Allegro opens first shop in grocery store

If it had been up to Carl Helrich of Allegro Vineyards in The Brogue, Pa., he would have had a retail outlet in a grocery store long ago.

But his lengthy wait is over now, as he operates what he said is the first Pennsylvania winery to place a shop inside a grocery store. Opened for business on Nov. 5, the retail outlet allows customers to taste the line of Allegro wines, buy bottles (including chilled), and purchase other wine accessories. The outlet, staffed fully by Allegro employees, is open noon to 8 p.m. Sundays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays.

“Giant Foods has been great to work with,” Helrich, the winemaker and owner (along with wife Kris Miller) of Allegro, said by phone on Friday. “They want to work with a Pennsylvnaia winery. I’m a Pennsylvania Preferred winery, and they work with a lot of Pennsylvania Preferred vendors. Selling wine in Harrisburg is our kind of market, too. We’re known for our premium dry wines, and people up there are really taking to them. I’m really surprised actually with the split between the dry and sweet [wines] up there. People up there definitely enjoy their better wines.”

Besides the winery, Allegro maintains a retail outlet on the outskirts of York, along South Queen Street a few miles north of Dallastown, a spot in the West Shore Farmers Market in Lemoyne, and operates as part of a cooperative in Lancaster with Twin Brook Winery of Gap, Pa., and Tamanend Winery of Lancaster. Helrich noted that at those locations the percentage of sweet wine sold might exceed 70 percent, but that the shop in Enola has dry-sweet sales that are closer to equal. “I was a little surprised at that,” Helrich said, “although that is what I was hoping. But now that I know a little more about it and have seen more of the demographic numbers, I’m not surprised any more.”

You can’t miss the Allegro outlet as you pull into the Giant store. About 570 square feet, it’s located in an area in what formerly was a bank. “The opening of the Allegro Wine Shoppe enables us to continue to showcase and promote quality products found right here in Pennsylvania's own back yard," Jeff Martin, Giant’s executive vice president for sales and merchandising, said in a release when the announcement of the opening was made. “The Allegro Wine Shoppe will provide customers with the convenience of purchasing wines from a well-recognized vintner at the same time they are shopping for their groceries. We look forward to their great success.”

For Helrich, it ends what he called a five-year search that began with an unsuccessful broaching of the idea to Wegmans and then a spot in a Weis Market in York. But that turned out to be a temporary relationship.

“We were using a special permit, like a festival permit,” Helrich said. “We called it miniature festivals in the Weis. That was December 2005, I think, right about the time that shipping ban was going on . . . and then after that got overturned they decided, well they’re going to do tit for tat and they going to tighten up on festival permits. So they took that away from me, and so I was not be able to sell from a grocery store again. And Weis was not being cooperative as far as letting me open up a shop because they are a little more of a conservative organization, they didn’t want me blowing holes in the outside of their building to put in the outside entrance that’s required. So, about four years ago, I went to an expo for Giant vendors. I gave them all the information and talked to people and said, ‘Boy, if you guys want to, I’ll be there. And they contacted me about a year and a half ago.”

Going cold-turkey into holiday wines

If you don’t mind a mishmash of sentiments on wine for Thanksgiving and the other holiday, step on in.

This is all starts with a piece that John Farlow wrote for Baltimore magazine on Maryland wines that would be perfect for the holiday table. Farlow is a longtime author and aficionado of wines worldwide, and was kind enough to call me back and talk about what he’s finding at wineries closer to his home. There are 34 wineries now in Maryland, and that number is far exceeded in the surrounding states of Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York. Farlow agrees that slowly the bar is being raised, and that the opening of Black Ankle Winery and others of its ilk will force others in the state and region to change, in varying degrees, what they are doing.

Two of the wines that Farlow recommends come from Woodhall Wine Cellars in Parkton, Md., which made note of his article in the November e-letter.

Deb Morris, who produces the e-letter, noted:
“The current Baltimore Magazine (November 2008) recommends the use of Maryland wine for the holidays. John Farlow, in his Grapevine column (p. 220) enthusiastically recommends two Maryland whites, one Maryland Rose and three Maryland reds for his readers table. Two of the three reds are Woodhall wines. Here is what he writes:

“I couldn’t pick between Woodhall Cabernet Franc 2007 and Woodhall Sangiovese 2007, so consider them both. They are impeccably made: the Cabernet Franc is a bit darker and leaner, and the Sangivese is brighter and broader. They possess the finesse to cope with Turkey Day without actually overwhelming the turkey.”

