Page 10 - Indulge October/November 2016
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weekenders CHEERS TO YOU
Following the wine trails
By Jack Romig
Of all the harvests autumn in and year-out, while reds can be more “and we leave it to our passengers to
brings, none is quite like
the gathering of ripe grapes, with its vintage-specific.” make the arrangements.”
promise of bottled pleasures for years
to come. For serious oenophiles or How visitors are received is unique Anthony Onorata, owner of Anthony
those just starting to cultivate their
palates and noses, fall is a fine time to to each stop on the trail. Most apply a Limousine in Allentown, said he started
visit a winery — the land is pretty, the
staffs cordial and the wines delightful. nominal charge to tastings, sometimes taking passengers to wineries in
To encourage such travels, wineries deducted from the cost of wine response to growing demand. “People
in many states have banded together
to create regional wine trails. A thriving purchased. Those planning to visit in were calling, so we started doing this,”
local example is the Lehigh Valley Wine
Trail, with nine spots to visit and sample groups are advised to call ahead and he said.
some of the best of the Valley’s vintages.
discuss plans, as not all wineries are set “If people are staying in the Poconos,
Tracey Werner, spokesperson for
the trail, said the Lehigh Valley is an up to receive large numbers. we’ll take them from B&Bs and hotels
official American Viticultural Area, as
designated by the Federal Alcohol Tax to the wineries,” said Britton Detrick,
and Trade Bureau.
A COUNTY OVER president of Renegade Wine Tours,
“This is a big deal in winemaking,”
she said. “In order to use that Another popular group of wineries is Germansville. Detrick said his customers
designation on the bottle, 80 percent
of the grapes must come from within over the county line in Bucks. Jim can purchase standard all-expenses
the area.” Recognition of this viticultural
area identifies a legitimate, established Jenks, owner of Unami Ridge Winery, tours or make custom arrangements.
winemaking region.
Trumbauersville, and spokesman for the
Trail members are Amore Vineyards
& Winery, Nazareth; Big Creek Vineyard, Bucks County Wine Trail, says several OVER THE HORIZON
Kresgeville; Blue Mountain Vineyards
and Cellars, New Tripoli; Clover Hill members are easily accessible in the You can venture even farther afield
Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville;
Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor; Galen northern part of the county. Others in pursuit of the grape. The Cayuga Wine
Glen Winery, Andreas; Pinnacle Ridge
Winery, Kutztown; Tolino Vineyards, cluster south of Route 202. Venturing to Trail in New York’s Finger Lakes region is
Bangor; and Vynecrest Vineyards &
Winery, Breinigsville. either group can make for a rewarding America’s oldest, with 16 members in a
The Lehigh Valley AVA, said Sam day’s outing. perennially popular tourist region noted
Landis, general manager at Vynecrest,
is a white-wine region for the most part. Also close at hand is the Berks for its state parks, waterfalls and the
“Climate-wise it’s similar to France and
Germany, so whites are consistent year- County Wine Trail as well as the extraordinary Corning Museum of Glass.
Pocono Wine Trail, which shares three Six of the wineries are boat accessible
members with the Lehigh Valley trail: and all proclaim themselves pet friendly.
Franklin Hill and Tolino in Bangor and Maryland features the Frederick,
Big Creek in Kresgeville. Patuxent, Carroll, Chesapeake and
Antietam Highlands trails. Virginia has
TO SAMPLE IN SAFETY the Monticello, Heart of Virginia and
As drinking and driving is a bad Skyline Wine Dine and Recline trails. In
10 | INDULGE • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 idea, choosing a designated driver both states, you’re close to American
is simple good sense whenever you historical sites, too.
plan a wine safari. Or take in the Coastal Wine Trail
An alternative that leaves no one of southeastern New England, linking
out of the tastings is to hire a limousine 14 vineyards in Connecticut, Rhode
service. Brian Beale, office manager at Island and Massachusetts. You might
A&A Limousine Service in Northampton, need more than a weekend for the
says his company ferries groups of eight, Vermont Wine and Vine Trail, with 34
10 or more on local wine trails and as far stops at Green Mountain State wineries,
away as New York state. “Many wineries vineyards, tasting rooms, meaderies and
require group reservations,” Beale said, cider makers.
