Waltz extends its hours over next two weeks

Expect to start to see various wineries extending their hours, partly because of the business lost during this weekend and partly because of the proximity to the holidays.

Saw Waltz Vineyards in Manheim, Pa., did a shout-out overnight via e-mail to its customers on the extra hours it plans to be open the next two weeks. The schedule includes 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday of this weekend and next week, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Saturday.

Closed obviously on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Lehigh Valley wineries list invididual schedules

Been AWOL for a week trying to stay afloat with my other job, so I apologize. Most obvious subject heading into this final weekend before Christmas is the bad timing of this prdicted snowsotrm for wineries trying to unload product and gifts before the holiday.

With that in mind, let me post a couple of e-letter that I received about activities at several wineries over the next week or so.

Courtesy of PR ace Courtney Romain, here's the listings of what the wineries on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail in eastern Pennsylvania have planned.

• Amoré Vineyards: The warmed Spiced Apple is always a special holiday treat. A cinnamon stick makes it even more festive. The brave and bold enjoy it with apple pie. Open daily until Christmas.
• Blue Mountain Vineyards is offering a new release of its Sparkling Peach ($19.50). It is a semi-sweet sparkling wine produced with succulent peaches and alive with sparkling bubbles. Blue Mountain also offers an Adopt a Vine Program for that wine lover who has everything on your gift list. Purchase a vine and receive a certificate explaining the program to present to the recipient. The first year they receive a plaque to be placed on their vine and for five years thereafter they will receive a specially labeled bottle of wine for the varietals you have chosen. The winery will be open Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will be closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
• Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery: Share the grape of the Lehigh Valley, Chambourcin, with friends and family this holiday season. Clover Hill makes two styles of Chambourcin: 2008 Chambourcin ($14.99) is a dry, oak-aged medium body red with rich, luscious berry flavors and a warm toasty oak. The Turtle Rock Red is a lighter, fruiter version of the Chambourcin made in stainless steel tanks with just a hint of residual sugar. Celebrate the holidays with local flavor! Open Monday – Saturday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
• Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery: The winery suggests custom labeled wines as a great gift; an extensive collection of artwork with your personalized message for a flat fee of $10, plus cost of the wine. Minimum order is a case (12 bottles). Through January 3, 2010, Galen Glen will be open Sunday through Friday noon -5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Also open Christmas Eve 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Closed: Christmas Day and New Years Day.
• Pinnacle Ridge offers great gift baskets for holiday giving. Choose your wine, wine accessories and gourmet foods and create your own special gift for that special someone. The winery is open Sunday through Friday (except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day) from noon- 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Open until 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve for those last minute wine and gift purchases!
• Vynecrest Vineyards & Winery’s Spiced Winter Red ($9.99 a bottle), a seasonal holiday wine, is reminiscent of a German Gluwein, which can be served warm with Christmas cookies or fruitcake. Spiced Winter Red is available in a three pack, specially priced for December at $25.00. Starting Thursday, December 17, the winery is open every day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., until Christmas Eve (open 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.). Closed Christmas Day, then open December 26 - 29, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., December 31 open 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  

Sand Castle opens TASTE, unveils 2 new wines

Two recent wine releases and a new store have the folks at Sand Castle Winery in Erwinna, Pa., buzzing. A suburban Philly winery that's a member of the Bucks County Wine Trail, it recently came out with a 2006 Pinot Noir and a 2004 Chardonnay Classic. About the Pinot Noir, general sales manager Peter Ricci said was tasting "very good, good fruit, with raspberry flavors to it. Pinot Noir is hot, that's just a given in the marketplace." It's selling for $30/bottle.

The 2004 Chard hardly sounds like a new release, but it emerges from three years aging in French oak. "It has really nice flavors of vanilla and almonds and caramel. You really pick up the French oak in the wine," Ricci said. That's available at $17/bottle. Three years in a barrel is probably as long as any winery in the region ages its Chard.

Ricci said the winery's new retail store, called TASTE, is located in a former Starbucks shop at the Valley Square Shopping Center, 711 Easton Road, in Warrington, Pa. You can purchase wine there, but that's just part of what Ricci called selling a gourmet experience that includes wine-related gift items, a coffee bar, a wine bar, an imported olive oil and balsamic vinegar bar, gourmet cheeses and gourmet foods. Samples are scattered throughout the shop, giving customers a chance to try things before they purchase them. Hence, the name of the shop. The hours at TASTE are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

This isn't the winery's first attempt at an off-site retail outlet. Last year it tried a kiosk at a mall in Lower Bucks County that Ricci said "worked reasonably well" for awhile. The economy took some of the initial burst away, and so did the mall insisting that the kiosk be opened when the mall was. During the holiday season, that could mean as early as sunrise. "Well, how many people are going to buy wine at 6 o'clock in the morning?" Ricci asked. "We didn't lose money last year, but it just simply wasn't worth all the time and effort we had to put into it."

