Wine glasses toasting
In March, wine lovers set out to celebrate Vino in the Valley, a month-long event organized by the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail. With the purchase of a $35 passport, locals were able to sample delicious wine and food pairings at all eight Wine Trail wineries during each weekend in March. What’s more, participants who got their passports stamped by all eight wineries were entered to win a $250 gift certificate in Wine Trail bucks—truly the gift that keeps on giving!
The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail consists of eight member wineries spanning across the region, including Amore Vineyards & Winery, Franklin Hill Vineyards, Tolino Vineyards, Galen Glen Winery, Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars, Pinnacle Ridge, Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery and Vynecrest Winery. It was founded in 1997, making it the oldest wine trail in the state, with the mission to promote agri-tourism and to create a premier wine destination and grape-growing region.
Throughout the month, Amore paired their Vidal with Italian wedding soup; Chambourcin with chicken marsala medallions over rice; Cayuga with grilled Italian chicken in vodka sauce with cavatelli pasta; and Cabaret Amore with three cheese meat lasagna. “Vino in the Valley was wonderful,” says Gregg Amore. “The guests were pleasant and had a positive experience on the trail. People were especially happy, if they were among the fortunate ones to win a $50 restaurant gift card.”
At Vynecrest Winery, guests enjoyed chicken quesadilla rolls, catered by 1760 Pub N Grille, with their Traminette; grilled chicken Caesar wraps, catered by 1760 Pub N Grille, with Pinot Grigio; Nonna’s Pizza by Cibo Pizza & More Food Truck with Vynecrest Red; and meatballs with marinara sauce and a garlic knot from Cibo Pizza & More Food Truck paired with Chambourcin. “Vino in the Valley is a great chance for people to try a variety of food pairings with different wines from Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries for one price,” says Jan Landis of Vynecrest. “Since it runs all month long, there are plenty of opportunities to try a few wineries at your leisure, whatever weekends work best in your schedule.”
“Vino in the Valley is a wonderful way to break the winter blues, travel the back roads of the Lehigh Valley, experience wines grown and produced in the area, meet the winemakers and enjoy wine and food,” says Kari Skrip of Clover Hill Vineyards. “We appreciate so many customers enjoying Clover Hill during the month of March.” They dubbed their theme as “Not Your Normal Nachos & Wine Pairings,” partnering with K’Town Pub Taphouse & BBQ. During the first two weekends, they paired their Vignoles with pumpkin chicken nachos—smoked chicken, queso blanco cheese, spiced crema, pumpkin hot sauce and pumpkin seeds on tricolor tortilla chips. And they paired their Vidal Blanc with banana custard topped with vanilla wafer crumble. They also offered a new sangria. The following two weekends brought Chardonnay paired with brisket nachos—smoked beef brisket, queso blanco cheese, pomegranate tzatziki, arugula dressed with lemon vinaigrette, marinated cucumbers and tomatoes on pita chips. Their Cayuga White was paired with coconut custard, topped with smoked coconut. Visits began with a sparkling wine cocktail!
Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars gave their guests a choice of sweet or dry wine pairings during each of the weekends. They celebrated their first weekend with Randevoo Food Truck, serving smoked wings paired with Mountain Frost or Riesling. Lorah’s Pig Roasters served sausage during weekend two, paired with Bri’s Blush or Merlot. During the third weekend, Aunt Jackie’s Food Truck served pierogis, which were paired with Pinot Noir or White Merlot. Smokehouse Food Truck made an appearance during the final weekend, serving hot chocolate-ricotta mini donuts, paired with Victoria’s Passion or Petite Sirah. “Vino in the Valley Passports are a great way to travel around the Lehigh Valley to taste a variety of Pennsylvania wines and see for yourself why Pennsylvania wines are on the rise,” says Denise Panner of Blue Mountain Vineyards. “We love seeing all the new faces and making new friends while we hang around with our familiar friends as well. Music, food and wine are the grapes of life!”
Mark your calendar for Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Month, taking place in June. Several locally owned restaurants will be offering local wine specials, and there will be a brand new ticketed wine trail event called The Vintner’s Experience, offering special experiences at each of the eight member wineries during the weekends in June. LVWT Month is supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Winery Association. Keep an eye out for ticket information and details to come!
New to wine tasting? Here are some tips for mastering the art. And if you’re looking for a few varietals perfect for sipping this spring, click here.
