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Besides the shorter days, cooler nights, and colorful changing leaves dotting the hillsides, another sign of Fall is the Berks County Wine Trail’s annual Wine & Cheese Pairing Weekends. We’ve scheduled two weekends, October 5-6 and 12-13, for this event we look forward to each year. Our member wineries feature wine and cheese pairings guaranteed to tempt everyone’s taste buds! Plan your self-guided tour of the scenic Berks County by-ways and visit all eleven family-owned winery locations.
Advance-priced tickets are just $15, available now through October 4 and $20 beginning October 5. Purchase online through our website at www.berkscountywinetrail.com (processing fees apply), or in person at any of our wine trail locations (cash or checks only, please). Tickets are good for all 4 event days, allowing plenty of time to enjoy each and every stop.
Check out the fabulous wine and cheese pairings our wineries have planned:
Setter Ridge Vineyards welcomes Conebella Farm, an award-winning 100% Ayrshire dairy farm, located in beautiful Chester County, Pennsylvania. Setter Ridge Vineyards Pinot Gris will be paired with Conebella Farm’s Garden-Garlic Cheese spread. Also, enjoy cheese in your dessert with Chilled Blueberry Cheese Tarts featuring Conebella Farm’s Cheddar Cheese and Cheddar Cheese Spread paired with Setter Ridge Vineyard’s Pinot Noir.
Deerfoot Vineyards and Winery is partnering with two local cheese producers during this years’ event. October 5-6 will feature cheeses from Haven Farmstead Table, New Tripoli, paired with their red wine blend, Six Point, and their Chardonnay. Visit Deerfoot during the second weekend, October 12-13, when Grube’s Dairy returns with their popular cheese curds and mild cheddar cubes. They’ll spotlight their sweet Port, to go along with that amazing squeaky cheese!
Stoudt’s Winery will have their best-selling Red Raspberry wine paired with three smoked cheeses. The fresh-picked berry sweetness of this wine creates a fantastic contrast to the nutty flavor of a smoked Cheddar cheese, heightening the flavors of both. A smoked jalapeno and a smoked garlic cheese will also be available for sampling. This is one you won’t want to miss!
The focus is on flavor at KOG Hill Winery. Guests will be treated to the sharp bite of an aged Provolone, contrasted with the lovely floral aroma and bright citrus flavor of KOG Hill’s Gewurztraminer.
Manatawny Creek Winery takes you south-of-the-boarder with zesty Mexican Cheddar Queso Dip served with corn tortilla chips and paired with 2015 Merlot. Next, enjoy Blue Cheese Pastry Puffs paired with a rich, deep red, ruby-style port made from Cabernet Franc grapes fortified with grape alcohol to 19%. The salty nuances in the blue cheese pair beautifully with the sweet wine!
It’s always pouring inside at Weathered where semi-sweet Cirrus, a Cayuga-Riesling hybrid grape wine with hints of lemon and apple, will be paired with a tangy Feta & Lemon Dip on a pita. Then enjoy Cherry Blossoms, a puff pastry bite of happiness, filled with goat cheese and a fruit topping that perfectly brings out the subtle undertone flavors of Weathered’s Pinot Noir.
Ridgewood Winery will have cheeses from September Farms of Honey Brook. Enjoy a final taste of summer with, not Pepper Jack, but a Peach Jack cheese, paired with Summer Blush watermelon wine for a mouthful of summer fruit flavor! Next, 3-year aged Honeybrook Cheddar brings out the softer, sometimes hard to taste, true grape flavor of Ridgewood’s Gewurztraminer, and leaves the floral aromas and tastes behind.
Stonekeep Meadery will have a taste of Paradise, a flavorful aged Cheddar from Farm Fromage paired with the bold flavors of Stonekeeps’ Black Current Melomel. You’ll also enjoy sipping sweet and fruity Cayuga as a delicious toast to fall!
Gourmet pizza anyone? Stone Barn Cellars will be pairing a Brie and Caramelized Onion pizza with their off-dry Vidal Blanc. This creamy, salty-sweet combo really hits the spot as a delicious snack! Also enjoy Stone Barn Cellars Spice of Life pumpkin spice wine paired with a pumpkin cheesecake crepe for a whipped cream covered match made in heaven!
Long Trout Winery will be serving a warm, creamy, homemade mac. and cheese to ward off any chill in the air. Pair with Omnipular, Long Trout’s Cabernet Sauvignon wine, for a rich, comfort-food classic! Then, enjoy something sweet before you go like Carapple wine, for an apple crisp taste of fall. Peace out, Trout Scouts!
Visit Calvaresi Winery for an international treat! Collier’s Cheddar, named after the Welsh coal miners who packed cheese in their lunch sacks, is paired with Calvaresi’s stainless steel aged Chardonnay. Next, long-time customer favorite Steuben Blush is matched with Chorherrenkase, a tangy buttermilk cultured Austrian cheese.
The Events page of our website has more pairing details.
This year, the Berks County Wine Trail celebrates 15 years as an active group of wineries in southeastern Pennsylvania. Stop in for a tasting at any of our winery locations; many are open seven days a week! You can also check out our website at www.berkscountywinetrail.com for more wine trail information including links to each of the wineries, a map, and driving directions.
The Berks County Wine Trail member wineries are proud partners with the Pennsylvania Winery Association. For more information about these and other Pennsylvania wineries, visit www.pennsylvaniawine.com. Your wine purchases support the agriculture community throughout the Commonwealth.
Information and images provided to TVL by:
Berks County Wine Trail