Kreutz Creek unveils 'best ever' Holiday Wassail

Missed the chance to pull several items off the e-letter for Kreutz Creek Vineyards in West Grove, Pa., before the start of the weekend. Still, several things apply through the end of the year.

Owner Jim Kirkpatrick noted that "another year comes to an end but before we look toward 2010, we still have a full month of events for 2009. We just released our new Holiday Wassail and it's the best one I've ever made. I fermented pumpkin and apples in the Niagara and added spices like cinnamon and cloves. We serve it warm in a crock pot but it's delicious served chilled as well. Stop by for a sample and check out our holiday decorations. Read on to see what's happening in both West Chester and the winery in West Grove for the rest of 2009."

Kirkpatrick wrote that the winery will hold its Holiday Wine Sale through the month: 10 percent off bottles and 20 percent off cases of 12. The winery is planning to be open the weekend after Christmas, Dec. 26-27 and the weekend after New Year's on Jan. 2-3.

As for its tasting room in West Chester, here's the entertainment schedule for the rest of the month:

Friday, 12/11 – The Al Moretti Jazz Duo
Saturday, 12/12 – Jazz by Aniya
Friday, 12/18 – Latin Guitar by Brad Rau
Saturday, 12/19 – Jazz and Swing by Swing Set
Friday, 12/25 – Closed
Saturday, 12/26 – Jazz Vocals by Unstuck in Time

The BYOF (Bring Your Own Food) facility will be closed Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25 and Thursday and Friday, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

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.

A sale worth sampling: Manatawny marks down 2006 Meritage by 30 percent

Like the looks of a Meritage sale that's currently under way at Manatawny Creek Winery in Douglassville, Pa. Owner/winemaker Joanne Levengood makes a line of wines that represent the region and state very well. Always like to mention that it's the only place I've visited where we were offered the entire line to taste (not sure if that has changed) at no charge (I'm very sure THAT hasn't changed), both winery staples that are about as common as a Pennsylvania screwtop. In other words, good luck finding more than a handful of others that provide so much when you walk into the tasting room, in addition to the snacks they place on their bar.

Levengood reported in her December e-letter early Friday that she has around five cases left of the Meritage, something you can drink now or store for a few years down in your cellar. This 2006 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot and normally sells for $21.95, on the lower end of the price scale when you compare it to other Meritages in the region. She's pushing it out the door by taking 30 percent off, knocking the price down to 16 dollars and change. Once those cases are sold, she'll roll out the 2007 vintage at the regular price.

Their Pinot Noir also is on sale, marked down 10 percent off the $14.95 price. As Levengood noted in her e-letter, this wine is aged in French oak and should be bound for your lips rather than your cellar. "This is not a wine for aging," she wrote. "It is wonderful with Christmas turkey -- we had some with our Thanksgiving turkey this year and it was a fabulous match."

More and more winemakers are using their e-letters or blogs or Facebook to chime in with answers to basic wine and wine pairing questions. This is Levengood's take on how to match up with holiday foods: "Which wine should you serve with your holiday dinner? Anyone who has ever been in our tasting room knows the answer to that question – serve what you like! The subjectivity of wine applies to wine pairing as well. Having said that, however, there are a few simple things to keep in mind. Don’t overpower the food with the wine and vice versa. If you are serving a turkey breast with a light glazing, serve it with a lighter wine like Pinot Grigio. If you are serving turkey with a full-flavored, hearty gravy, you may want to try an oaked Chardonnay. The addition of a sweet cranberry sauce may call for a wine with some sweetness to it, like a Riesling. Everyone thinks about white wine pairing well with turkey or ham, but a lighter-bodied red like Pinot Noir can work really well too. I very much like the idea of setting the table with two wine glasses at each place so everyone can try two different wines with each course. Different wines really make the food taste different!"

Waltz Vineyards' next release will be the first for a new semi-dry white blend called Fusion

A couple of things out of Waltz Vineyards in Manheim, a new Pennsylvania winery that I haven't been bashful about calling one of my favorites since it opened earlier this year.

One, they're able to ship UPS now, so anyone ordering wine can have it on their table in a day or two. Meanwhile, the winery is expanding its hours beginning Monday, opening its doors six days a week through the end of the year except for Thanksgiving day, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. They'll be open noon to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and noon to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Co-owner Kim Waltz said Friday that they have been maintaining a schedule of being open three days a week, but "if there's any month we should probably be more available, it's December. So, we're going to give that a shot."

