Traveling the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail(2)
My Pick: DiVyne Red
Next we went to Pinnacle Ridge in Greenwich Township, Berks County (it has a Kutztown mailing address). This winery was a bit more rustic than Vynecrest, and the owners and employees were all extremely friendly.
I sampled five of its wines, including the 2009 Chambourcin and the 2008 Syrah, both of which were great red wines. The Niagara was a noteworthy white -- very tasty and sweet.
My Pick: Sweet Seduction, a semi-sweet red made from the Chambourcin grape.
The fourth stop on the wine trail was Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars in New Tripoli. This winery, up on a hilltop, offered the best view so far, overlooking its own small lake.
I tried six wines at Blue Mountain, including the 2004 Chambourcin paired with ziti pasta and select cheeses. The Red Horizon, a sweet red concord wine, was a standout, as well as the Mountain Frost, a delicious white that would be great as a dessert wine.
My Pick: Mountain Frost
Next up was Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery in Andreas. Although it is the farthest winery we traveled to, it offered a spectacular view, probably the best on the whole trail.
I sipped six wines here, the best of which (for me) were the Winter Mountain Red, a sweet red made from Concord grapes, and the Cellar Red, a semi-dry made from the Chambourcin.
My Pick: Winter Mountain Red
Number six was Big Creek Vineyard & Winery in Kunkletown. The owner doled out a pairing of Chanterelle mushroom soup with the Chambourcin red, which were pretty amazing together.
I tried four wines at Big Creek besides the Chambourcin. Among them were the La Brusca, a sweet concord wine; the Vin Di Pasqualina, a dry rosé, and the Apple Raspberry, which apparently goes really well with vanilla ice cream. Can’t wait to try that!
My Pick: Apple Raspberry
The second-to-last stop was Franklin Hill Vineyards in Lower Mount Bethel Township (it has a Bangor mailing address), the second-closest to home. Franklin Hill offered a ton of food, including Pivinski’s Premier Polish Prince’s Pierogis, an authentic pierogie recipe inspired by the owner’s Polish background. Delicious!
I’ve drank plenty of Franklin Hill wines before, so I was determined to taste only new ones. I tried the Seyval Blanc, a dry white; the Chambourcin red, oak-aged, and the Fiesta, a sweet fruity red.
My Pick: Fiesta
The final stop was Amore Vineyards & Winery on Steuben Road in East Allen Township. Amore had a great selection, and custom labels are available for customers who want pictures on their bottles!
I tried five wines at Amore. The Red Rapture, a semi-sweet red made from the Chambourcin, was great, as was the Spiced Apple.
My Pick: Blackberry Bliss
Check out the accompanying photo gallery for shots of all eight wineries -- and some of the views, the bottles and labels.
