Crossing Vineyards celebrating two accolades from recent Jefferson Cup competition

Two wines from Crossing Vineyards and Winery in Washington Crossing, Pa. have earned a Certificate of American Merit in the Jefferson Cup Invitational in Kansas City, Mo., a designation the competition says is comparable to a silver medal.

Appreciate Rebecca Felten looping me in on the e-mail.

The invitational event, now in its 10th year, pre-selects more than 600 wines from 23 states which it says, “exemplify viticulture and winemaking in America.” The Jefferson Cup, held Nov. 19-20, 2009, does not award golds, silvers and other medals. Rather, according to competition organizers, “the invited wines have all proven their excellence in competitions and tastings throughout the last year. We believe and try to publicize our belief that these are wines that are extremely deserving of the nation’s attention.”

Of the wines invited to compete for the Jefferson Cup award, some 350 received the “Certificate of American Merit.” One hundred and thirty two received medallions deeming them, “American Examples of Greatness,” and 78 of those were selected “Jefferson Cup honorees.” Fifteen received the Jefferson Cup award.

Crossing Vineyards’ Cabernet Franc '06 -- its most decorated wine from the 2006 vintage -- and its newly released estate-grown and bottled Vidal Blanc 2008 received the Certificate of American Merit. The recent honors bring to 84 the number of awards the winery has earned since it opened six years ago on a 200-year-old estate in Bucks County.

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"This is Crossing Vineyards' first Invitational Competition, and we are very proud to have received Certificates of American Merit for two of our wines,” said Crossing co-owner and vintner Tom Carroll Jr. “The Cabernet Franc has been a winner many times over, and that's always a thrill. But the Vidal Blanc is newly released and is an estate wine: grown, produced and bottled at Crossing Vineyards. Now that's exciting!"

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Head of marketing and PR Chris Carroll noted by e-mail a few days after this initial posting that she had sent organizers a group of wines last spring and they requested that five be entered in the competition. She wrote: "The invitation to submit is equivalent to a bronze medal: Viognier 2007, Riesling 2008, Vidal Blanc 2008, Cabernet Franc 2006 and Merlot 2006. We have won multiple awards for all of these wines.

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"As for the fruit source of the [2006] Franc," she continued, responding to a question, "as you can see on the label, there is no single vineyard designation; we buy fruit from several growers and we actually Franc on our property; this wine is a combination of all of those."

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Asked what the reaction is usually like to the announcement of an award, she said there's generally a flurry of activity for awhile afterward. "Sometimes, as with the Chardonnay 05 [World's Best-Starwine 2006] we sell out almost immediately [good and bad news!],' she wrote.
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Judges in this year’s competition included: Glen Bardgett, a St. Louis restaurateur and a founder of the Missouri State Fair judging; Wayne Belding MS, past chairman of the Court of Master Sommeliers and a Boulder, Col. wine merchant; Laura dePasquale MS, one of the world’s few female Master Sommeliers; Bob Foster, writer, The California Grapevine; Frost; Patty Held-Uthlaut, former proprietor of Stone Hill Winery and a lifelong Missouri wine veteran; Robert Noecker, a midwestern wholesaler and 30-year veteran of the wine industry; Jeff Miller, a Kansas distributor with 25 years of experience; and Joyce Angelos, a Missouri wholesaler and industry veteran of 25 years.

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It's an acknowledgement, wrote Chris Carroll, of the strides that American wines and their winery in particular have made. "This Jefferson Cup is a quality competition," she said. "It is all American wines. The win means more to us than just another medal. It is a statement about America earning its place in the world of wine and about the various regions developing their unique styles and identities. Americans is still a very young country when it comes to making wine. It is an exciting time to be involved in this industry.
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"For a 9-year-old winery to receive two "Certificates of American Merit" for their wines [one which is 100% estate fruit-Vidal] is pretty remarkable."

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.

Another one to Cross(ing) off the list

Clockwise from top: one of several tasting bars in the winery, dessert awaits a knife; and a shot of the tasting room/winery from the walkway that leads in from the parking lot.

