Cheers from Vintage Connections  

During June and July we're writing about nearby PA wineries and wine bars.  The weather has improved and there are lots of fun activities, in addition to tasting wine, going on at PA wineries.

Take some time, take a drive, and enjoy!  

This week, we're writing about the Winedown Cafe and Wine Bar in West Reading, the first of two wine bars we frequent.  

Next week, we'll write about the Seasonal Harvest Grill and Wine Bar near Glen Mills (Route 202, Wilmington Pike).  

After that, we'll take a short break but invite our readers to contribute as "guest writers" for this newsletter and Grapevine blog.   

COME ON, WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM ANY VOLUNTEERS YET! 

Winedown Cafe and Wine Bar

We try to get to Winedown on Penn Street in West Reading once every couple of months.  They offer over 20 wines by the glass with at least a few for every taste. 

Ben Franco, the owner, changes a few wines in and out of the list every few weeks and runs some specials.  They also offer interesting food, including cheeses, snacks, salads, interesting and different sandwiches, and a few desserts. 

We "make a meal" by pairing 4-5 food selections with 4-5 wines over the course of a few hours.  Mostly,  we go to sample wines and order the "tapas-sized" portions to complement the wines (choose the pairings well or you can ruin a good wine). 

Winedown serves 5 ounce portions in 10-12 ounce glasses, so you can swirl and sniff and share to your heart's content.  The wine, beer, cocktail (lots of martini's) and food menus are changing soon, so use the ones on the website to get an idea of variety and prices, but be advised the menu may be different when you arrive. 

The bar area has traditional bar seating (and standing), a few comfortable sofas, and an outside seating area.  We always try to arrive early on a weeknight (closed Sundays and Mondays) and snag a sofa.


Did we mention beer and cocktails?  Some night we're going just to sample the beer.  Ben usually has about 10 "special" beers on the menu, something for the more discerning beer lovers who you may want to take with you.  And, there is a decent list of cocktails and spirits.

Winedown opens at 4 PM Tues through Saturday (and are not open Sunday and Monday).  Check out their website, say "Hi" to Ben from us, and enjoy.

Quiz Time (easy this time)

Answers due by midnight, Sunday Aug. 7 to us at vintageconnections@comcast.net 

It's been too long since our last quiz and we have a Wine Box/Basket from Manatawny that we've been waiting to give away.

Five Easy Questions.

Get all 5 correct and we'll enter you into a drawing for the prize donated by Manatawny Creek Winery.  We will pull one winner from all those emailing all 5 correct answers to us by the deadline. 

"Correct" answers are those found in our Fun Facts.  The winner will be required to pick up their prize from us at a mutually agreeable location near Pottstown, PA. 

1.  We love wine made from 100% Cabernet Franc.  However, it is often one of the "minor" blending grapes used in ____.     

2. French Red Burgundy is made from 100% _____ grapes.  

3. American, Hungarian, and French oak are often used to make wine barrels.  Which one is the most expensive? _______

4.   Blaufrankisch and ___________ are the same grape.   

5. French Chablis is made from what grape? ___________

Email your answers to us at vintageconnections@comcast.net

Up-coming Events

** Berks County Wine Trail Members

Christmas In August!

Saturday August 6th & Sunday August 7th
Noon to 5 PM

Enjoy "Cool Wine Treats" paired with featured wines of the region...and get a jump on your holiday shopping, too!

Join the wineries of the **Berks County Wine Trail for this festive event.

** Manatawny Creek Winery

** Pinnacle Ridge
August 7
Jazz and Blues in the Barn
Click to events.

** Blair Vineyards
Happy Hour
at the winery
First Friday (August 5)
5:30-8:30

One-year Celebration, Saturday and Sunday August
Chef Jared Cohen will be on hand with another great menu including the Ahi Tuna Sushi Rolls, Sweet Chili Soy Chicken Wings, Hummus & Pita, Grilled Eggplant Babaganoush with Pita, as well as other great options. Wine can be purchased by the glass or bottle to be enjoyed with the delicious menu. No reservations necessary. 

Can't make it this month? The next Happy Hour is September 9th!
August 13th & 14th Anniversary Weekend  

Click to events.

