Saturday, October 11, 2008
Wycombe cancels Sunday picking
The public harvest scheduled for tomorrow at Wycombe Vineyards in Furlong, Pa., has been cancelled. They were out picking this morning in absolutely spectacular weather.
Actually, you couldn't ask for a better stretch of days for ripening across the region. Sunny, mild afternoond and cool nights. Despite some rough patches at times this summer, this wrap-up to the growing season can't help but give some extra bounce to this vintage.
Regional Wine Week, Day 6: Crossing Vineyards
Raising a glass to celebrate five years in business are Crossing Vineyards and Winery owners, from left: Christine Carroll; Tom Carroll Jr., the winery’s vintner; and Tom Carroll Sr.They’ll be cutting sheet cake in a couple of hours at Crossing Vineyards & Winery, about an hour’s drive out of downtown Philly. It will be a cake with a modest numbers of candles – five – at a winery that already has developed a rich legacy among Bucks County wineries.
It’s one of eight wineries on the trail, one with all of them closer in proximity than any other area in the state outside of Erie. A few date back into the 1960s, Buckingham Valley comes to mind, and slowly others have staked their claim. One of those is Crossing, and it’s as much distinguished itself by what it offers educationally as the wine it puts on the shelves.
Christine Carroll noted that reaching this milepost is a big hurdle if you believe in the idea that the first five years of any business is the "acid test." She and husband Tom Sr. were off on the road again yesterday, the start of another busy weekend that will include the festivities at the winery and, oh yeah, all the work that accompanies harvest time. What has set Crossing Vineyards apart, she said, “is from the very, very beginning, before we planted Vine 1 in the ground, we had a one word mission statement and that was quality. . . . our goal was always to create as fine an East Coast winery as we could. We were well-capitalized, we purchased the finest equipment available. Every decision we have made, from Day 1, has been on quality, and those were difficult at time because some were expensive decisions.”
One of those priorities has been to embrace a “green” initiative; to that end they recently installed the first phase of a state-of-the-art solar energy system that ultimately will use solar power to supply 100 percent of the vineyard’s energy needs.
At the root of the business, of course, is the wide variety of wine; 20 at this count, an equal mix of red, white and specialty. Christine noted that their line “leans toward dry vinifera. We do have some sweets. You now, many people who are not experienced wine drinkers come to drink wine and their palate [is more geared toward sweet wines than dry vinifera]. We don’t want to lose those people. Our feeling is that we are going to come out to meet you. Maybe we can teach you about wine or maybe your palate will always enjoy sweet wines. Or maybe it won’t. Really, we just try to empower people. It’s why we charge for tastings, because we educate them as they taste. We want to meet them where they are and we want to open them up to a whole wonderful world of [wine and everything that accompanies it.]”
If you get a chance to stop, try these two wines:
2006 Cabernet Franc
Winemarker’s notes: This dry, full-bodied Cabernet Franc has a deep, garnet color and jammy, cherry-berry taste. Barrel aging adds to the complexity of the finish and brings out luscious, lingering accents of blackberry, bell pepper and toasty oak.
Christine Carroll: “We do what we call bench trials. Bring in six different blends, then all try them and make notes. And when we did the bench trial on this one, we all picked the same thing. We knew we had something special. We submitted it to the Critics Challenge in San Diego. Judging was the end of May. We won a gold medal for that wine. [See Challenge notes here]. To us, a gold medal in a California competition is significant.” Not generally released yet, she said they plan to release it very shortly.
2006 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc
Winemaker’s notes: This elegant dessert wine is rich and sweet with hints of honey, candied orange zests and apricots and a long, luxurious finish.
Christine Carroll: “This is maybe the finest wine we’ve ever made. . . . We let the whole block hang through November and into December. It was a warm December; it was warmer in December 2006 than it was Easter 2006. Once we saw the extended forecast we decided to pull the plug [and let the grapes hang]. Turned out unbelievably wonderful.
We won an award in the Finger Lakes for it, won awards [for it] all over the place. It’s a wonderful wine, the best one we currently have for sale.”