Waltz noted she and husband Jan have bottled a number of wines, but none have been released as yet. They offer a line of six dry wines -- two whites, three reds and a rose, ranging in price from $18 (Baron Steigel Rose) to $36 (their Cherry Hill Merlot, really what I'd consider their signature wine) to $42 (Crow Woods Cabernet). The first one they plan to release, as early as this weekend, will be the seventh wine in their line. It's a semi-dry white called Fusion that will sell for $18.

"It's three whites blended together and a little more sweetness than we normally do on our other wines," Kim said. The blend is 50 percent Semillon and 25 percent each of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. "It's really nice. It's got a little punch to it; it's about 13 percent [alcohol]. It's interesting, you know, there are still a lot of people that really like a lot of sweetness in their line. So we stayed with the semi-dry and didn't get too, too sweet, but for us it tastes sweet. . . . But I think it will be a nice one here, especially going into the holidays, because it's capturing the audience that really would rather have a little sweetness."

Expect the others to be released right around the start of the new year.

Turkey's on table for class at Chaddsford

So what's going on at Chaddsford Winery? You could probably ask that question year-round and get some sort of answer. Pretty much the busiest of all the regional wineries is cooking up an event called Turkey Tastings for the next three Sundays, beginning Nov. 7

Its wine educators will pair dry white wines, dry red wines and some sweet wines with honey brined turkey, herb stuffing, roasted yam wedges, seasonal vegetables, cranberry relish and pie. In essense, it's your pre Thanksgiving laboratory all for the cost of $20. For reservations, call 610.388.6221.

At the bottom of Eric Miller's always-interesting vintage notes is a short piece about the origin of a new wine recently released called Essence. He writes of a trip that he and Lee took to Priorato, Spain, last June. "There, Alvaro Palacios was kind enough to allow us an extraordinary tour of his extraordinary vineyards and winery. There we experienced his [costly] magnificent blend of Terroir, what his mountainous, oddly planted mix of varieties could transform into a landscape of smells and flavors. There I tasted an immaculate picture where no one could say this image had too much sunset, too much heat of the day, too much Cabernet, too little Syrah. There I dreamed of my own landscape reaching beyond any single grape variety, deep into an unrestrained pure finesse of intrinsic geography and climate.

"And so, the day after we got home, I began blending a simple percentage mix of the best '07 grapes grown on the Miller Estate and vinified in my hands. We bottled it this spring and I truly feel it expresses the essence of what I can do as a winemaker with my dirt and my grapes and my lifetime of winemaking experience. It might not surprise you that we have named this terroir blend 'Essence.' It is a very small lot (71 cases), a blend of five reds grown on our estate and two additional reds from the region. I hope you’ll try it and lay down a bottle or two in your cellar."

2 days and counting to Sand Castle's store opening

How 'bout some news you can use out of Sand Castle Winery in Erwinna, in suburban Philly. A member of the Bucks County Wine Trail, the winery's latest e-letter noted that it will be opening its new store called Taste this Saturday, Oct. 24. Hours that day will be noon to 6 p.m. Among the items for sale will be Sand Castle wines and olive oil, and cheese, chocolates and gourmet food from local producers.

Haven't had any of their wines yet. The distinctive mix of 12 wines using four varietals -- Riesling, Chardonnary, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir -- are certainly priced well. It's an interesting mix, with many of the wines having a vintage from the early part of the decade back to 1999. I do like how they pair up foods on the wine list located on their site. Very helpful.

As for this year, the difficult harvest is almost finished, with only Cabernet Sauvignon left on the vine. The e-letter noted (lamented) that it was "the worst year for rain and weeds. Despite it, the quality of the grapes are great. The amount is about one third of the normal harvest, but we are grateful for what we got."

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."

Rose sales 'blooming' nicely at Hauser Estate

Winemaker Michelle Oakes welcomes several visitors to the winery during the 2009 Tour de Tanks in March.

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Wrote a day or two ago about Seattle native and Cornell educated Michelle Oakes, who joined the then soon-to-open Hauser Estate Winery in Pennsylvania's Adams County in the late spring of 2008. That winery is now open and pulling visitors to its hilltop spot overlooking the rolling terrain that borders Gettysburg's Civil War battlefield. If you're visiting Hanover or Gettysburg, or driving through the area on Route 30 or Route 15, it's a stop you need to make.

Oakes was asked if the sales of any one wine that Hauser Estate produces has surprised her.
Yes, she answered, there was one, the Cabernet Franc Rose.