Finally made it to Crossing Vineyards & Winery on Sunday, where a steady stream of visitors were heading up the steps and across the landscaped path to the cozy tasting room during the hour and a half we were there. It's a striking juxtoposition, the parking lot and tasting room and new warehouse sitting there, vineyards stretching as far as you can see to one side with a housing development pressing in from the other. All in all, a gorgeous setting amid the changing leaves in rural Bucks County, about 7 miles south of New Hope.

Folks were heading in for a dummies class that started around 2. Others were there tasting at one of two tables set up back in the winery itself. It was the winery's sixth birthday party, so a four-piece band was playing in one spot and a sheet cake was awaiting a few candles and a knife in another spot. Crossing Vineyard & Winery's standard tasting is 12 wines for $8, an assortment of whites and reds and what they call their original series. The one out of the latter that was opened on Sunday was Wild Berry, a delectable blend that would work well as a summer sipper and quite well on, say, a scoop or two of ice cream. Got a chance to sample their recent award winners in the Sommelier Challenge held in San Diego: the 2007 Merlot, its grapes are imported from Waltz Vineyards over in Manheim, Pa., by the way; their 2007 Cabernet Franc, really what amounts to their signature wine; and their '07 Viognier. All excellent choices among many that we sampled.

Price range, by the way, is $12 for the blush and $13 for a few of the other fruit and berry wines, into the low $20 for their award-winning reds, topping off at 28 bucks for the Pinot Noir Reserve and Cabernet Franc Reserve.

Crossing celebrating birthday, awards

There's a party atmosphere at Crossing Vineyards in Washington Crossing, Pa., these days, and only part of its has to do with this weekend's sixth anniversary party. The Bucks County winery, founded by the Carroll family, will lure a who's who of local and state government officials and folks from the wine industry for a ribbon-cutting on a new energy-efficient warehouse. Meanwhile, there will be tastings, live music and a chance to enter a drawing for tickets to a Nov. 14 wine and food pairing sit-down as the birthday party runs today and tomorrow from noon to 6 p.m.

Actually, the toasting began a few weeks ago when word came back on the results from the Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition that took place in San Diego on the last weekend in September. Of all the wines entered, 49 made it to the final round of voting for best of show in five broad categories -- sparkling, red, white, rose and fortified. All wines put forward by the judges for the best-of-show vote were elevated from gold to platinum. And when the final assessment was made, Crossing Vineyards' Merlot 2006 earned a platinum medal, Cabernet Franc 2006 scored a gold and the Viognier 2007 took a silver. That's half of the total number that Crossing entered.

Christine Carroll, who directs PR and marketing for the winery, said there was a particular appeal to entering that competition. "It was sommeliers from the country's top restaurants," she said. "And we thought, this would be fun. This is not really a wine judge, per se, but this is someone who's on the front line, selling wine, knowing what people are liking, and they're not with their head in the clouds so much. So we thought, this might be good, and this might be a real taste test of where we stand because it's not an academic who's cutting us slack but it's the guy who's selling it who's judging it."

Crossing's Cab Franc has won the lion's share of awards since the winery opened in 2003, so the gold medal simply added another trinket to the winery's trophy case. But the showings of the Merlot ("a sleeper") and Viognier ("a very elegant wine") did catch them a bit by surprise.
A nice pleasant surprise. "The platinum means that it won a gold medal and that any wine that was being considered for best of show was granted a platinum medal," Carroll said. "There were five best of show medals . . . so we would have been running with [California's] Cakebread [Cellars] for the best red in this competition."