NY Wine director plugs Regional Wine Week
This item appeared among the entries in the New York Wine & Grape Foundation's weekly e-letter, which is written by longtime director Jim Trezise (whom I owe a debt of gratitude for his time on the phone a couple of weeks ago):
"New York Wine and Grape Foundation's REGIONAL WINE WEEK is a great new concept among many wine writers like Sandra Silfven of the Detroit News (who urged readers to visit Michigan and Ohio wineries) and Dave McIntyre of the Washington Post (Maryland and Virginia), along with many others who are encouraging consumers to discover the great wines right from their own backyard. Wine is now produced in all 50 states, and in most cases the industries are growing rapidly and increasing in quality.
A great example is North Carolina, where I judged this week, which still produces some wonderfully floral muscadine wines but also some other stunners like the Governor’s Cup winner (Cabernet Franc from Childress, where former Long Islander Mark Friszlowski is winemaker), a Riesling from Shelton, and a Nebbiolo Rosé from Iron Gate that amazingly had over 4% residual sugar but tasted dry because of the acid balance. Margo Metzger does a great job running the competition and the overall North Carolina program, and it’s inspiring to see the progress. Despite recent growth in consumption, the U.S. is still a long way from being a serious wine consuming country, so having good local products is vitally important to the industry’s future everywhere."
Friday, October 10, 2008
Birthday party all set at Crossing Vineyards
Since I'll be posting on Crossing Vineyards in a bit, figured I'd get tis up in case folks are looking for a destination this weekend.
Crossing Vineyards and Winery in Washington Crossing, Pa. has a lot to celebrate when it marks its fifth birthday tomorrow and Sunday with an open house, live music and a chance to win a private wine tasting for eight and a VIP tour.
The celebration, which will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. (live music 1-5 p.m.), both days at the winery, 1853 Wrightstown Road, will cap five years of achievement and growth for Crossing, which opened two new ventures this summer and, in the past year, expanded its summer concert series, added 18 medals to its trophy case, was listed in an international wine guide, featured in US Airways Magazine, and installed a solar energy system.
In June, Crossing opened a second retail location at the Marketplace at East Falls in Philadelphia and the following month launched “Crossing Vineyards Wine and Cheese Shop,” one of only six retail outlets selected for “Project Sunrise,” a $208 million, 300,000 square-foot gaming and entertainment complex at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Also this summer, the winery expanded its “Summer Under the Stars” outdoor concert series to 13 performances, adding newcomers like Opera New Jersey to old favorites which brought jazz, pop, classical music and Irish dance to the 200-year-old estate.
Awards in national and international wine competitions this past year brought Crossing’s five-year total to 68, including “Best of Class – Top Gold” in the 2006 Starwine International Wine Competition for its ’05 Chardonnay. The reputation of Crossing’s award-winning wines and its setting on 20 acres situated less than a mile from where Washington crossed the Delaware, earned the winery a spot on The Style Network’s popular destination wedding series “Married Away” and in US Airways Magazine’s September edition as a “must see” attraction in Bucks County. Tom Stevenson's 2008 Annual Wine Report, a well-respected international guide to the wines of the world, ranked Crossing Vineyards and Winery number five on its top 10 list of new, up-and-coming East Coast producers.
The decision of winery owners Tom and Christine Carroll and their son, Tom Jr. to “Go Green” marked another milestone in Crossing’s brief history. Wanting to protect the environment by reducing fossil fuel consumption, the family installed phase one of a state-of-the-art solar energy system and hopes eventually to use solar power to supply 100 percent of the vineyard’s energy needs.
Crossing continues to expand the offerings of its “Wine Institute,” which presents educational programs and workshops. In conjunction with a new series on “French Wine for Beginners,” the Carrolls in May hosted a private tour of The Rhône Valley and Provence. This fall, Philadelphia wine writer and blogger Collin Flatt joins the Wine Institute faculty, which includes Crossing’s French sommelier Eric Cavatore, and Marika Vida Arnold, sommelier at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia.
For more, visit www.crossingvineyards.com or call 215.493.6500, ext. 19.
Regional Wine Week, Day 6: Pinnacle Ridge
Photos courtesy of winetrailtraveler.com
Before we forge ahead, let’s step back a moment. Regional Wine Week is an idea created by a couple of wine writers to acknowledge that winemaking exists in this country outside the West Coast and to bring exposure to a few of those great wines being produced.
I’m one of almost 20 writers and bloggers across the country who are producing original content this week. You can find the collection of stories at www.Drinklocalwine.com.
