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LEHIGH VALLEY, PA – September 30, 2019 – Whether it’s made as a dry red wine or blended with others wine grapes, the French-American hybrid grape known as Chambourcin has become a gem in the Lehigh Valley Wine Region. It is celebrated each October with an event of its own – Chambourcin Weekend along the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail.
This often lesser-known grape grows so well in the climate and soil of this region that it has been dubbed a gem by many winery owners and has become the only wine grape that is grown by all eight wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail.
Local wine lovers can become discover it during the wine trail’s Chambourcin Weekend event on Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13. Each winery will feature a complimentary tasting-sized food and wine pairing for guests to sample. Several wineries also have special features such as live music, wine cocktails, food trucks, and more (see detailed list below).
Event hours at all of the wineries are Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. (Chambourcin Weekend is a free event, however some wineries charge for wine tastings, and/or entertainment.)
In the greater Lehigh Valley, there are more than 40 acres of Chambourcin that ferments into approximately 150,000 bottles of wine. Chambourcin is very versatile and the wineries craft it into several styles of wine including nouveau, rosé, semi- sweet, sweet, dry barrel aged, sparkling and port.
The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail is a nonprofit organization of wineries whose mission is to promote agri-tourism and to create a premiere wine destination and grape growing region while promoting Pennsylvania wines from the region. For more information on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail visit www.LehighValleyWineTrail.com.
CHAMBOURCIN WEEKEND WINERY HIGHLIGHTS
Amore Winery, Nazareth – will pair Chambourcin with lasagna from Sodexo Food Service. Porches, decks and patios will be open and available for relaxing and sipping.
Black River Farms, Bethlehem – will release their Barrel Reserve Chambourcin ’17, which will be paired with glazed pork tenderloin with a pear and thyme sauce prepared by feast. Free live music on Saturday by Acoustic Keys from 1- 5 pm, and on Sunday by Andrew Portz from 3 – 5 pm.
Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli – will feature its Victoria’s Passion Wine, made with the Chambourcin grape. They will have an Employee Chili Cook-off. Each customer will get to sample all of the chili recipes and then vote on their favorite one. The chili will be paired with Victoria’s Passion.
Live music: Saturday – Damian Walck from 1-4 pm – free; Sunday Music Jam – Lou Franco Project 2-5 pm – $7.50 per person includes a wine tasting of 5 different wines and a reserved table in the glass-enclosed room.
Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville – will offer a sample of Agour Ossau-Iraty AOP cheese paired with their Chambourcin and a taste of a Frizzangria made from Chambourcin Frizzante.
Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor – The winery will pair its Chambourcin wine with a wild mushroom soup made by Social Still. There will also be a standard menu of small plates available for purchase, Specialty Flights, a Mulled Wine Bar, a Sangria Bar, Spiked Hot Chocolate, and 15% discount on a case of wine.
Galen Glen, Andreas – will feature a complimentary pairing of its Chambourcin wine and a handcrafted chocolate truffle, created using its own Chambourcin by chocolatier Steve Evans of Lancaster.
Wine tastings are $3 and include our exclusive, “Taste the Grape, Taste the Wine.” Have you ever wondered about the grape varietals that produce the wines you love? Join us weekends during harvest to taste the grape, then taste the wine. (While grapes last!) Saturday is Cheeseboard Day, featuring their favorite local cheese and local accoutrements, ready for you to purchase and enjoy with a glass of wine. Sunday from 12-4 pm enjoy lunch with the Grilled Cheese Café 2 Food Truck.
Tolino Vineyards, Bangor – Bangor Trust Brewing will bake fresh Bavarian pretzels with artisan organic flour, raw sugar, and kosher salt poached in a brewer’s malt bath and baked to perfection. They will be served with a sides of Bangor Trust’s homemade local honey stone ground mustard and spicy chili pepper mustard and paired with Chambourcin or Rad Red, our sweeter Chambourcin. Tours of the vineyard are offered at 2 pm and 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday, where guests will have the chance to taste a ripening Chambourcin grape right from the vine. Live music on Saturday by George Baier from 1-4 pm.
Vynecrest, Breinigsville – A chicken wrap with American cheese, lettuce, & tomato with a BBQ sauce made by Cibo Food Truck, will be paired with a newly released 2018 Chambourcin. Live music both Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 pm – Saturday – Steve Myers, and Sunday – Michael Green. Wine slushies flavors are Vynecrest Red and Pumpkin Spice. Featured drink is Bourbon Pumpkin Cider.
Information Provided By:
Tracey Werner, Blabbermouth Communications
tracey@blabbermouthcommunications.com