We commend Mr. Farlow. Not for recommending Woodhall wines (although we agree with him, as you will see later in this newsletter), but for recognizing the quality of Maryland wine and its appropriateness at celebratory dinners. It certainly doesn’t make sense to import wines from halfway around the world when wines just as good are available locally.

And, under the Wine of the Month, came this entry:
“We agree with Baltimore Magazine’s recommendations of Woodhall Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc as wines for Thanksgiving, but would expand the list. Thanksgiving dinner is a cacophony of flavors, generally on the heavy, rich side. Roast turkey and white wines usually create a metallic taste in the mouth. Big tannic reds with high alcohols (think California) add to the heaviness without cleansing the palette. So, the Woodhall Gang recommends lighter bodied red wines with moderate tannins. Should you need a white wine, consider the slightly sweet Woodhall Vignoles. But in our experience, reds are best. The lightest of our reds are the Sangiovese Rose and the Pinot Noir. The Chambourcin, with its dark purple color and spich flavor works well, as does the Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc recommended by Baltimore Magazine. For a step up in quality, try the Vintner’s Prestige series, Jubilee Reserve Barbera 2007. Deep blueberry/red color…herbal/black cherry aromas, and earth, terrior-like flavors brings an added dimension to Thanksgiving.

You can hit a number of regional winery Web sites and find references to what they’d suggest for the holiday.

On a state level, Pennsylvania’s Wine and Spirit stores will begin selling the Beaujolais Nouveau next Thursday, Nov. 21, and will hold tastings at a number of stores around the Commonwealth. Here’s the tasting schedule for next Thursday, and at this link you can find the daily tastings schedule for this item and many others.

Finally, I’ve always admired the site of a California writer named Deb Harkness, whose knowledge of wines and the way she’s able to integrate her Web entries with a mix of history and modern culture has turned her Good Wines Under $20 into an award-winning blog that’s chock-full of information and entertaining reading.

While my blog focuses on regional wines and wineries, I don’t mind sharing her take, which incorporates a more global scale. Enjoy, and an early happy holidays to everyone.

Her entry, produced on Nov. 6, follows:
Every year, new visitors come to this site in search of a delicious, affordable, and available bottle of wine to pair with their holiday meal. Old friends visit, too, sometimes to suggest their own picks for the year and sometimes to take issue with something I've picked. It doesn't matter why you're here--I'm glad to see you, and hope that what follows will be helpful to you as you plan for the big dinner.If you are looking for general advice on Thanksgiving wine and hospitality, I'd encourage you to check out this article I wrote a few years ago on issues facing the host/hostess and the guests. If you are wondering what to drink with your meal, and with leftovers, you're in the right place.

Here are my picks for 2008--all of which offer great taste and great value in an easy-to-find package. Clicking on the wine's name will take you to the winery's site where you can find more information about the wine and its makers. Many of the wines I picked this year are made with organic grapes, are farmed with sustainability in mind, and/or are made by families with great stories of how they got in the business of grape-growing and wine-making. Clicking on the range of prices will take you to a list of retailers who stock the wine. Maybe one will be near you.

Sparkling Wines

What's a holiday dinner without some bubbles? These two picks are great for toasts, appetizers, brunch the morning after, or drinking with the main meal. Sparkling wine has great acidity, which means it pairs with most foods and there's no doubt that sparklers are festive.

NV Roederer Estate Brut ($15-$20). For my money, this is the best value around in domestic sparkling wine. Expect tiny bubbles, aromas of brioche and Meyer lemon, and flavors of apples, toast, and nuts. Just as good with food as without.

NV Domaine Allimant-Laugner Cremant d'Alsace Rose ($16-$19). If you're looking for a pink sparkler, try this one. It' made with 100% Pinot Noir and has knockout fresh strawberry aromas with light berry, mineral, and citrus flavors. Like the Roederer Brut, this wine is as good with food as it is without.

Rosé Wines

Rosé wines are perfect for turkey and all the side-dishes that make us groan afterwards. If you feel that rosé wines are too "casual" for a fancy dinner, don't forget the leftovers. Wouldn't a cool rosé be perfect on Saturday with your turkey sandwich? These rosé wines are dry, not sweet, and very refreshing.

2007 Fort Ross Pinot Noir Rosé ($12-$16). Fort Ross makes some of the best Pinot Noir out there, and this is the rosé version of their wine. It's a beautiful color, with raspberry and strawberry aromas and flavors and a delicious stony note that keeps it complex and interesting.