Meanwhile, the tack I’ve taken with my contribution is to focus on at least one winery from the five wine trails in Pennsylvania that I cover. I can do the ol’ kill two birds with one store by recognizing Pinnacle Ridge Winery outside Kutztown, about 95 minutes or so northwest of Philly and west of the Lehigh Valley. Its location makes it perfect to sit along two wine trails: the Lehigh Valley and Berks County. Indeed, the winery will be particularly busy these next two weekends because of its commitments to both wine trails. This weekend is an Artisan Cheese & Wine Pairing event that the Berks County wineries have planned; next week is the Lehigh Valley trail’s Chambourcin Weekend.
Brad Knapp and wife Christy Allen run the show here. As documented at Wine Trail Traveler.com, who was kind enough to send me the photos that accompany this posting, Knapp “bought this land in 1990 and planted the vineyards in 1993. In 1995, he opened the winery to the public. He currently produces between nine and ten thousand gallons of wine (about 4,000) cases). Rather than increasing the quantity of wine, Brad wants to put his emphasis in the quality of his wine. Although Brad’s background is in chemistry, he approaches wine as an art. He believes that a winemakeer’s most important tool is his palette. His wife . . . designs the colorful, eye-catching wine labels.”
Knapp told me the other night that his winery is a cross between ‘doing what I want to do and doing what needs to be done. There’s certain things that I like to drink, wines that I enjoy . . . and they’re a passion and really a focal point. I’m also a person who has a business and has to run a business and I try to make every person who walks through our door happy. It’s just good business to do that..
“In my opinion,” he added, “where we are here in our location, you know, the reality is that we’re a destination but there are enough people that live in this area that we get all kinds of people who walk through this door who otherwise might not walk through a winery door in the middle of Washington state, for instance, or Oregon. Those wineries the people who go there make a real effort to go there. People that are touring in those areas are all about wine, where as in this are we’re more populated, so we get a pretty different demographic walking through our door, much broader. There’s a need to have wines on our portfolio that anybody who walks in off the street will find something they like. So we feel the need to have a wide range of products, but then there are those that are my passion, and those are very traditional in general.
Should you poke your head in, here are two wines you need to sample.
2005 BRUT ROSE
Winemaker’s notes: Double gold at 2008 Finger Lakes International, gold medal at 2008 PA Wine Association competition. This dry rose sparkling is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir via traditional Methode Champenoise. Shows beautiful bubbles and pink color; perfect with appetizers.
Brad Knapp: “I love sparkling wine, and it’s definitely one thing that sets us apart. This is kind of a prime example of business vs. what I want. I wish it was the only sparkling that I felt I need to make, frankly, but that’s not the way it works out. I don’t sell a lot of it, in reality. It’s gotten good critical reviews, does well in competition. It’s just a nice wine.”
2007 PINOT NOIR
Winemaker’s notes: This barrel-aged, dry red is soft and velvety and displays beautiful cherry fruit. We think Pinot Noir is one of the most fruit-friendly reds.
Brad Knapp: “We’re more attuned to Pinot Noir, getting behind it more. And, nationally, it’s getting there. You’re right, the movie [Sideways] certainly changed things for Pinot Noir. It increased the attention dramatically. We’ve been learning how to make it better and better. We’re getting to release our ’07 at the end of this month.”
Before we forge ahead, let’s step back a moment. Regional Wine Week is an idea created by a couple of wine writers to acknowledge that winemaking exists in this country outside the West Coast and to bring exposure to a few of those great wines being produced.
I’m one of almost 20 writers and bloggers across the country who are producing original content this week. You can find the collection of stories at www.Drinklocalwine.com.
Meanwhile, the tack I’ve taken with my contribution is to focus on at least one winery from the five wine trails in Pennsylvania that I cover. I can do the ol’ kill two birds with one store by recognizing Pinnacle Ridge Winery outside Kutztown, about 95 minutes or so northwest of Philly and west of the Lehigh Valley. Its location makes it perfect to sit along two wine trails: the Lehigh Valley and Berks County. Indeed, the winery will be particularly busy these next two weekends because of its commitments to both wine trails. This weekend is an Artisan Cheese & Wine Pairing event that the Berks County wineries have planned; next week is the Lehigh Valley trail’s Chambourcin Weekend.
