A guide to Lehigh Valley's wine highlights
While you can taste some Lehigh Valley wines without leaving Philly (see If You Go), there's no replacement for sipping them on site surrounded by the rustic beauty of the steep rolling hills and cool breezes that define their flavors and terroir.
While you can taste some Lehigh Valley wines without leaving Philly (see If You Go), there's no replacement for sipping them on site surrounded by the rustic beauty of the steep rolling hills and cool breezes that define their flavors and terroir.
Many of these wineries have handsome tasting rooms and gorgeous patio vistas. And they're all the more impressive when you taste what they do best - aromatic Germanic whites, some pinots, Chambourcin – at very fair prices.
Here are some notable bottles to look for based on our recent visit:
Galen Glen Winery
Grüner Veltliner 2012 Stone Cellar, $14.99: Believed to be the best Grüner in America, according to Clark Smith and others. The '12 is herbal and edgy with dry spice and mix of citrus and celery. The coming '13 is even more powerfully expressive of grapefruit, Mandarin oranges, and honeysuckle, but veers a little off varietal style towards sauvignon blanc.
Gewürztraminer 2012 Stone Cellar, $14.99: Gorgeous with an exotic lychee-honeydew sweetness on the nose and a lush weight on the palate, but finishes quenchingly dry in the true Alsatian style. Thai food awaits.
Riesling 2012 "semi-dry," $12.99: A perfect crowd-pleaser intro to Galen Glen's wine, with a perfect balance of ripe apple sweetness and a minerally tart finish reminiscent of a good German QbA.
Zweigelt 2013, $14.99: whites are the vineyard's stars, but this blend Austrian zweigelt ("a red that acts pretty like a white," says Smith) is a pure expression of soft, ruby-red fruit, with an aroma of dry popcorn and touch of oak that lends its peppercorn berry notes a sweet toffee finish. To be released in May.
Vidal Ice Wine 2013, $37.99 for 375 ml: Made from frozen late-harvest vidal grapes harvested and crushed in the middle of the frigid night, this golden dessert nectar is a whirl of honeyed floral sweetness and lyrical bright fruit that would easily sell for $50-plus from a better-known region. To be released in late March.
Blair Vineyards
Gewürztraminer 2012, $13.99: An opulent Alsatian-style gewürz, ripe with exotic lychee fruit, ginger spice on the nose, and a dry finish reminiscent of bitter cocoa nibs.
Pinot Gris 2012, $14.99: A terrific aroma of ripe stone fruit on the nose balanced with a crisp, tart finish. Among the better American pinot gris I've tasted.
Pinot Noir 2009, $22.99: Blair's passion is pinot noir, and it shows in an exceptional vintage that channels an earthy mushroom savor through strawberry-like fruit. The 2010 is more lush, but also a bit overripe.
Pinnacle Ridge
Brut Rosé, $18: Made from 100% pinot noir, its yeasty, mid-sized bubbles evoke strawberries and cream, but dry out nicely on the palate. Party-starter.
Dry Riesling 2013, $12: Crisp, bright, and grapefruity. For those who like their Riesling dry and tart.
Oasis rosé, $12: A refreshing salmon- colored Provence-style rosé, bone dry with a peach pit finish.
Other Lehigh wineries and winners
These wines won unanimous "double gold" medals from Clark Smith's expert panel at Appellation America:
Big Creek Vineyards: 2011 Nouveau Red (Marquette)
Franklin Hill Vineyards: 2010 Chambourcin
Vynecrest Winery: 2010 Chambourcin