John J. Jeffries dinner in Lancaster this month to include wines from Chaddsford Winery

One of the biggest supporters of regional wines will be teaming with one of the region's best wineries on Friday, Sept. 25.

John J. Jeffries Restaurant in Lancaster monthly holds a dinner that includes wines or beers from a regional producer. This month they will be teaming with Chaddford Winery for a meal that will start at 7 p.m. and cover three courses.

The menu includes Neck Pumpkin Bisque with Chaddsford pinot grigio, following by braised lamb shank teamed with a Chaddsford red blend of Sangiovese and Barbera called Due Rossi, and a pear tarte matched with riesling.

Tickets are $48, including tax and gratuity. Reservations at 717.431.3307 are recommended.

State hands over Governor's Cup to Black Ankle

Black Ankle Vineyards in Mt. Airy, Md., officially received its

Governor's Cup trophy Tuesday in Annapolis. Pictured are Maryland Secretary of Agriculture "Buddy" Hance and Black Ankle Vineyards owner Sarah O'Herron with the Governor's Cup trophy and the winning wine, its 2007 Crumbling Rock.

One place to taste this wine and a majority of other throughout the state will be this weekend at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster. The times for the 26th anniversary of the Maryland Wine Festival are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The cost to get in? $25, unless you decide to visit the Premier Tent, which costs $45. Entry into the Premier Tent will entitle ticket holders to a private sampling of premier Maryland wines and gourmet foods provided by area restaurants.

Fall fete on Saturday at Manatawny Creek

There's a Fall Equinox festival this Saturday, Sept. 19, at Manatawny Creek Winery in Douglassville, Pa. It will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It's a chance to hear some music, chomp down on some food (including the famous Manatawny Mac and Cheese). Artisans will sell their crafts and tours of the winery will be given at noon and 3 p.m.

Owner Joanne Levengood said in an e-blast that they will have a second tasting/purchasing area set up on the crush pad to try and alleviate some of the crowding in the tasting room.

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.

Raspberry wine back on shelves at Galen Glen

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Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery in Andreas, Pa., a member of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, is touting its raspberry wine that was released in the past couple of days and that it's planning a winemaker's dinner for Saturday, Nov. 7. A menu is in the works and reservations are being accepted at 570.386.3682.

The winery is open for business Fridays through Sundays and also on Memorial Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day. Stop there and you can sample a wide mix of wines, from white to rose to red to dessert and sparkling.

One intriguing aspect is who carries the wine outside the winery. Four local restaurants in the vicinity of Jim Thorpe and Tamaqua carry Galen Glen's wines, but so do three in the Lancaster area, including the Belvedere Inn and John J Jeffries in Lancaster and the General Sutter Inn in Lititz. A fourth, called Gibralter, is also expected to carry wines from a winery that's a couple of hours away.

Black Ankle birthday (and wine) party on Oct. 3-4

You've read here and elsewhere about Black Ankle Vineyards in Mt. Airy, Md., and the remarkable start that winery has had, both in sales and recognition. It has owned the Maryland Governor's Cup, earning best of show in its first two years of entering wines into the competition. Its Bordeaux (red) blends have won consecutive years, the 2006 Crumbling Rock ($40) winning last year and 2007 Crumbling Rock earning honors just a couple of weeks ago.

And owners Sarah O'Herron and Ed Boyce are proudly touting that its Left-Stone Syrah, which hasn't been released as yet, took first in the Atlantic Seaboard Wine competition.

So if you want to see what all the fuss is about, you might want to circle Oct. 3-4 on your calendar and head to the winery to help celebrate its first anniversdary. The winery will be open noon to 6 p.m. that Saturday and noon to 5 o'clock the next day. And if you can't make down to the winery, here are some other places that Black Ankle wines will be poured over the next six weeks.

Saturday, Sept. 12, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Di Pasquale's Italian Market in Baltimore

Sunday, Sept. 13, all morning
Bethesda Central Farmer’s Market

Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 6 o'clock
Volt at Whitmore Farm
Award-winning chef Bryan Voltaggio will create an elegant 6-course dinner at the certified-organic Whitmore Farm, and Black Ankle's wines will be among those poured for the dinner. For more information, please visit Volt Restaurant or call Volt Restaurant: 301.696.8658.

Friday, Sept. 18 from 4 to 8 p.m.
Wells in Baltimore

Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 19-20, The Maryland Wine Festival in Westminster, Maryland's biggest wine festival

Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m.
Chesapeake Wine Company
$25
Enjoy a flight of wine paired with a delicious selection of antipasti in the warm and friendly atmosphere at Chesapeake Wine Company. $5 from every tasting fee goes to benefit Partners in Health.

Thursday, Oct. 8, at 6:30
$49
Drink Local: MD & VA Wine Seminar and Tasting
Whittemore House in Washington, DC

Friday, Oct. 9, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Upcounty Fine Wine & Beer in Clarksburg, MD

Saturday, Oct. 10, from 1 to 5 p.m.
Longmeadow Wine & Liquors in Hagerstown

Friday, Oct. 16, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits in Annapolis

Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Mount Airy Liquors in Mt. Airy

Friday, Oct. 23, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Calvert Wine & Spirits in Hunt Valley

Saturday, Oct. 24, from 1 to 2:15 and 3 to 4:15
Great Gatherings in Annapolis
Join us for a fun and casual wine tasting in the home store that specializes in everything you need to have a great time or throw a great party at home! Please contact the store to RSVP in advance.

Thursday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Bin604 in Baltimore

Friday, Oct. 30, 4:30 to 7:30
Lyndwood Square Wine & Spirits in Elkridge, MD

Wine 101 starts Monday at Crossing Vineyards

Maybe someday I'll get to teach a Wine 101 course. But, for now, I'll be content to attend them and get out the word about them, including one that Crossing Vineyards and Winery in Washington Crossing, Pa., has cooked up.

The six-course series will debut on Monday, Sept. 14, and then continue the next five Mondays at the winery, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. You can go once or all six times; that's up to you. Visitors will receive an insider’s access to the vineyard and winery - and a taste of Crossing’s wines.

Presenting the Wine 101 courses will be the winery’s French-born sommelier Eric Cavatore, who taught wine and table service at The Restaurant School in Philadelphia . He holds a bachelor’s degree in Restaurant Management/Culinary Arts from Thonon-Les-Bains on the shores of Geneva Lake and worked at fine restaurants in France and the U.S. before joining The Restaurant School.

Cost per course is $30 or $150 for the series. Courses will be presented at the winery, 1853 Wrightstown Road , Washington Crossing, through Oct. 19.

Additional courses are: Sept. 21, “Types of Wine”; Sept. 28, “Wines of the World”; Oct. 5, “White Wine”; Oct. 12, “Red Wine”; and Oct. 19, “Food & Wine Pairing.”

For additional information and registration, call 215.493.6500, ext. 19 or visit the Web site.