Jim Tumbls.

Yesterday I went to the seventh annual “A Day in the Vineyard” event hosted by Vynecrest, Clover Hill, and Pinnacle Ridge. It was my first time attending after hearing wonderful reviews from people throughout the valley. It definitely lived up to the hype and was a great way to sample local wines and foods.

We started the day at Vynecrest for Mr. Bill’s Turkey BBQ on a fresh Amish Village roll accompanied by balsamic potato salad from Bada Bingg. I also got to try the 2007 Pinot Noir a week before the official release (come to Split Rock for the official release of this new premium wine). After helping do some dishes we went outside to enjoy the early afternoon sun then made our way to Clover Hill for the grand tasting.

Clover Hill has a beefy golf cart with a nice paint job. They’ve also got some decent boulders to stand on and take pictures of.

The Grand Tasting at Clover Hill featured nine wines; three from each winery to show the range of wines created in the Lehigh Valley. Sweet whites, moderate blushes, and dry, full-bodied reds all were fantastic. We also had a bonus tenth wine: Vynecrest’s Traminette, one of my favorites! The wines were paired local cheeses and a fantastic summer sausage from Breakaway Farms located in Manheim, PA. While enjoying these samplings, we were educated in tasting techniques as well as wine production by representatives from each of the three wineries. Below is Sam (The Man) Landis of Vynecrest and President of the Pennsylvania Winery Association.

We finished the day at Pinnacle Ridge for delicious homemade ice cream paired with local fresh fruit. There was live music at each winery, and the tasting rooms were open as usual for tasting samples not covered at the Grand Tasting. Best of all - our tickets entitled us to an additional 10% off any purchase at each of the wineries. That means a full 20% off each case. Definitely a good time to stock up by purchasing some split cases with friends!