here, wineries include Adams County, Allegro, Cullari, Four Springs, Fox Ridge, Hauser Estate, Moondancer, Naylor, Nissley, Reid’s Orchard, Seven Valleys and West Hanover; information on Meet the Winemaker dinners here.

Barrels on the Brandywine, continuing every weekend in March, noon to 5 p.m., cost is $25 per person, pick up tickets at any participating winery or order online here, wineries include Black Walnut, Chaddsford, Kreutz Creek, Paradocx, Penns Woods, Stargazers and Twin Brook.

March Madness, Lehigh Valley Wine Trail passport event, continuing on weekends through the end of March; sold out, you can find information on the event here.

Trail of Spring, third annual Berks County Wine Trail event, April 25-26, with wine and food pairings.

$$ – Admission charge

CLASSES

Wine School of Philadelphia: Wine 101: Intro to Wine ($$), Thursday, April 16, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., 2006 Fairmount Ave., Philly; Core Wine Certification ($$), classes for spring semester will begin April 23, contact Keith at 215.965.1514 x55, link to Web site

Black Walnut gets mileage out of Bank Barn Red

Owners Lance and Vicki Castle and Jack and Karen Kuhn, a picture taken off the winery's Web site. They've been pouring wines for tasting under a tent that has been set up for the month while work on the winery building continues.

You have one more weekend to do a drive-by at the Black Walnut Winery in Sadsburysville. Where is that? As one who drove 10 years to Philly from Central Pennsylvania, it's located a couple miles past the point where Route 30 (heading east) changes from a two-lane road into a four-lane elevated highway that heads toward Philly.

After this coming weekend ends, after the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail's Barrels on the Brandywine finishes for another year, work will resume on the almost 200-year-old barn that will open for business as the winery/tasting room sometime in June. Maybe early June. Maybe late. They're not sure yet. But at least they feel like they're honing in on the specific month now.

The four owners have been working on restoring the barn for a couple of years now. One of those owners, Lance Castle, said by phone on Monday that things are coming along rather well. “We just put the hardwood floors in the special events room and in the tasting room,” he said, “and they look very nice. We’ve gotten some building inspections done and gotten some good responses from the building inspectors, saying things look good.” Left to decide is whether they can hook directly to the sewer line or go to Plan B, which is put in a septic system.

Castle said that the response from folks who have stopped by as part of the Barrels tour has been positive. Some have taken advantage of the opportunity to fill out comment cards, which has helped bulk up the winery’s e-mail list to send out blasts regarding the opening and any events to follow.

The wines, he said, “have been getting some very good feedback. I’ve had a couple people tell me that, ‘Wow, you know, I don’t go to a lot of Pennsylvania wineries, but I didn’t expect this kind of quality.’ I said, great, we strive to get you to say this is a great wine, and not have the little words after it that say ‘for a Pennsylvania winery.’

“Obviously we always know there’s room to grow but we absolutely are working real hard to know there is some quality stuff and people were very accepting of it. They enjoyed a lot of them.”

Perhaps the surprise hit has been what Castle called a Bank Barn Red, what he called “a little bit of a sweet big red wine. It was four grapes from two different seasons, ’06 and ’07 that I even ages in French and American oaks. It had a lot of flavors going on in there, a lot of complexities. I was thinking it was going to be too much for people, but it has been the surprise hit of the tastings.”

It includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot from 2006 and the first three from 2007. “[I] left some residual sweetness in the second year and blended it into the first to get a softer, slightly sweet red wine, and they’ve really stepped up and said, ‘Wow, this is great.’”

Here's the specs on the Bank Barn Red:
This wine has the largest concentration of Cabernet Franc (59.16%) of our blended red wines. This red blend presents the strongest strawberry and fruit flavors while being unbelievably smooth. With a small change in blending, you can appreciate the greater influence of the flavors and structures of our two Cabernet wines.

Some gumbo, wine discounts along the trail

This note comes via Karen Cline, the PR extraordinaire for the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail. She sent it over on Saturday morning for heading out for Barrels on the Brandywine..

Below is some content about how things are going for Barrels this year. I’m working at some of the wineries to get a feel for what goes on at Barrels (since this is my first year for this event).

We’re now three weeks into the Sixth Annual Barrels on the Brandywine. The turnout the last few weekends has been great! Historically though, wine lovers will come out in force the last half of the month and if Passport sales are any indication, that will occur again this year.

Melissa and Tim Jobe’s Gumbo Kitchen at Twin Brook Winery is still a popular feature. When I visited their winery, I saw a large number of people grab a glass of their favorite wine and hunker down to a bowl of steaming gumbo. The gumbo is authentic, meaning that Tim has several pounds of sausage shipped up from the south so he can make “proper” gumbo. Their gumbo recipe will be published in an article soon---where and when to follow.

Last weekend, I was at Black Walnut Winery in Sadsburyville. Their winery is not yet open, so they are operating out of a tent. The tent provided more of a “festival feel” and didn’t take away from the fun of wine tasting at all. They offered your choice of five wines to taste and then three barrel tastings. That sort of selection is pretty common from our wineries—taste from the bottle and then from the barrels.

I had a tour of the barn Black Walnut is renovating. I was impressed by the enormity of the task they have undertaken. Renovations have been occurring three years now—when the owners weren’t at their full-time jobs, they have been at the winery, doing the work themselves. I can’t wait to see the finished product in a couple of months. Black Walnut is hoping to open officially for Memorial Day.

Some wineries on the Trail are offering case discounts, so visitors should be sure to ask about those to make the most of their “wine dollar.”

Today, I’ll be at Stargazers Vineyard. They’re the one winery on the Trail that is powered by the sun—100% solar! They even have a wine that is labeled “100% Sun, No Oak”. Cheeses are on the menu there each weekend. I can’t wait to try some local cheese today with my wine.