The Berks County Wine Trail presents its annual “Artisan Cheese & Wine Pairing Event”. Wine and cheese have been enjoyed together for hundreds of years; you can hardly think of one without thinking of the other! Local area cheese producers are partnering with the Berks County Wine Trail for this special event. Spend two glorious Fall weekends tasting amazing wines of the region paired with delicious cheeses, individually selected by each winery!
Visit the wineries of the Berks County Wine Trail September 29th & 30th and October 6th & 7th (Noon to 5 PM all dates). Tickets are $15/ea. (plus online ticketing fees) now through September 27th and $20/ea. beginning September 28th. Purchase tickets on our website at http://www.berkscountywinetrail.com/events/artisan-cheese-wine-pairing-event-weekend/. Tickets are valid at all twelve wine trail locations for any of the event dates.
Plan your self-guided wine tasting adventure with help of a map and directions on our website at http://www.berkscountywinetrail.com/. Tickets include two wine and cheese pairings at each winery. Most wineries will have an additional tasting fee for their full wine menu. Please note certain wineries cannot accommodate buses or large groups.
Check out the pairings from our trail wineries!
We’re proud to introduce Stonekeep Meadery and Wine Cellars, Fleetwood, as the newest Berks County Wine Trail member. Ticket holders will be treated to aged, full-bodied cheddar from Farm Fromage to compliment the sweet tang of Stonekeeps’ Blackberry Mead. A second pairing of Dry Vignoles with “Delicious”, an Italian-style cheese that blends cow and sheep’s milk, is nothing short of, well, delicious!
Deerfoot Winery, Shoemakersville, is partnering with Grube’s Dairy Store, also located in Shoemakersville, where “squeaky” cheese curds are a specialty! Enjoy mild Garlic Herb Cheddar cheese curds with Deerfoot’s Gewurztraminer, weekend 1 and Dry Riesling weekend 2. Spicy pizza-flavored curds are a perfect contrast to “Country Red”, a sweet, easy-to-drink wine blend of Concord and Riesling both event weekends. Grube’s Dairy will be on-site at Deerfoot on October 6 and 7.
Long Trout Winery, Auburn, will feature smoked cheeses specially prepared by The Smokehaus. “Dark & Disturbing”, made from the Steuben grape, will be served with Smoked Cooper Sharp Green Chili cheese. Long Trout’s popular White Zinfandel, “Tassel Tosser”, gets paired with Smoked Manchego, a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese.
Setter Ridge Vineyards, Kutztown, invites you to discover “Clover”, a soft, spreadable cheese from Valley Milkhouse, Oley, on a cracker topped with “Lovers Leap” wine jelly paired with “Lovers Leap” white wine. This slightly sweet blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris & Riesling has bright citrus aroma with flavors of grapefruit, tangerine & melon. Setter Ridge will also be sampling a new Valley Milkhouse washed-rind Taleggio-style cheese. The winemaker is taste testing which wine to pair with the new cheese but promises to save some for the rest of us! Valley Milkhouse’s cheeses from both pairings and Setter Ridge’s own Lovers Leap wine jelly will be available for purchase while supplies last!
Kog Hill Winery, Morgantown, will have sure-to-please pairings. With over 20 wines, ranging from sweet to dry, they just haven’t chosen yet!
Manatawny Creek Winery, Douglassville, will showcase cheeses from Wholesome Dairy Farms of Yellow House where the cows are grass fed in open pastures and all have lovable names. The hints of pepper and spice in Manatawny’s Syrah are perfectly enhanced by the seasoning on Wholesome Dairy’s marinated mozzarella kebabs. For the second pairing, you’ll love the delightful, easy-to-drink, semi-sweet Ruby. Aromas of cherries and raisins abound in this perfect pizza wine, served with Mozzarella Pizza Pinwheels. Bravo!
Birchrun Hills Farm is the featured dairy at Ridgewood Winery, Birdsboro. “Underground” a semi-sweet wine blend of Blackberry and Merlot, is paired with “Birchrun Blue”, a delicately flavored semi-soft cheese that is mild, sweet, peppery and creamy. “Tomme Mole”, a deep and delicious creamy cheese, coated on the outside with an alluring, mole blend of coffee, cocoa, and hints of chili’s and cinnamon is paired with the soft and subtle fruit flavors of Ridgewood’s Pinot Noir.
Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Kutztown, is featuring cheese from Kirchenberg Amish Goat Farm. The chefs at Camillo’s Italian Restaurant have created a zesty tomato sauce with Kirchenberg goat cheese and delightfully seasoned with all your favorite Italian herbs. Dip some fresh, homemade bread in this sauce and enjoy with our best-selling red blend, the 2017 Quaff! The second pairing features local honey, produced by neighbor and beekeeper extraordinaire, Jan Kaufman of Kempton! Sweet notes of flowers and orange rind abound. Enjoy this extraordinary honey spread on Kirchenberg goat cheese and a cracker, and pair it with our creamy, toasty 2017 Chardonnay!
Weathered Vineyards, New Tripoli, will feature their newly released 2017 Chardonnay paired with Gruyere Gougeres, a puff pastry where the nutty flavor of the Gruyere is a perfect complement to a lightly oaked Chard. For their second pairing, you’ll be treated to the dark berry notes of Weathered’s 2016 Cabernet Franc and a beautiful Bleu Cheese petits pains, as the French would say, or little bread loaves! The deep complexity of the Cabernet Franc wine balances the sharpness of the bleu cheese leaving a creamy, buttery, and lasting impression.
Stone Barn Cellars, Spring City, has selected cheeses from Amazing Acres Goat Dairy, located in Chester County. Stone Barn spotlights “Night Owl”, a crisp, citrusy blend of Cayuga and Vidal Blanc grapes, paired with “Sea Smoke”, a bloomy rind fresh cheese layered with ash, a food-grade activated charcoal. “Cranberry”, Amazing Acres most popular cheese, is the perfect sweet and tangy complement to Stone Barn’s equally amazing Cranberry wine.
Stoudt’s Winery, Shartlesville, has selected a most unexpected pairing of Smoked Cheddar cheese paired with the grape-lovers delight, Concord wine. The nutty, smoky flavor of the cheese creates a fantastic contrast with the fresh fruitiness of the wine that everyone loves, heightening the flavors of both. This one you won’t want to miss!
Calvaresi Winery, Bernville, will have cheese from Calandra’s Cheeses of Nazareth. Calandra’s fresh rope mozzarella, drizzled with a sweet balsamic vinegar reduction, is paired with Calvaresi’s 2017 Pinot Grigio where the simplicity of the fresh cheese is balanced with the delicate flavors of the wine. The second pairing here is a mildly tangy provolone served with the semi-sweet and delightfully spicy Steuben Rose.
Visit our events page at http://www.berkscountywinetrail.com/events/artisan-cheese-wine-pairing-event-weekend/ for ticketing and other event and pairing details.
For more information about this wine trail and its member wineries, check http://www.berkscountywinetrail.com/. The Berks County Wine Trail member wineries are proud partners with the Pennsylvania Winery Association.
Information and images provided to TVL by:
Berks County Wine Trail