Brad Knapp and wife Christy Allen run the show here. As documented at Wine Trail Traveler.com, who was kind enough to send me the photos that accompany this posting, Knapp “bought this land in 1990 and planted the vineyards in 1993. In 1995, he opened the winery to the public. He currently produces between nine and ten thousand gallons of wine (about 4,000) cases). Rather than increasing the quantity of wine, Brad wants to put his emphasis in the quality of his wine. Although Brad’s background is in chemistry, he approaches wine as an art. He believes that a winemakeer’s most important tool is his palette. His wife . . . designs the colorful, eye-catching wine labels.”
Knapp told me the other night that his winery is a cross between ‘doing what I want to do and doing what needs to be done. There’s certain things that I like to drink, wines that I enjoy . . . and they’re a passion and really a focal point. I’m also a person who has a business and has to run a business and I try to make every person who walks through our door happy. It’s just good business to do that..
“In my opinion,” he added, “where we are here in our location, you know, the reality is that we’re a destination but there are enough people that live in this area that we get all kinds of people who walk through this door who otherwise might not walk through a winery door in the middle of Washington state, for instance, or Oregon. Those wineries the people who go there make a real effort to go there. People that are touring in those areas are all about wine, where as in this are we’re more populated, so we get a pretty different demographic walking through our door, much broader. There’s a need to have wines on our portfolio that anybody who walks in off the street will find something they like. So we feel the need to have a wide range of products, but then there are those that are my passion, and those are very traditional in general.
Should you poke your head in, here are two wines you need to sample.
2005 BRUT ROSE
Winemaker’s notes: Double gold at 2008 Finger Lakes International, gold medal at 2008 PA Wine Association competition. This dry rose sparkling is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir via traditional Methode Champenoise. Shows beautiful bubbles and pink color; perfect with appetizers.
Brad Knapp: “I love sparkling wine, and it’s definitely one thing that sets us apart. This is kind of a prime example of business vs. what I want. I wish it was the only sparkling that I felt I need to make, frankly, but that’s not the way it works out. I don’t sell a lot of it, in reality. It’s gotten good critical reviews, does well in competition. It’s just a nice wine.”
2007 PINOT NOIR
Winemaker’s notes: This barrel-aged, dry red is soft and velvety and displays beautiful cherry fruit. We think Pinot Noir is one of the most fruit-friendly reds.
Brad Knapp: “We’re more attuned to Pinot Noir, getting behind it more. And, nationally, it’s getting there. You’re right, the movie [Sideways] certainly changed things for Pinot Noir. It increased the attention dramatically. We’ve been learning how to make it better and better. We’re getting to release our ’07 at the end of this month.”
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Regional Wine Week, Day 4: Event Grapevine
Oct. 10-19
Just about any weekend from March into December you’ll find activities through the region connected with wine. So the Grapevine seemed a natural addition to this blog. The featured event listed on here actually is for next weekend, when Sugarloaf Mountain Winery in Maryland holds its second Grape Stomp. They are planning it over two days, Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 9th, from noon til 5.
There will be food, tours of the vineyard and winery, wine tastings and a grape-stomping contest. Part of the tour will include the new tasting room and garden patio. Admission for ages 21 and older is $10 and includes a wine glass and five tastings. Anyone under 21 will be admitted free.
The winery is seeking volunteers to assist at the event. For that, you will receive free admission and a complimentary bottle of Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard wine. What will be doing there? Mostly, pouring wine samples. Training is provided. Contact Kathy O'Donoghue at ksodonoghue@aol.com or 301.365.5044 or call the winery at 301.605.0130.
