Cheers!   from Vintage Connections  Dean and Lisa Foster  Wine Educators and Consultants   We've taken off a few months but now we're back!  We expect to publish our simplified newsletter and blog once every few weeks.  Please let us know what topics you would like to read about and please provide feedback on our content and the wines we describe so we can better meet your needs.

Wine(s) of the Week Stone Cellar Gewürztraminer Stone Cellar Riesling Stone Cellar Grüner Veltliner    all crafted by Sarah Troxell, winemaker    at Galen Glen Winery, Andreas, PA  Lehigh Valley AVA     What to write about after taking off three months from our newsletter and blog? So, we looked in our wine  fridge to see what we had ready to drink on these hot summer days, and voila, we have three award-winning and acclaimed Galen Glen whites ready to enjoy.    All three whites are dry, with the Riesling and Gewurtztraminer displaying aromas that you might mistake for sweetness, but don't be fooled.  These are dry, award-winning wines (in California competitions).  Sarah, the winemaker, won "best woman wine-maker" for her Gewurtztraminer at the  Women's International Wine Competition in CA.     Grüner Veltliner is rare, especially in the USA.  We love it because it is different from more common whites and we enjoy the difference.  So did the Mark Squires' Bulletin Board in eRobertParker.com (87 points).  All three of these wines are available at the winery for $14.  We stocked up at the beginning of summer, but need to make another trip to the winery soon.   See Galen Glen's website for more details about these and their other wines, news, and events. Quick Trip Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail    We took a little vacation in June and had the opportunity to explore wineries and taste wines along the Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail.  This wine trail is mostly on the middle peninsula southeast of Washington DC and northeast of Richmond.  We had especially great tastings and conversations at the Dog and Oyster, Jacey Vineyards, and General Ridge Vineyard.  Jacey is new and, regrettably, in early June was still waiting for the Virginia ABC to approve their labels. So, we couldn't buy any of their wines, including a wonderful Zinfandel.

Links These are a few of our favorite wine-related businesses and organizations.   Wine Trails Berks County Wine Trail Lehigh Valley Wine Trail Brandywine Wine Trail  Wineries  Pinnacle Ridge  Manatawny Creek  Blair Calvaresi Vynecrest Galen Glen  Wine Bars (and restaurants) Winedown Harvest Seasonal Grill  and Wine Bar  Fun Fact There are now over 140 wineries in Pennsylvania, most organized into 11 wine trails.  See  the PA Winery Association website for MORE and MORE information.   Vintage Connections Lisa and Dean Foster Wine Educators and Consultants Members of the American Wine Society  Vintage Connections provides Wine Education and Consulting Services including wine classes and seminars, food and wine pairings, and wine tastings.  In our newsletter and blogs we provide information and recommendations about wine, wine events, and the world of wine, primarily in the Montgomery, Berks, and Chester Tri-County Area of Southeastern Pennsylvania. We focus on affordable and accessible wines, mostly priced under $20 and available at PA Wine and Spirits stores or at wineries located in Eastern Pennsylvania.  Contact us at Vintageconnections@comcast.net