2006 Jeriko Estate Rosé ($9-$13). This is a round and full rosé, with aromas and flavors of strawberries and minerals. If you don't like watermelon notes in your wine, you'll like this. Made with organic grapes.

White Wines

I'm a fan of white wines for Thanksgiving. I like their freshness, and the way that they pair so beautifully with stuffing, gravy, turkey, cranberries, Waldorf salad--you name it, these whites will go with it. They're versatile and flavorful, but won't overwhelm the food.

2006 Brooks Riesling ($14-$19). This is not a sweet wine. It's dry in style, with aromas of lime, apple, Meyer lemon, petrol, and stone. You will taste lime, slate, currants, and a touch of honey which makes it ideal if you are serving smoked turkey or a turkey made with lots of spices. Exceptionally complex for the price.

2006 Adelsheim Pinot Gris ($14-$20). Delicious aromas of peach, honey, and a kiss of caramelized sugar, but there's lots of bright acidity to keep the peach and apple flavors in balance. This aromatic wine would be perfect if you are serving sausage stuffing, and while it may give a sweet impression it finishes dry.

2006 Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc ($13-$17). One of the best domestic Sauvignon Blancs I've had in a long time, made with no oak and no assertive aromas or flavors. Warm melon, Meyer lemon, and clementine aromas and flavors accompany fresh, grassy notes.

2007 Clif Bar Family Winery The Climber White ($13-$15). This white blend has a core of Sauvignon Blanc with the addition of Pinot Blanc (12%), Chenin Blanc (4%) and Muscat (3%). The result is a wine with good acidity but an impression of softness. Aromas of pink grapefruit and nectarine, and flavors of Meyer lemon, nectarine, and peach.

2007 Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay ($11-$13; also available in CostPlus World Markets). A new label to me, this wine had clean and fresh apple and citrus aromas and flavors. There is a lovely creaminess to this wine, and a touch of mild oakiness. Very much like a white wine from Burgundy at a fraction of the price.

Red Wines

There are a lot of people out there recommending Zinfandel for Thanksgiving. Unless you are very, very careful you may overwhelm your food with a jammy, high-alcohol wine. That's true for many other red wines, too. If you are serving turkey and lots of different sweet and savory dishes, red wines may not be your best bet. However, the ones below will not overwhelm your food--and the flavors may be just right for you if you like dark meat, or are serving something smoked or (gasp!) not serving turkey at all.

2006 Domaine du Vissoux/Pierre-Marie Chermette Vieilles Vignes Cuvee Traditionelle ($12-$16). Gamay is a low-alcohol, high-acid grape that produces fresh, zesty reds. You will smell cherries, berries and some chalk in this wine, and the flavors are pure, juicy Bing cherry with an earthy undertow and some mineral notes.

2006 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast ($12-$27) A great bargain in Pinot Noirs, this wine has high-toned cherry and raspberry fruit aromas, with a touch of allspice. There are flavors of cherry, raspberry, allspice, and fresh-baked cobbler with a terrific, silky texture.

2004 Quivira Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley ($18-$20). If you must, this is the Zinfandel to get. With aromas of black cherry, allspice, and cedar, and flavors of cherry, baker's chocolate, and pepper it has beautiful acidity and is very food friendly. This Zin feels and tastes more old fashioned and restrained--just the way I like them. The 2005 is also in the market, and while I haven't tasted it, ordinary drinkers on CellarTracker! seem to give it thumbs up, too.

2004 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Crianza ($7-$12). If you think I'm nuts to suggest Tempranillo with turkey--trust me. I'm not. This is one of the great bargain reds, from Osborne's Bodegas Montecillo. There are aromas of roasted herbs and spicy berries, and nice, high-toned red fruit. Beautiful acidity and some dusty tannins make for a long, juicy aftertaste.

Whatever you serve on Thanksgiving, remember to relax and enjoy your friends and family. That's what the holiday is really all about!

The Event Grapevine: Nov. 14-16

I wanted to get the word out on this promotion at Chaddsford Winery that appeared in its November e-letter.

During November, up through the Thanksgiving holiday, Chaddsford Winery will be organizing a food drive to benefit Philabundance and those in need in the Philadelphia region. To encourage generous giving during this season of abundance, we are offering our customers a free tasting anytime you bring in 3 canned or boxed goods . So get involved in the fight against hunger -- invite your friends and family, gather some canned goods to share with those less fortunate, and enjoy a complimentary tour & tasting at the winery! For more information on Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization, see www.philabundance.org.