I haven't tasted the wines yet, but hoping to tomorrow. Still, what I have seen is their list of events, from workshops and seminars to wine and food pairings to other events done in conjunction with the Bucks County Wine Trail. Carroll said there's a reason that Crossing ranks among the top two or three in the region, along with Chaddsford, in activities. "Here's the reason we do it," she said. "And it's not always about Pennsylvania wines. We're doing a new class this fall called Italian Wines. That is because people hold the Pennsylvania thing against us, they don't know what they're talking about, they've never tasted Pennsylvania wines. So they'll say, 'I don't like Pennsylvania wine.' Oh, well, whose wine have your tried? 'Well, I've never really tried it, but i don't like it.' Or 'I like California Cabernet.' Well, that's good, that's a start. Have you ever tried a Cabernet from Pennsylvania? 'Oh, no, I don't like a Cabernet from Pennsylvania.' Would you try. 'No, no, no, I don't need to try it because I already know what I like.' So this is what we're faced with. So I think with more . . . I think it's like when a person goes to college, her mind opens up. Educaton opens people's minds. And it's the same with wine as it is with anyone else. So we're trying to get people off the defensive. We're trying to get them on to the open-minded. And we'll always throw one of our wines in and we'll identify it. We're not sneaky. We don't even do a blind tasting. We'll say, 'Here's a Crossing Vineyards Viognier' if we're doing Rhone varietals. Try it. Tell us what you think about it in comparison.

"It's pretty ballsy, I'll give you that. But, again, we're a young winery and we want to get better. And if they hate us, we're going to get better next year, because we're going to figure it out next year."

This weekend's activities run gamut from grape stomp to wine trail celebration

This is a busy weekend coming up for winery-based activities in the Pennsylvania-Maryland region. One is what's now become the annual grape stomp down at Sugarloaf Mountain Winery in Dickinson, Md., on the way to Washington D.C. Activities will run Saturday and sunday from noon to 5, with everything from music to tours to tastings and, of course, the stomp, with prizes awarded to the fastest (and most accomplished) on their feet. Love the photo I've attached on here of the toddler in the barrel; borrowed it off their Web site. Online advance tickets are $12; they will be $15 at the gate.

Across the Mason-Dixon Line in Pennsylvania will be the celebration of the harvest on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, an event called Chambourcin Weekend. All nine wineries will feature special tastings and food pairings, entertainment, seminars and more. You can hit the trail site for specifics. Expect things to commence Saturday at 10 a.m. and running until 5 p.m., with maybe a little more room to move around on Sunday once the NFL kicks off. Wineries that day are scheduled to be open from noon until 5 o'clock.

Down the road a bit will be the sixth anniversary bash at Crossing Vineyards & Winery. There's a new building dedication on Saturday, in addition to tastings and a birthday drawing that can win you two free tickets to a wine and food dinner on Nov. 14.

These are just a taste of what's going on. You can do a wider search by stopping by the Web sites of the Association of Maryland Wineries or the Pennsylvania Winery Association and clicking on the individual winery sites.

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

Crossing going green on 3,000-sq.-foot addition

Click on the attachment at right for a peek at Crossing Vineyards' calendar of events.


Christine Carroll, the director of marketing and public relations at Crossing Vineyards and Winery in Washington Crossing, Pa., has among the four most extensive events calendars in the region and lots of other initiatives in motion at their expanding operation. Few wineries market and publicize what they do as well as this place.

Indeed, they tout on their home page they the winery was listed No. 3 on a top 10 list of up-and-coming wine producers that appeared in the 2009 edition of Tom Stevenson's Annual Wine Report, an international guide to the wines of the world. Crossing held the No. 5 spot in that publication in 2008.

Carroll wrote in an e-mail she sent yesterday that the winery continues its green initative with the construction of an energy-efficient, 3,000-square-foot addition there.

She continued: "Crossing Vineyards broke ground in December, 2008, for the construction of a 3000 square foot addition to its winery. In keeping with the company's "green focus," the new building is designed to accommodate the future installation of solar panels and will feature a high-efficiency geothermal heating and cooling system. It will also include a water recharging well that collects and recyles groundwater instead of allowing erosive runoff.

"The new building will allow Crossing to serve customers better, while conserving natural resources, protecting the environment and reducing the company's carbon footprint.