As for what else is on the docket the next couple of weeks, take a look:
PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES
Adams County Winery, Ortanna: Saturday, the 18th, home winemaking class with John, the vintner; 1 to 3 p.m., tuition is $25 and reservations are required. You’ll learn tricks of the trade and how to get the best product from a kit, http://www.adamscountywinery.com/
Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli: Fall Foliage Tasting ($$), Sunday, Oct. 12 and 19, 2 to 5 p.m.; Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, http://www.bluemountainwine.com
Buckingham Valley Winery, Buckingham: Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, http://www.pawine.com/
Cardinal Hollow Winery, North Wales: Live music, Saturday, Oct. 11, 5 to 8 p.m., http://cardinalhollowwinery.com/
Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Reserve tastings ($$), Saturday, sittings at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m., Spiced Apple Sundays ($$), Oct. 11, 18 and 25, noon to 5 p.m., picnic on the grounds, music from 2 to 5 p.m., tours and tastings, fee is for hot mulled wine tastings, http://www.chaddsford.com
Clover Hill, Breinigsville: Artisan Cheese and Wine Pairing ($$), Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, noon to 5 p.m., Berks County Wine Trail wineries, Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, www.cloverhillwinery.com
Clover Mill Farm Vineyards & Winery, Chester Springs: Open again, Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m., http://www.clovermillfarm.com/
Country Creek Winery, Telford: Country Creek Winery in the Barn, Saturday, Oct. 18, 6 to 9 p.m., http://www.countrycreekwinery.com/
Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Fifth birthday party, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, noon to 6 p.m.; Harvest Celebration, Bucks County Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12; sixth class in Wine 101 series ($$), Monday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., food and wine pairing; Wine Tasting for Dummies ($$), Sunday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m.; http://www.crossingvineyards.com
Hauser Estate Winery, Biglerville: New winery open, Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., http://www.hauserestate.com/
Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas: Octoberfest Tours of the Vineyard & Cellars, Sunday, Oct. 12, tractor and wagon tours depart at 1, 2, 3 and 4 pm.; Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, http://www.galenglen.com
Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Wrightsville: Music Friday (6 to 9 p.m.) and Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.; third annual Harvest/Bluegrass Festival Pig Roast and Grape Stomping ($$), Saturday, Oct. 11, 2 to 8 p.m., http://www.moondancerwinery.com
New Hope Winery, New Hope: Bucks County Wine Trail Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.peacevalleywinery.com
Paradocx Vineyard, Landenberg: Harvest Festival ($$), Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., Saturday night concert, 5 to 9 p.m., Rory, http://www.paradocx.com
Peace Valley Winery, Chalfont: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, http://www.pawine.com/
Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown: Artisan Cheese and Wine Pairing ($$), Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, noon to 5 p.m., Berks County Wine Trail wineries, Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, www.pinridge.com
Rose Bank Winery, Newtown: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.ROSEBANKWINERY.COM
Rushland Ridge, Rushland: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, http://www.rushlandridge.com/
Sand Castle Winery, Erwinna: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.SANDCASTLEWINERY.COM
Wycombe Vineyard & Winery, Furlong: Public picking, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, RSVP required, http://www.wycombevineyards.com/harvest.html, Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.wycombevineyards.com
Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville: Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, http://www.vynecrest.com
MARYLAND WINERIES
Black Ankle Winery, Mt. Airy: Open for business, winner of Maryland Governor’s Cup in 2008; hours: Wednesday - Friday: 1noon to 5 p.m., Saturday: 1noon to 6 p.m., Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., http://www.blackankle.com/
Other MARYLAND winery events can be found at this link, VIRGINIA events at this link and New York events at this link
FESTIVALS
44th annual Apple Harvest, 10 miles northwest of Gettysburg at South Mountain Fairgrounds on Route 234 near Arendtsville, Pa., Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, information at this link
Autumn Wine Festival, Pemberton Historical Park, Salisbury, Md., Saturday, Oct. 18, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 19, 12:30 to 6 p.m., information at this link
$$ – Admission charge
Just about any weekend from March into December you’ll find activities through the region connected with wine. So the Grapevine seemed a natural addition to this blog. The featured event listed on here actually is for next weekend, when Sugarloaf Mountain Winery in Maryland holds its second Grape Stomp. They are planning it over two days, Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 9th, from noon til 5.
There will be food, tours of the vineyard and winery, wine tastings and a grape-stomping contest. Part of the tour will include the new tasting room and garden patio. Admission for ages 21 and older is $10 and includes a wine glass and five tastings. Anyone under 21 will be admitted free.
The winery is seeking volunteers to assist at the event. For that, you will receive free admission and a complimentary bottle of Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard wine. What will be doing there? Mostly, pouring wine samples. Training is provided. Contact Kathy O'Donoghue at ksodonoghue@aol.com or 301.365.5044 or call the winery at 301.605.0130.