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


PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli: Fall Foliage Tasting ($$), Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.; Nouveau Weekend, Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.); German Night ($$), Saturday, 5 to 9 p.m., http://www.bluemountainwine.com

Buckingham Valley Vineyards, Buckingham: Bucks County Wine Trail Nouveau Weekend, Saturday (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.), www.pawine.com

Cardinal Hollow Winery, North Wales: Ladies Night, Friday, 7 to 9 p.m.; Arianne singing live, Saturday, 5 to 8 p.m., www.cardinalhollowwinery.com

Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Reserve tastings ($$), Saturday, sittings at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m.; Brandywine Prime Barrel Tasting and Dinner ($$), Saturday, 6:30 p.m., the winery and Brandywine Prime Restaurant; Frequent Buyers “Virgin Red” Tasting, Nov. 21 and 22, 7 to 9 p.m., call the winery for more on their Frequent Buyer program; Dessert Wines for the Holidays ($$), Thursday, Dec. 11, 7 to 9 p.m., http://www.chaddsford.com

Clover Hill, Breinigsville: Lehigh Valley Wine Trail’s Nouveau Weekend, Saturday and Sunday; March Passports also will go on sale for 2009, www.cloverhillwinery.com

Clover Mill Farm Vineyards & Winery, Chester Springs: Open again, Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m., http://www.clovermillfarm.com/

Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Bucks County Nouveau Wine Festival, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.; Wine Tasting for Dummies ($$), Sunday, 2 p.m.; Wine Tasting in Riedel Crystal ($$), Sunday, Nov. 23, 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.; satellite shop opened at 17 Lincoln Square, Gettysburg, http://www.hauserestate.com/

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas: Lehigh Valley Wine Trail’s Nouveau Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, http://www.galenglen.com

Kreutz Creek Vineyards, West Grove: Music at West Chester tasting room, 44 E. Gay St., Fridays and Saturdays, 6 to 9 p.m., http://www.kreutzcreekvineyards.com/

Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Wrightsville: Music every Friday (6 to 9 p.m.), Saturday (2 to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (2 to 5 p.m.), http://www.moondancerwinery.com
Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Kutztown: Lehigh Valley Wine Trail’s Nouveau Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, www.pinridge.com

Rose Bank Winery, Newtown: Bucks County Nouveau Wine Festival, Friday, 5 to 8 p.m. (open house), Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., http://www.rosebankwinery.com/

Rushland Ridge Vineyard & Winery, Rushland: Bucks County Nouveau Wine Festival, Saturday (noon to 6 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 4 p.m.), http://www.rushlandridge.com/

Sand Castle Winery, Erwinna: Bucks County Nouveau Wine Festival, Saturday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sunday, (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.), www.sandcastlewinery.com

Wycombe Vineyards, Furlong: Bucks County Wine Trail’s Nouveau Release, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., http://www.wycombevineyards.com/

Vynecrest Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: Lehigh Valley Wine Trail’s Nouveau Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, 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: noon to 5 p.m., Saturday: noon to 6 p.m., Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., information on winery at this link

Berrywine Plantations / Linganore Winecellars, Mt. Airy: Nouveau “Summer in a Glass,” Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, noon to 6 p.m., www.linganorewines.com

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

$$ – Admission charge

Fall tour: Woodhall Wine Cellars

I like to pull pertinent information off the e-letters that I receive from various wineries in the region. This comes from my friends at Woodhall Wine Cellars in Parkton, Md., one I've made a regular stop for at least five years.

I'm told my favorite weekend there, the library sale, is scheduled for Dec. 6 and 7, from noon to 4 p.m. You don't find too many wineries clearing out their old stock annually, but Woodhall does, and there are choices aplenty.

Before that, here are details on the fall wine dinners at Patricia Della Casual Fine Dining, located just out the front door of the winery and a no more than a short stroll down a pathway. Reservations are suggested.

NOV. 15

A pan seared scallop with a blood orange gastrique and a filet mignon rosette with an agave nectar wasabi crème fraiche
Butternut squash and roasted red pepper bisque
Baby spinach, red onion and dried apricot salad with a maple tarragon dressing
Striped bass with a white wine sauce featuring limes, shallots and picholines
Blood orange sherbet

NOV. 22

A jumbo prawn with persimmon coulis and a lamb chop encrusted with macadamia nuts served with a sweet pineapple BBQ sauce
Roasted tomato and basil soup
Mixed greens, apple slices and candied pecans with a maple tarragon dressing
Filet mignon filled with herb encrusted goat cheese served with a balsamic reduction
Praline semifreddo

Each course will be paired with a medal-winning Woodhall wine selected by the owners and wine maker of Woodhall. The dinner including wine, but exclusive of tax and gratuity, is $60 per person. Seatings will be at 6 and 8 p.m. each evening. Call 410.357.5078 to make your reservation.