** Calvaresi Winery

** Vynecrest 

Music in the Vyneskeller every Saturday.  

Click to events.

Galen Glen 

Walking Tour of the Vineyard, every Saturday and Sunday in July, noon only.
 

Contact us to arrange a customized wine seminar, wine tasting, wine and food pairing, or any kind of wine related event.

Cheers from Vintage Connections  

During June and July we're writing about nearby PA wineries and wine bars.  The weather is great (a bit hot last week and next) and there are lots of fun activities, in addition to tasting wine, going on at PA wineries.  Take some time, take a drive, and enjoy!  

This week, we're writing short features about three wineries.  

Next week, we'll write about two wine bars we've visited and liked.  After that, we'll take a short break but invite our readers to contribute as "guest writers" for this newsletter and Grapevine blog.

Allegro Vineyards and Winery Outdoors at Allegro Allegro was one of our early favorites many years ago when we started visiting PA wineries.  Carl is the winemaker and makes some superb dry reds, along with a great chardonnay, and then a full line of semi-sweet, sweet, and dessert wines (Jazz has been a favorite). In addition to the winery near Brogue, PA, Allegro wines are sold at five other locations including the Red Rose Wine Tasting Room in Lancaster, owned by Tamanend (which we featured last week). We often combined a trip to Allegro with visits to other wineries on the Mason Dixon Wine Trail , which includes wineries for south central PA and north central MD,  especially the  Fiore Winery .  Allegro charges a tasting fee and limits the number of tastes as do many wineries these days.  They also have music at the winery on Saturdays from 2-5 PM in July.  Since we are keeping this week's info short, visit their website for more information.

Calvaresi Winery

Calvaresi has also been one of our long time favorite PA wineries.  Tom Calvaresi is the owner and winemaker.  He started making wine in the basement of his row home in Reading many years ago and eventually bought land and established his winery on top of a hill just north of Reading near Bernville.  Tom buys grapes and juice from reliable farmers and vineyards and focuses on making excellent, affordable wine rather than spending his time farming and tending vineyards.  However, the view from his winery is beautiful and is another reason, in addition to excellent and affordable wines, to visit him at the winery.

Calvaresi is on open Thursday through Sunday and does not charge a tasting fee.  Tom still uses small plastic cups for tastings (to keep his cost down) so we take our own glasses (we always have wine glasses and corkscrew in the car). 

Check out his website for more information.

Waltz Vineyards and Winery

Waltz opened their winery, located in Lancaster County, in 2008.  They began their vineyards in 1997, grow most of their own grapes, and so make excellent, traditional vinifera wines, aged in French Oak.   

 

Because of the meticulous care taken in their vineyards and their exclusive use of French Oak, the wines are relatively expensive compared to most (but not all) PA wineries.  Only two wines are priced under $20, and they charge an $8 tasting fee for a selection of wine paired with artisan cheeses.  For those of you who want to experience a more upscale, traditional winery, visit Waltz.  More information is available at their website 

Up-coming Events

** Berks County Wine Trail Members

Christmas In August!
Saturday August 6th & Sunday August 7th
Noon to 5 PM

Enjoy "Cool Wine Treats" paired with featured wines of the region...and get a jump on your holiday shopping, too!

Join the wineries of the **Berks County Wine Trail for this festive event:


** Manatawny Creek Winery

Saturday, July 23th, Anniversary Festival
Music by Acoustic Vuja De.

** Pinnacle Ridge
August 7
Jazz and Blues in the Barn
Click to events.

** Blair Vineyards
Happy Hour
at the winery
First Friday (August 5), 5:30-8:30
Click to events.

** Calvaresi Winery

** Vynecrest
Music in the Vyneskeller every Saturday.
Click to events.

Galen Glen
Walking Tour of the Vineyard, every Saturday and Sunday in July, noon only. 

 Fun Fact   

French oak imparts a more subtle, rounded flavor to wine than does American or Hungarian oak.  That's because of the nature and "flavor" of the woods itself, and because the pores of the wood are more dense than American and Hungarian oak, moderating the oak influence.  French oak, however, cost twice as much or more than do oaks from the US and Hungary, adding to the cost of wine aged in French oak.