As for what else is on the docket the next couple of weeks, take a look:
PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES
Adams County Winery, Ortanna: Saturday, the 18th, home winemaking class with John, the vintner; 1 to 3 p.m., tuition is $25 and reservations are required. You’ll learn tricks of the trade and how to get the best product from a kit, http://www.adamscountywinery.com/
Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli: Fall Foliage Tasting ($$), Sunday, Oct. 12 and 19, 2 to 5 p.m.; Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, http://www.bluemountainwine.com
Buckingham Valley Winery, Buckingham: Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, http://www.pawine.com/
Cardinal Hollow Winery, North Wales: Live music, Saturday, Oct. 11, 5 to 8 p.m., http://cardinalhollowwinery.com/
Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Reserve tastings ($$), Saturday, sittings at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m., Spiced Apple Sundays ($$), Oct. 11, 18 and 25, noon to 5 p.m., picnic on the grounds, music from 2 to 5 p.m., tours and tastings, fee is for hot mulled wine tastings, http://www.chaddsford.com
Clover Hill, Breinigsville: Artisan Cheese and Wine Pairing ($$), Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, noon to 5 p.m., Berks County Wine Trail wineries, Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, www.cloverhillwinery.com
Clover Mill Farm Vineyards & Winery, Chester Springs: Open again, Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m., http://www.clovermillfarm.com/
Country Creek Winery, Telford: Country Creek Winery in the Barn, Saturday, Oct. 18, 6 to 9 p.m., http://www.countrycreekwinery.com/
Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Fifth birthday party, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, noon to 6 p.m.; Harvest Celebration, Bucks County Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12; sixth class in Wine 101 series ($$), Monday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., food and wine pairing; Wine Tasting for Dummies ($$), Sunday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m.; http://www.crossingvineyards.com
Hauser Estate Winery, Biglerville: New winery open, Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., http://www.hauserestate.com/
Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas: Octoberfest Tours of the Vineyard & Cellars, Sunday, Oct. 12, tractor and wagon tours depart at 1, 2, 3 and 4 pm.; Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, http://www.galenglen.com
Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Wrightsville: Music Friday (6 to 9 p.m.) and Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.; third annual Harvest/Bluegrass Festival Pig Roast and Grape Stomping ($$), Saturday, Oct. 11, 2 to 8 p.m., http://www.moondancerwinery.com
New Hope Winery, New Hope: Bucks County Wine Trail Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.peacevalleywinery.com
Paradocx Vineyard, Landenberg: Harvest Festival ($$), Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., Saturday night concert, 5 to 9 p.m., Rory, http://www.paradocx.com
Peace Valley Winery, Chalfont: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, http://www.pawine.com/
Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown: Artisan Cheese and Wine Pairing ($$), Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, noon to 5 p.m., Berks County Wine Trail wineries, Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, www.pinridge.com
Rose Bank Winery, Newtown: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.ROSEBANKWINERY.COM
Rushland Ridge, Rushland: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, http://www.rushlandridge.com/
Sand Castle Winery, Erwinna: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.SANDCASTLEWINERY.COM
Wycombe Vineyard & Winery, Furlong: Public picking, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, RSVP required, http://www.wycombevineyards.com/harvest.html, Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.wycombevineyards.com
Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville: Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, http://www.vynecrest.com
MARYLAND WINERIES
Black Ankle Winery, Mt. Airy: Open for business, winner of Maryland Governor’s Cup in 2008; hours: Wednesday - Friday: 1noon to 5 p.m., Saturday: 1noon to 6 p.m., Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., http://www.blackankle.com/
Other MARYLAND winery events can be found at this link, VIRGINIA events at this link and New York events at this link
FESTIVALS
44th annual Apple Harvest, 10 miles northwest of Gettysburg at South Mountain Fairgrounds on Route 234 near Arendtsville, Pa., Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, information at this link
Autumn Wine Festival, Pemberton Historical Park, Salisbury, Md., Saturday, Oct. 18, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 19, 12:30 to 6 p.m., information at this link
$$ – Admission charge
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Regional Wine Week, Day 3: Vynecrest Winery
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The winery and the Landis family: John, Jan and Sam.
The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail spreads out over a big chunk of hilly terrain, fanning out north and west of Allentown and Bethlehem and northeast of Reading. All told, there are nine family-owned wineries that make up the trail, as a group largely sitting north of Route 78 and on either side of the Northeast Extension and Route 33.