Fall tour: Clover Hill Winery

The famous Turtle Rock at Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery

Nouveau Weekend will begin in two days at wineries on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, and that means another crazy and frantic couple of days that follow on the heels of several months of harvesting.

Kari Scrip of Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery in Breinigsville said a few days ago that where the trail used to heavily advertise this event, now they just let the attendance run its course. These days, it’s a course with many people.

“People really gear up for this weekend,” she said. “I’m not sure why, if that it’s a long-standing tradition in the Lehigh Valley that people have been coming out for this weekend. Some people come out just to make sure they get their Passports, because that program has become busy as well, the March program. So it’s generally been a very busy weekend. We actually don’t even do any advertising or promotions for it [anymore] because it’s gotten really crazy busy.”

Most people who drink wine have probably found themselves at least aware of the nouveau release, which pushes the wine that just came off the vine into a bottle and onto the shelves before Thanksgiving. As you might guess, nouveau is French for new. That could mean a white or red wine, although generally it’s considered to be red. While they can age for up to a couple of years, they’re designed to open now and inhale seemingly a basketful of fruit. The wines are soft, the colors bright; there is no complexity to speak of. It’s a wine that has become more accepted as the perfect companion for whatever serves as the main course for your holiday meal. Even people who favor white fan can find the nouveau red palatable, and with what’s generally a fairly low alcohol content you can refill your glass without worrying about your legs turning to . . . cranberry sauce.

Nouveau Weekend has been on the trail’s calendar for 10 or 11 years, Scrip said. And the last few years that has meant dusting off the popular Turtle Rock Red, which has become one of the signature wines on the lengthy list. A silver medal winner in the 2008 Finger Lakes International Wine and International Eastern Wine competitions, Turtle Rock has found a spot on Clover Hill’s list for 15 of the winery’s 23 years of existence, and has serve as the nouveau for the past four or five years, Scrip said.

“It’s a 100 percent Chambourcin, made in a true nouveau style,” she said. “It’s a lighter, fruitier style wine. It has just happened to the the nouveau [recently], although it’s always sort of been made in that style. Some years we have done a small lot of something else for Nouveau Weekend. Now, we’re always trying to work toward getting the Turtle Rock ready [in time]. People are attracted to the name, and also seek out Chambourcin in this area. So it has been an interesting wine for people to try and it’s one they always enjoy.”

Interesting? That’s a good description for the story of how the wine got its name.

“My dad previously was in construction before he got into the wine business,” said Kari, who serves in a number of roles, most notably marketing. “When he was at a job site about five miles from where the winery currently is. He found this rock, about a 60,000-pound limestone rock, that looked just like a turtle. My dad’s got an odd taste for rocks, he likes to use them for landscaping. So he loaded this rock up with a crane and brought it back to the property where the winery is now. And, actually, if you pull into our winery its right out front, you can’t miss it.

“It looks just like a turtle,” she said. “So we’ve become fond of Turtle Rock.”

Terrapin one of 3 wineries to toast grant

Morris Zwick said the other day he was working on paperwork. But that, said the owner of Terrapin Station Winery in Maryland’s Cecil County, wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It was the sacrifice for being one of three wineries in the state to recently receive a value-added producers grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will enable them to further develop their business.

Terrapin Station will receive almost $50,000 to aid in marketing and hire a full-time winemaker next year. “It’s matching funds and it’s working capital,” Zwick said. “So that should really help give us a kick start.”

Elk Run Vineyards received $263,000 to, among other things, enhance its marketing and sales strategies, and Cascia Vineyards in Stevensville was approved for an almost $100,000 grant to create a winery on its farm.

The suggestion was made to Zwick that the occasion was worth opening his best bottle of wine on the premises. “Unfortunately, I think the best is still in the tank, and we’re about to embark on getting all that boxed,” he said. “So we’re pretty close to December, January, to have our next release of wines.”

Those include a blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Franc that likely will be called Cecil Red, this year’s Traminette, and a St. Vincent that will be labeled 2008 even though it will contain some juice from the 2007 grapes.