"I guess one I personally wouldn't to be shocked by, but just based on what people usually prefer I'm shocked by, is the sales on the rose," she said. "Rose is a hard sell. It's one of those wines that just based on its repuation is a hard sell. You're dry wine drinkers think blush when they see it and they think it's sweet, and your blush drinkers assume it's going to be sweet as well. So when you put a Rose on the market your blush drinkers get excited about a wine that they're probably not going to care for much and your red wine drinkers don't want to touch it.

"But the rose has been really well received. I think initally it was getting the people to try it, and then the word kind of spread that it's not a blush style; it's actually a fairly heavy rose, it's got a lot of earthiness to it. It was actually on the skins a little bit longer than you usually would do a rose."

Given the winemaker's background in food, the obvious followup was a question about pairing. In her mind, it matches up with almost anything.

"Rose is a great food-pairing wine because you can do it with lighter fare, but if it's a heavier rose it will still hold up to some heavier dishes," she said. "I mean, it comes about perfect when you're thinking things like pork or chicken in a heavier sauce, where you're like, I could go white but if I wanted red, it's a good crossover. I always say rose is a good picnic wine."

Also a good wine for a feast, such as Thanksgiving, where you're likely to see it recomended as one of the perfect wines to place around the food-laden table. Oakes agreed, noting that "it doesn't overshadow your turkey but it holds up to your gravy and your stuffing, all those things."

Lots to see, taste and smell at Logan's View

The Logan's View tasting room is loated at the far end of the farm market. It's a warm, cozy setting back there, away from the bustle in the store. At some point I'm guessing they'll put a table and a few chairs under the hanging light.

Any time of the year is worth a trip to Brown's Orchards & Farm Market in Loganville, Pa., but there's no better time than fall. Pumpkins galore. A full shelf of bagged candy corn. Every possible color you can want in a mum. And apples, loads of em, in the store and in the back, where you can get a great deal on seconds.

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Wasn't sure what to expect from the wines, but they were good. Priced right, in the $15 range. And you have to think that once they bottle their reds next year, that with 22 or more selections of dry and sweet reds and whites plus fruit wine that it will become a one-stop shopping for a lot of folks who pop in there anyway for the fabulous salads, fruits and baked goods.

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It cost $3 for a tasting of five wines. The only twist is that the mix of wines changes each week. Most wineries you can pay for a flight and get whatever you want. Here, you taste the five assigned wines that are offered on a rotation. Yesterday we sampled Traminette, Vidal Blanc, both with 2 percent residual sugar, and a wine called Scheurebe (6 percent residual alcohol) that's made out of a German grape, a cross between the Riesling and Silvaner. Lots of florals and aromas out of the Traminette; the other two provided more sensation on the tongue than the nose. Our server, by the way, was well-versed on the wines and what to pair them with, always a value when you get into a tasting setting.

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We also tried two fruit wines I've never had before: cherry and blueberry. Both were clean, lovely to look at. Not my cup of tea, so to speak, although that cherry was delicioous on top of a couple of chocolates I popped into my mouth, and I wouldn't mind pouring that blueberry wine on a bowl of premium vanilla ice cream. The orchard cherry and strawberry are selling for $12 for a .375 liter bottle, the blueberry for $14 and the wild cherry for $18.
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I'll have to revisit, which we normally do anyway, during a week when some of the drier whites -- Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewurztraminer -- are being poured. Along with selling wine made out of the Scheurebe grape, they also produce another one unique to this area, at least from what I've seen, called Kerner. Logan View's wine list refers to this German grape as a cross of the red grape Trollinger and the white grape Riesling, terming it as one with a "unique flavor and lingering finish" that will bring you back for more. It's residual sugar content is 2 percent.

Va La site gets a new look, but old charm remains

Looks like Va La Vineyards in Avondale, Pa., recently made some improvements to its Web site. The winery is a must-visit if you're anywhere in the mid-Atlantic looking for good wine to sample, as is Chaddsford and Pinnacle Ridge and Allegro in Pennsylvania and Black Ankle in Maryland.

The wines at Va La are superior, using a number of grapes you won't see made into juice at other regional wineries. And it's a comfy atmosphere, either out in front of the main tasting bar downstairs or relaxing at a small table upstairs amid the brights colors and vivid shapes of whichever local artist's work is being featured. And I could listen to owner Anthony Vietri talk baseball for hours (while sipping the Silk or Mahongany or Castana or other unique names that grace his labels).

Why else do I like the place? The sense of humor, found in large doses either in person or on the Web site. To wit, on the page under TO CONTACT:

Your suffering shall be legendary...

