Thursday, November 27, 2008

Fall Tour: Galen Glen Vineyards & Winery


Galen Glen's Sarah Troxell (center), from January 2007, when the winery's 2005 Vidal Ice Wine won Best in Show and Best Dessert Wine; she's standing between officials Pat Kerwin and Jim Sharp.


So what’s the best part about the news earlier this fall that The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philly added Galen Glen’s Cabernet Franc to its “Wine Spectator Award for Excellence” list? They came after the winery.

“They called us and asked to come up and see our facilities and our vineyard, and meet with Galen and I, try the wines,” co-owner Sarah Troxell of
Galen Glen Vineyards & Winery said by phone the other day. “They brought up a couple of, I believe, three representatives from the school and I believe a student who was in charge of the school student wine organization. And they came and tasted; they had come here with the purpose of [tasting] the Cabernet Franc. In fact, they just ordered more. It’s doing real well. We’re very excited.”

Galen Glen’s Cab Franc is the first Pennsylvania wine to be placed on the school’s well-respected list. Appropriately, this is the first time that the winery has made the grape as a varietal; before it had been used in a blend that Galen Glen produced. And the significance, besides the fact that visitors to a respected restaurant school in Philadelphia are purchasing the wine, serves a broader purpose. “And from our perspective,” Troxell said, “we get to interact, via our wine, with a whole bunch of new chefs, because all of their chefs go through their wine program and work in their restaurants, and that can be fun as these chefs go out into Pennsylvania and work at or create their own restaurants.”

On top of that good news came word that The Café in
The Frick Art & Historical Center in Pittsburgh has added Galen Glen’s Beerenauslese, a dessert wine, to its list. Again, those folks searched out Galen Glen. This is a nice little coup for the winery, which like almost all of those across the region struggle to find time to cook up relationships with restaurants.
“It actually is very much a struggle,” Troxell said. “We’ve got a few that do a really nice job, and this is sort of out of our region. So, we’re hoping to attract some Philadelphia customers as well.

“Getting into a restaurant is sort of like having a little star out there; another way for people to meet us and come visit us at the winery. And the best case is to have it happen when somebody wants your wine.”

The Event Grapevine: Nov. 28-30


Among the wineries planning discounts for Friday are Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Dickerson, Md., Kreutz Creek Vineyards in West Grove, Pa., and Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery in Andreas, Pa.

Sugarloaf Mountain will offer hot soup, a half-glass of wine and 10 percent to 20 percent discounts on all wines. Those include their 2007 Cabernet Franc, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, 2006 Chardonnay, 2006 Chardonnay Reserve, 2007 Circe, 2007 Comus, 2006 Comus Reserve, 2006 Merlot, 2007 Rose and 2007 Stomp.
Mulled wine and cider will also be served. Other merchandise will also be available for sale.

Meanwhile, Kreutz Creek will be offering 30 percent discounts on cases with a coupon it e-mailed out to its customers earlier in the week. Those markdowns will take place in the tasting rooms in West Grove and West Chester. Call the winery Friday for more information if you don’t have a coupon.

Galen Glen is offering 15 percent off case sales, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Otherwise, here’s what’s happening this weekend and beyond.


PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES

Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli: Fall Foliage Tasting ($$), Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.; Christmas Wine Tasting ($$), Saturday, Dec. 6, 5 to 9 p.m,
http://www.bluemountainwine.com

Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Reserve tastings ($$), Saturday, sittings at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m., last ones for this year; holiday open house, Dec. 6-7 and 13-14, noon to 6 p.m., includes free wine tastings; Dessert Wines for the Holidays ($$), Thursday, Dec. 11, 7 to 9 p.m.,
http://www.chaddsford.com

Cherry Valley Vineyards, Saylorsburg: Holiday party, Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 7, noon to 5 p.m., http://www.cherryvalleyvineyards.com/

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: Wine Country Style Holiday Open House, Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 7, Breinigsville and Robesonia, noon to 5 p.m., with music from 1 to 5 p.m.,
www.cloverhillwinery.com

Clover Mill Farm Vineyards & Winery, Chester Springs: Open again, Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m., through December,
http://www.clovermillfarm.com/

Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Wine Tasting in Riedel Crystal ($$), Saturday, Nov. 23, 2 p.m.; candlelight holiday concert ($$), Thursday, Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m., includes dessert and champagne; Wine Tasting for Dummies ($$), Sunday, Dec. 14, 2 p.m.; Bucks County Wine Trail Holiday Festival, Dec. 13-14,
http://www.crossingvineyards.com

Hauser Estate Winery, Biglerville: New winery open, Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; Candle Light Friday/Happy Hour, the last Friday of every month, 5 to 7 p.m. in November, 5 to 8 p.m. thereafter; satellite shop opened at 17 Lincoln Square, Gettysburg,
http://www.hauserestate.com/

Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas: Black Friday sale, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Dickens Holiday open house, Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 7,
http://www.galenglen.com

Kreutz Creek Vineyards, West Grove: Music at West Chester tasting room, 44 E. Gay St., Fridays and Saturdays, 6 to 9 p.m.; Black Friday sale (with coupon); holiday open house, Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 7, noon to 6 p.m., includes wassail, chocolate fondue and Christmas cookies; Winter Wine Dinner ($$), Wednesday, Dec. 10, 6:30 p.m., at Amici’s Fine Dining and Spirits, Landenberg,
http://www.kreutzcreekvineyards.com/

Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Wrightsville: Music every Saturday (2 to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (2 to 5 p.m.),
http://www.moondancerwinery.com

Naylor Winery, Stewartstown: December Weekends, Friday through Sunday, cookies, cheeses, fruits and hot spiced wine, www.naylorwine.com

North Wales Winery and Tasting Room, Montgomeryville: Open noon to 9 p.m. Friday, with piano music from 6 to 9,
http://www.cardinalhollowwinery.com/

Paradocx Vineyard, Landenberg: Paradocx at Chadds Ford Christmas Candleight Tour ($$), Saturday, Dec. 6, 1 to 6 p.m., Pennsbury Township; Candlelight Christmas at the winery, Saturday, Dec. 6, noon to 8 p.m.,
http://www.paradocx.com/index.php

Penns Woods Winery, Chadds Ford: Tasting room hours, Wednesdays-Fridays, noon until dark, Saturdays, 11 a.m. until dark, Sundays, noon until dark,
http://www.pennswoodswinery.com/

Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Kutztown: Customer Appreciation Weekend, Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 7,
www.pinridge.com

Sand Castle Winery, Erwinna: Country Holiday, Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 7,
www.sandcastlewinery.com

Va La Vineyards, Avondale: New holiday hours starting Dec. 1, weekdays, 12:01 to 5:27 p.m., Saturday and Sundays, 12:02 to 5:48 p.m.,
http://www.valavineyards.com/

VyneCrest Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: Christmas open house, Friday, Dec. 12, through Sunday, Dec. 14,
www.vynecrest.com

Wycombe Vineyards, Furlong:
Bucks County Wine Trail Holiday Festival, Saturday, Dec. 13, and Sunday, Dec. 14,
http://www.wycombevineyards.com

MARYLAND WINERIES

Basignani Winery, Sparks: Christmas open house, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6-7, Saturday and Sunday, and Dec. 13-14, open all four days from noon to 5 p.m., information on winery at this link

Black Ankle Winery, Mt. Airy: Open for business, winner of Maryland Governor’s Cup in 2008; winter hours start Dec. 1, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., other times by appointment; festive afternoon in the vineyard, Saturday, Dec. 6, 3 to 5 p.m.,
information on winery at this link

Boordy Vineyards, Hydes: Soups in the Cellar ($$) and local musicians, Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.; End of Prohibition 75th year anniversary dinner and party ($$), Friday, Dec. 5, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Celtic Christmas Weekends ($$), every weekend in December, http://www.boordy.com/

Frederick Cellars, Frederick: Frosty Friday – All Aboard the Frederick Wine Train, Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; music, Saturday, 7 to 9 p.m., Karyn Oliver; Holiday Recipe Tour, Saturday, Dec. 6, noon to 9 p.m.; Holiday Open House, Saturday, Dec. 6 and 13, noon to 9 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 7 and 14, 1 to 6 p.m.,
frederickcellars.com

Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Dickerson: Black Friday, special offers include
hot soup,1/2 glass of wine and 10% to 20% discounts on all wines including Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Stomp. Mulled wine and cider will also be served. Other merchandise will also be available for sale,
http://www.smvwinery.com/

Other MARYLAND winery events can be found at this link, VIRGINIA events at this link and New York events at this link

$$ – Admission charge