It’s a trail that has made some significant noise the past five years, celebrating over the fact that a different member of the “trail family” (Cherry Valley, Clover Hill, Pinnacle Ridge, Galen Glen and Vynecrest) has won the Governor’s Cup for best wine in the state and then reveling in the official designation as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) earlier this year.
Among the southernmost wineries that make up the Lehigh Valley trail is Vynecrest Vineyards & Winery, owned and operated by the Landis family. It’s always fun to read about how folks got into the business; John and Jan credit a job editing a book called “Homesteading” in 1972 for getting them thinking about making wine. A year later, they bought a five-acre farm. Since then, they’ve added 79 acres to the dimensions of the farm and had 16 of those planted with grapes. They produce 12,000 gallons annually, and are expecting that to increase to 20,000 gallons as they continue to add more stock to their vineyard. Son Sam has returned from a stint working for E&J Gallo in California to take over more of the business, and mom and dad have been active in both trail activities and the Pennsylvania Wine Association.
What isn’t new is how John feels after a full day of harvesting, “sore” as he described it by phone earlier tonight. But, after today, they’re seeing the end of the harvest in sight; he had no complaint about that. Hey, all that work today means one thing: He can squeeze out some time sitting in front of his TV and watching the Phillies play the Dodgers in Game 1 of the baseball playoffs tomorrow night.
While an outsider talks to various people connected with the wine trail and gets the feeling that there’s genuine harmony among the group, there’s no question differences exist. Vynecrest, for instance, is the only member of the trail and one of only two or three wineries in the state that produces Lemberger, a full-bodied dry red wine that’s far better known out in the Great Northwest. One other distinctive quality of Vynecrest is its Web site; each wine on the list ins numbers according to its sweetness (dry, semi-sweet, sweet).
So what else sets his winery apart? “I think I would say 2 things,” John said. “One is we are not afraid to experiment with new varieties of grapes. I made a quote in Vines & Wines which basically said the best grape has yet to be invented, and I believe that that’s true. What we know about genetics is going to make a difference in the future; there’s going to be new varieties. Traminette is one of the ones that I talked about. It’s only 20 years old, but it’s a fantastic grape, makes great wine, and we have another hybrid in our vineyard that we’re making our first wine this year from, and so far it’s fantastic.
“So I think, one thing that distinguishes us is that we’re not afraid to try new varieties. And the thing we focus on is getting the best grape for our location. Not on name, but best grape, best location. And I think the other thing is, I have very strong background in chemical engineering and I know about fermentation and I think we do a great job; we make 19 wines, we use 10 different yeasts and so I think the other thing that sets us apart is that we know what we’re doing in the wine cellar and we also use 90 percent of our own grapes. So we control the whole process, from March when we start pruning to August when we harvest; the grapes, fermentation, the whole process, is under our control, and I think that’s important to making a quality wines.”
As for two you should taste when you stop in.
2007 TRAMINETTE
Winemaker’s notes: Dry, Alsace-style Gewürztraminer varietal, this wine is flowery with a hint of spice. (750ml)
John Landis: “We do grow some of the name varieties -- Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Cabernet Franc -- a lot of the vinifera we do grow. But I do think, the Traminette, it’s about a 20-year-old grape. It’s a hybrid of Gewurztraminer and it makes a great white wine. We’re known for that; we’ve won awards all over the United States for that. {When we planted it] in 1991 it had a number and not a name. And we’ve learned when to pick it, what yeast to use, and so we’ve been experimenting with different yeasts. We try a little something different every year. It’s just a great grape. Got a great sugar-acid balance, it’s got no disease problems and it makes an outstanding wine.”
2007 CHARBOURCIN
Winemaker’s notes: The jewel of the Lehigh Valley, this grape has found a home in our climate. Hints of cherry and blackberry, its has soft velvety finish (750ml)
John Landis: “This one is very prominent in our AVA . . . because it grows very well here and makes an excellent wine. And it’s used in almost anything, from classic red table, to blush, to nouveau, to sparkling. It’s all over the map in terms of what oyu can do with that. Our tends to be … we don’t have a Merlot or something that I would call a light red, and [so] that’s our Chambourcin. It’s light red, it’s got a lot of fruit. It’s not a real heavy red, it’s medium tannin. Residual maybe point-4, point-5 percent, so it’s right in that middle category. You can almost have it with any kind of food. So that’s our focus, a Merlot kind of category.”
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