Attempting to contact Va La has been likened to attempting to contact the dead.
We can not lie. We are farmers who actively avoid electronic devices. For the latest info on hours, etc, we usually make a telephone recording of our voices for people to listen to. Hopefully, the info on the recording is somewhat accurate. Occasionally, people have been known to leave a message on the offhand chance that one of us accidentally wanders by the answering machine.

610 268 2702

And

We can accommodate groups of six or more persons by reservation only. We regretfully cannot accommodate buses, stretch limousines, wedding parties, professional tour groups, or ocean liners during our regular weekend hours. For reservations, info, pricing, private events, life counseling, root canals, etc, please leave a message for Ms Kelly at 610 742 3981, or by computer device: events@valavineyards.com

Blair Vineyards seeks help for Sept. 26 harvest

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

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

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

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

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.

'Yappy Hour' among Kreutz Creek events of note

Here's some news you can use.

Kreutz Creek Winery in West Grove noted today in its e-blast that co-owner Jim Kirkpatrick is planning a Vineyard Day for April 25. Weather permitting, he'll be planting the new vines. If you're interested in getting dirty and having a little fun while you're at it, call to schedule the day. It will be from 9 to 5 and lunch is included. They're limiting the number of people, so call early to reserve your spot. You can reach Carole Kirkpatrick at 610.869.4412 to schedule.

The e-blast continued: "We're also going to have our bottling work day on Memorial Day again this year. You won't get too dirty but it could be a little warm. If you're interested in learning more about the process this is a great way to learn. It will be May 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Carole will be cooking her famous Vineyard Burgers so you won't want to miss it. Numbers are limited so call Carole right now to reserve your spot at 610.869.4412."

They also noted that in their West Chester tasting room, 44 Gay St., they're planning to start having "Yappy Hour" in May. "Every Thursday from 6 to 8 in May bring your good mannered, house-broken pup to the shop. All bottles of wine will be $1 off and each pup will get a free dog treat! What a great way to spend a little extra time with your best friend."

Road trip: Seven Valleys and Four Springs

Since I can't be everywhere . . . thought I'd "employ" the sentiments of Alison Smith, PR coordinator for the York Country Convention & Visitors Bureau, from her visits to two wineries last weekend as the Tour de Tanks got rolling. The 12 wineries making up the Uncork York Wine Trail will welcome visitors every weekend through the end of March. Passports are $15/person.

She wrote: "Sunday a group of my family and friends visited Four Springs Winery and Seven Valleys Vineyard & Winery during the 4th annual Tour de Tanks event. We arrived at Four Springs in the early afternoon to a sea of friendly faces eager to greet us, stamp our tickets and point us toward the wonderful spread of dips, fruits, cheeses and other yummy noshes. As we listened to Bud, one of the owners, discuss the finer points of their winemaking, it was clear to the group that we were in for a treat. The Niagara wine was clean, crisp and bright - from the barrel. Tasting the finished product next to the one still in process was truly a eureka moment for some in our group. This being some of their first tank & barrel tastings, they weren't sure what to expect. After tasting another fine vintage in the making the questions started flowing, first from my brother-in-law, the carpenter. He had a string of questions about where the oak for the barrels comes from, why the heads of the barrels are toasted and for how long. Bud was thrilled to answer all of our seemingly endless questions, all with a smile.

"As we made our way to the tasting room, we chatted with others who'd been traveling the trail, trading stories, driving routes and personal preferences. Four Springs really is all about friends meeting and sharing, it's why the owners started their winery together and now they're reaching out and spreading the laughter and joy of wine with everyone who visits.

"Just a short drive from Four Springs, we arrived at Seven Valleys, a beautiful oasis tucked back in the rolling hills of Southern York County. The chocolate fountain was the first thing that caught my sister-in-law's eye. She instantly clapped her hands together and said "perfecto."

"We were greeted by Linda, who has worked the vineyard since the vines were planted. She shared stories with us about bringing her children along in the vineyard to help her when they were young. She also shared a fabulous Chambourcin that was just the right amount of dryness for my taste. After sampling a few wines from the tanks we headed upstairs where even more wonderful food was waiting. Out of this world crab dip, gourmet pizza and flavorful cheeses were spread out before us - we were like kids in a candy store. After sampling a refreshing and palate pleasing apple wine we moved on to the red wine station where I made my new find of the day - Little Roundtop, a red wine from their Gettysburg series. I served it Sunday evening with a roasted red pepper and turkey breast lasagna I had made Saturday. It was the perfect compliment to my meal and my weekend.

"It was truly a wonderful way to spend time with people who like myself are busy young professionals, some with young children, who all enjoyed an afternoon to relax and share laughs with friends new and old."