Cheers from Vintage Connections  

During June and July we're writing about nearby PA wineries and wine bars.  The weather is great and there are lots of fun activities, in addition to tasting wine, going on at PA wineries.

Take some time, take a drive, and enjoy!  

This week, we're featuring Tamanend Winery located at 759 Flory Mill Rd, Lancaster.  Yes, it's a bit of a drive but well worth the trip. 

Tamanend Winery and the Vitis Wine Center

OK, for some reason we'd never visited Tamanend Winery and the Vitis Wine Center.  We rarely go as far west as Lancaster for "local wines," even though several wineries in that direction are closer than a few of our favorites to the north.  So, off we went on an afternoon adventure.  We were glad we did.

Richard Carey, with a flex tank to his right.

Tamanend Winery is owned and operated by Linda Jones McKee and Richard Carey. The winery is named in honor of the Chief of the Delaware Tribe of Indians. Richard is the "chief" winemaker and operates the Wine Center, which contracts wine-making services to other wineries. 

The winery produces a wide variety of wines, including traditional viniferas, blends, hybrids, and American bred wines like Cayuga.  Unlike any other winery we've visited, they also produce wine made from Blue Agave (yes, a tequila-like wine), blended with lime or orange, resulting in two interesting "marquirita wines." 

Tamanend not only bottle most of their wines in the traditional 750 ml bottle, but they also box many of their wines in 1.5 and 3 liter boxes, suitable for storing open in the refrigerator for up to a month.  We're not usually fans of boxed wine, but Tamanend's are an exception.  We couldn't resist a box of blue agave (lime) for the fridge.  Granted, these wines will NOT age and are meant to be enjoyed within a few months of purchase. 

Bagging wines for boxing.

We also purchased an outstanding Zinfandel, made from California grapes and bottled under their Torosa label, which we'll try to cellar for 4-5 years, if we can resist the temptation to open is sooner.

Richard have us a tour of the winery and we observed the "boxing" of wine in progress.  Tamanend also uses "flex tanks" and oak staves, which produce oak-aged wines without the expense of barrels (French barrels cost about $1,000 each).

Another unique feature of Tamanend is the naming of their wines.  Most wines are named after flowers, rather than the grape or blend of grapes from which the wine is made. 

Kate, pouring Azul D'Oro, a port wine made from blue agave.

We prefer knowing the grapes from which each wine is made, and Kate in the tasting room was more than willing to talk about the grapes used in each wine.

Wine Tasting at Tamanend

The Tasting Room at the winery is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday - Noon to 5 pm. There was no tasting fee and we were welcome to taste as many wines as we pleased.  The tasting room also features wine-related items for sale.   

You can taste Tamanend wines at the winery, 759 Flory Mill Rd, Lancaster PA

The Red Rose Tasting Room, 25 W. King Street, Lancaster

The Strasburg Wine Tasting Room, 11 Main Street, Strasburg

Call for hours of the tasting rooms at 717-560-WINE(9463).

Up-coming Events

** Manatawny Creek Winery 

Saturday, July 23th, Anniversary Festival   

Music by Acoustic Vuja De. 

** Berks County Wine Trail 

Christmas In August! 

Saturday August 6th & Sunday August 7th

Noon to 5 PM  

Enjoy "Cool Wine Treats" paired with featured wines of the region...and get a jump on your holiday shopping, too!

Join the wineries of the **Berks County Wine Trail for this festive event:

both days

 

** Pinnacle Ridge
August 7
Jazz and Blues in the Barn
Click to events.

** Blair Vineyards
Winemaker's Dinner
Sunday, July 17th
6:00 pm
at the winery
99 Dietrich Valley Rd
Kutztown, PA 19530
$60 per person includes food, wine, tax & gratuity! 
Call 610-683-8463 for reservations.

Happy Hour
at the winery
First Friday (August 5), 5:30-8:30
 Click to events.
 
** Calvaresi Winery

** Vynecrest 

Music in the Vyneskeller every Saturday. 

 Click to events.  

Galen Glen

Walking Tour of the Vineyard, every Saturday and Sunday in July, noon only.