“So all those three things will come out immediately, and then after that we’ll have a release of Cayuga Vidal, a Cecil White blend, whatever this late-harvest thing is we’re working on right now [a combination of Vidal and Sangiovese]. It’s an experiment. We’ve always have some sort of experiment, and this year’s is this late-harvest thing. [That] will be a little bit later in the spring, but all of these will be ready by Wine in the Woods, which is in May.”

Fifth Brandywine dinner pulls in record crowd

The Brandywine Valley
The Brandywine Valley Wine Trail held its fifth annual Vintners’ Dinner Celebration on Saturday night at lush Longwood Gardens and every shred of evidence pointed this to be the most successful one to date.

Trail PR director Karen Cline said yesterday that 179 attended the black-tie optional affair, 40 more than have ever come to this full-evening event. “We are encouraged by this increase in attendance and we see this as a real indicator that Pennsylvania wineries are being recognized as producers of quality wine,” she wrote in an e-mail. Considering all that’s happening with the economy, it’s a number that can only tickle trail members. Maybe the only problem comes down the line as more people become familiar with local wines and what also serves as a fund-raiser for The Little Rock Foundation, a resource center for parents and children who are visually impaired or blind. As it was, the dining room looked packed. Assuming they use the same room in the future, maybe the number gets capped at 200.

Attendees paid $135 per person for the event, and you felt like you got your money’s worth just walking along the path that wound its way past hibiscus flowers bigger than the dinner dishes used for the meal. Held in the East Conservatory and Ballroom, it opened with what amounted to an almost 90-minute reception, where six of the trail’s seven wineries had tables set up and their wines out ready for tasting. Everywhere you looked there were bottles sitting in tubs, waiting to be opened. Cline said the member wineries – Black Walnut, Chaddsford, Kreutz Creek, Paradocx, Penns Woods and Twim Brook (only Va La was absent) – each brought an average of five different wines and an average of eight total cases. Servers carried hors d’oeuvres and tables were set up with Italian meats and cheeses. The proprietors poured the wine and answered questions.

From there, the group moved on to dinner, where the menu went from mushroom strudel to a salad to the main course of Maryland crab cake with medallions of pepper crusted filet. Dessert was a lemon curd tart with berries. Wines from all of the wineries were represented at dinner, as a red and white was paired with the first three courses and Twin Brook’s Esperanda, a sparkling wine, was paired with the rich finale. There were 19 tables, with the proprietors sitting out among their guests. CBS3’s Pat Ciarrocchi, a Chester County native and award-winning newscaster who devotes a chunk of her time to charities, was the emcee. Once dinner was finished, Ravenswood president and winemaker Joel Peterson addressed the attendees. More on what this Sonoma, Calif., wine icon said will be included in another post, along with additional (and professional) photographs. Took one look at his camera and decided I’d let the guy who knew what he was doing provide the images for such a grand event. But I couldn’t help but share one photo I took, a cornucopia of glass pumpkins arranged in one of the adjoining rooms.

A presentation on the Little Rock Foundation ended the sit-down portion of the evening. What followed was a chance to walk off dinner, sign up for almost 20 items being auctioned off, and listen or dance to the Brass Ensemble of the Kennett Symphony of Chester County.

Cline said that the trail included corporate sponsors for the first time this year; they had a private reception with the winemakers before the event started.

This is the third year the event was held at Longwood Gardens after being hosted by a winery the first two years. Chaddford Winery’s Lee Miller explained that all the wineries have their own events, and they also hold a few trail activities such as Barrels on the Brandywine every March, but this is an opportunity to come together as a group in a gorgeous setting, share their wide variety of wines, and do something charitable at the same time. A moneymaker? No, not at all. But despite all the work, it’s an evening where everyone leaves feeling good (no, not just because of all the wine) and an industry that many still consider fledgling shows itself in its best light. Val and Lance Castle, owners of the not-yet opened Black Walnut Winery off Route 30 in Sadsburyville were given the job of organizing the event. Hey, when you’re the rookies ….


Everything came together very well, so congrats to those two for pulling together those loose ends while trying to get the last bit of renovating done on their 200-year-old barn/winery. And to Cline, who was buzzing around from the moment she stepped into the place.

Could other trails pull this off? Certainly could see something like this from the Bucks County or Lehigh Valley trails, and the same down in Maryland. No doubt the template has been created, and it’s one that assuredly works.