"We also have a great spring schedule of classes, workshops, music and food events. One of the offerings I am most proud of is our Wine 101 class. It is a six-week course that goes from how wine is made to food and wine pairing. It is offered on Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. beginning on March 23.

"We have also had a great response to the Pairing Wine and Cheese class. This is not an uncomplicated subject and not many people know enough about it to offer classes. We have gotten a lot more knowledgeable since the opening of our Wine and Cheese Shop at The Mohegan Sun Casino; so we are in a position to offer a quality class."

Crossing Vineyards dinner draws full house

The menu from the dinner. Just click on it to peruse the particulars.

Crossing Vineyards and Winery in Washington Crossing, Pa., held a Winter Winemakers Dinner last Saturday night. It was a five-course gourmet meal that featured winemaker Tom Carroll Jr. He gave an insider's guide to the 2008 vintage. Dropped proprietor and marketing director Christine Carroll a note yesterday and she responded with the following:

"The dinner was GREAT!!!! A sell-out [in this economy, if you can believe it]. I am attaching a copy of the menu. Maybe the food had something to do with it.

The 'formal' topic for discussion was Insider Tips on Vintage 2008. Tom Jr. talked about the weather conditions throughout the season and at harvest. We compared 08 vintage to other recent vintages. We also discussed the pairings at each course and people voiced their preferences. It was so interesting. By the end of the evening we were shouting over each other to be hear over the 'conviviality.'

The introduction of the cheese course has been a real learning experience and a big hit."

Event Grapevine: Jan. 16-18

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Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Dickerson, Md., will be combining a grand opening of the tasting room and a celebration of the presidential inauguration event. The party will run from Saturday through next Tuesday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and will include wine tastings and tours of the winery, sales on selected wines, hot soup, cheese platters, hors d'oeuvres, bottle engraving and entertainment. To top it off, you can view the inauguration of President Barack Obama on the big screen on Tuesday.

Winery partner Jim McKenna pulled along the side of the road yesterday to tell me by phone how excited he and the rest of the Sugarloaf family are to officially open the tasting room, which opened for business in October. "The tasting room has turned out to be even more pleasant and terrific than I could have imagined in my wildest dreams," he said. "There's something very lovely and warm about it. Peoiple who come in just love it. And I do, too. We have XM Radio and generally I either have classical music on or the [Frank] Sinatra station [that's on XM]."

McKenna said work would commence today on putting up a big tent over the patio in addition to the 40 or 50 people that the tasting room will be able to accommodate. And there's more room in the winery itself and elsewhere on the property to handle what's expected to be a busy, busy few days.

Otherwise, here’s what’s happening this weekend and beyond.

PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES

Adams County Winery, Orrtanna: Wine appreciation class ($$), Saturday, Jan. 24, 6 to 8:30 p.m.; home wine-making ($$), Sunday, Feb. 22, 1 to 3 p.m., link to winery

Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars, New Tripoli: Music every Saturday ($$), 6 to 9 p.m., link to winery

Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Academy Awards of Pennsylvania Wines ($$), Harrisburg Hilton, Sunday, 2:55 p.m., tickets through the Wine Society of Pennsylvania; Taste of the Brandywine benefit at Hilton Garden Inn ($$), Friday, Jan. 23, 6 to 10 p.m., members of the wine trail will showcase its newest releases along with hors d’oeuvres provided by the Hilton; Eric Miller wine and food pairing dinner at The Kitchen Shoppe in Carlisle ($$), Friday, Jan. 23, 6 to 9 p.m.; Wine and Chocolate Reserve Tastings ($$), every weekend in February, link to winery

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: Snowy 6 Pack Sale, 20 percent off purchases of any six bottles of wine, through Sunday; beginning wine-tasting class ($$), Saturday, 3 to 4:30 p.m., SOLD OUT, link to winery

Country Creek Winery, Telford: Resolution Revolution, Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Wine and Chocolate Tasting, Friday, Feb. 6, 6 p.m., Harleysville Books, 672 Main St., reservations requested, link to winery

Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Wine Tasting for Singles ($$), Friday, 7 p.m.; Insider’s Guide to Vintage 2008 ($$), five-course gourmet meal, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Wine Tasting for Dummies ($$), Sunday, 2 p.m.; wine and cheese pairing, ($$), Tuesday, Jan. 20, 7:30 p.m.; Wine Tasting in Riedel Crystal ($$), Sunday, Jan. 25, 2 p.m.; Wine & Wellness, East, Drink and Be Healthy ($$), Wednesday, Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m., link to winery

Hauser Estate Winery, Biglerville: New winery open, Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; Candle Light Friday/Happy Hour, the last Friday of every month, 5 to 8 p.m.; satellite shop opened at 17 Lincoln Square, Gettysburg, 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.; Valentine’s Day Celebration, Feb. 14-15, link to winery

Manatawny Creek Winery, Douglasville: Weekend celebration, Friday through Monday, Sunday, noon to 6 p.m., otherwise 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Winter Warmth on sale for 10 percent off (try dipping ginger snaps into the spiced red warm wine). Fire will be blazing, link to winery

Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Wrightsville: Music every Saturday (2 to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (2 to 5 p.m.); will close Fridays at 5 p.m. at least through February; vineyard hike and mulled wine ($$), Saturday, Feb. 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., link to winery

Naylor Wine Cellars, Stewartstown: Lovers Weekend Dinner White Wine Tasting ($$), Saturday, Feb. 14, 3 to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 15, 2 to 5 p.m., link to winery

Paradocx Vineyard, Landenberg: Valentine’s Day at the Vineyard, Saturday, Feb. 14,
link to winery

Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Kutztown: The Buy Fresh Buy Local Wine dinner ($$), at John J. Jeffries on Sunday, Jan. 25, with Chardonnay, Chambourcin, Pinot Noir, and Late Harvest Vidal accompanying the four courses, $52 including tax and gratuity, sign up at www.johnjjeffries.com or call 717.431.3307; Chocolate & Wine Weekend, weekend of Feb. 14-15, Berks County Wine Trail event, link to winery

Rushland Ridge, Rushland: Closed January and February; will reopen March 5, 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: Souper Saturday/Sunday ($$), Jan. 24-25, soups & stew in fresh bread bowls available for sale, paired with a glass of wine; tickets on sale for Valentine’s Concert in the Vineyard ($$), Saturday Feb. 14; Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Weekend, Saturday, Feb. 14, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 15, noon to 5 p.m., link to winery

Va La Vineyards, Avondale: New holiday hours starting Dec. 1, weekdays, 12:01 to 5:27 p.m., Saturday and Sundays, 12:02 to 5:48 p.m., http://www.valavineyards.com/

MARYLAND WINERIES

Black Ankle Winery, Mt. Airy: Open for business, 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, link to winery

Boordy Vineyards, Hydes: Chili Winter Days ($$), this weekend, next weekend, and Jan. 31, 1 to 5 p.m.; Fond of You Fondue ($$), Saturdays in February, 1 to 5 p.m., winery link

Frederick Cellars, Frederick: Frederick Gives Back, fund-raiser for county Humane Society, Saturday; Inaugural celebration, stop by to toast the new president, Saturday and Sunday, music at 7 p.m. Saturday and meet the new winemaker from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, link to winery

Fridays Creek Winery, Owings: Wine & Chocolate Tasting United Way Fund-raiser ($$), Saturday, Jan. 24, link to winery

Linganore Winecellars at Berrywine Plantations, Mt. Airy: Wine and desserts pairing ($$), through the month; Jazzin’ in January ($$), Saturday, Jan. 24, noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., http://www.linganorewines.com

Woodhall Wine Cellars, Parkton: Soups of the World ($$), every weekend in January, this weekend is soups of France (Vichyssoise, Butternut Squash Soup, Bouillabaise),
all are served with bread from Stone Mill Bakery and Woodhall wine pairing recommendations, reservations are requested at 410.357.8644, 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

$$ – Admission charge