Fun Fact   

White Zinfandel, White Merlot, and other similar "white" wines are actually blush (rose) wines, made from red grapes.  The juice is left on the skins for a short time so the red color from the skins is absorbed by the white juice, giving these lighter wines a bit of pink or rose color. 

Cheers from Vintage Connections  

During June and July we're writing about nearby PA wineries and wine bars.  The weather is great and there are lots of fun activities, in addition to tasting wine, going on at PA wineries.

Take some time, take a drive, and enjoy!  

This week, we're featuring Pinnacle Ridge Winery located on old Rt. 22 near the junction of Interstate 78 and Route 737, just north of Kutztown.   (Click here for information about a detour due to bridge work). 

Brad in the Vineyard

Pinnacle Ridge Winery has been one of our favorite PA wineries since we started visiting wineries over10 years ago.   Brad Knapp established the winery in 1993 in a beautifully renovated Pennsylvania bank barn, originally built in 1851.  

Brad produces excellent dry reds and whites, two exceptional sparklings, and a collection of wonderful semi-sweet and sweet wines for those who prefer their wine on the sweeter side.  

Brad checking Pinot Noir during fermentation

While we enjoy all of Pinnacle Ridge's dry and semi-dry wines, Veritas (a Bordeaux-type blend) Reserve Chambourcin (Lehigh Valley's signature grape), and Pinot Noir are our personal favorites.   

The 2007 Veritas won a double gold at this year's PA Farm Show and was named the "all around best wine"  by the PA Wine Society. 

 In addition to the bold, hearty wines that we prefer,  Pinnacle Ridge produces softer reds and whites that are excellent representations of their varietal, including Merlot, a (non-reserve) Chambourcin, Chardonay, Riesling, and Traminette, among many others.  We think the lightly oaked Chardonnay is hard to beat for those of us who like a little oak influence in our chards, while the Naked (no oak) Chardonnay allows the pure grape flavor to stand out on its own.  

Opus Vino, a compendium of information about wines, wineries, and wine makers from across the world lists Pinnacle Ridge as one its best 4,000 wineries in the world, and Brad Knapp, owner and winemaker, as one of the "rising star" winemakers in the world.  .   

 

Robert Parker and Hugh Johnson include Pinnacle Ridge in their guides to the world's best wineries.  So, we're in good company when we recommend Pinnacle Ridge and its wines to our friends and readers.  

Wine Tasting at Pinnacle Ridge

The tasting room is open seven days a week, noon-6 PM (opening at 10 AM Saturday).  While all wines are available for tasting, each customer is asked to limit themselves to tasting six wines. The tasting costs $5, which is waived with the purchase of at least one bottle.  We find it hard to leave without a case and have been members of the case club since its inception.

Pinnacle Ridge hosts several special events each year.  This Sunday, July 10, you can enjoy Blues and Jazz in the Barn, always a delightful time.

 

Up-coming Events

Pinnacle Ridge
at the Kutztown German Festival, July 2-10
Jazz and Blues in the Barn, Saturday July 10.
Click to events.

Blair Vineyards
Friday, July 8, Happy Hour starting at 5:30.
Saturday and Sunday, July 9 and 10, Summer Cool Down with food, music and wine.
 Click to events.
 
Calvaresi Winery
Summer Wine Festival
Saturday, July 10, 1-5 PM
"Elvis" Music, dancing, wine.

Vynecrest 

Music in the Vyneskeller every Saturday. 

 Click to events.  

Galen Glen

Walking Tour of the Vineyard, every Saturday and Sunday in July, noon only. 

Wine Down Cafe and Wine Bar

3rd Year Anniversary Specials

Fri and Sat. July 8 and 9

(closed July 2-70

Web Links

The Grapevine Pottstown Mercury Wine Blog    

(read our past 80+ posts)

Manatawny Creek Winery

Pinnacle Ridge Winery 

Blair Winery and Vineyards

 Galen Glen Winery and Vineyards 

Vynecrest Vineyards and Winery  

Calvaresi Winery 

Berks County Wine Trail

Brandywine Valley Wine Trail

Lehigh Valley Wine Trail  

Wine Down Cafe and Wine Bar  

Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar

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