Everything’s coming up roses along the Berks County Wine Trail this spring! Taste spring first hand during the wine trail’s annual springtime wine event: “Taste of…!” And this year, it is a taste of spring and all that is new and spring-like along the wine trail.
Discover the newest wine releases at each of the 10 wineries along the Berks County Wine Trail during Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17, from 12 to 5 p.m. both days. Each of the participating wineries will be debuting their new releases of wines. Some will be seasonally fresh – direct from last year’s harvest. Some will be rolling out of the barrel after resting for several years of winter’s sleep. As you visit the trail wineries, learn why certain wines can be ready for enjoyment within mere months of harvest and others may often take many springs to become ready. And yes, the wine trail is now 10 wineries…. So put a spring in your step and get out on the trail!
Taste of Spring is also the wine trail’s 12th anniversary. What a great way to celebrate by toasting new wines and, of course, further welcoming the newest winery along the wine trail, Weathered Vineyards. A great springtime party just got better with a 10th winery to the wine trail. One can never have too many people at a party, right? Weathered Vineyards, located in New Tripoli (just off of Route 100 as you enter Berks County) is located on a lovely hillside new winery property. Enjoy the view of its rows of vines as each vine readies for springtime growth as well as the springtime temperatures and fresh air.
Join in the fun during this wine tasting event weekend by creating your self-guided tour of this new wine trail winery along with the other nine wineries. Create your journey based on releases of styles of wines that you have never experienced before, or design your tour of the trail by selecting your old favorite styles of wines. You could also plan your weekend based on just red wines or just white wines or only fruit wines. Of course, visiting all the wineries is a great way to spend an entire springtime weekend. This event is free; no reservations are required. Please note that a few of the wineries do charge a nominal fee for tastings of their full wine lists, though these fees are refundable with the purchase of wine.
What springtime scents will you be picking as you taste many wines during this event? Freshly bottled red wines, having been in barrel for a few years, now softly bloom with comfy oaky scents or peppery blushes; freshly bottled white wines, largely from last year’s harvest, are lilting with ripe fruit-forward flavors and floral scents splashing into your glass. Of note, the dry summer of 2015 gave fruit and grapes in Berks County great, rich, deep flavors… So everything from the 2015 vintage will be amazing in particular. This event weekend is a festive salute of the work of the last year and a half. Between the work growing the grapes and fruit and transforming them into wine, it will be a well-deserved toast for all.
In the days ahead, a complete menu of all the new releases will be listed on the wine trail’s “events” page. But, for a sneak tease preview, Weathered Vineyards (New Tripoli) will be showcasing its newest release “Cirrus” made from a blend of Cayuga grapes and Riesling grapes. This white wine is produced from the vines grown on site at this winery’s new estate vineyard. Light and crisp, Cirrus is best enjoyed on a sunny day with wispy clouds above.
Kog Hill Winery will have a flower show sized release of several new wines all this spring, but for this event they will be unveiling a new vintage of Peach Harvest Wine. Made from locally grown peaches (each peach had to be hand-pitted to produce this wine). And just in time for summer! Light and fruity.
Bashore & Stoudt Country Winery (Shartlesville) has been busy, or shall we say ‘bizzzzy’ with bees. Enjoy the sweet release of their Honey Mead Wine, a springtime treasure!
Other wineries participating in this event include: Clover Hill (Robesonia); Calvaresi (Bernville); Blair Vineyards (Kutztown); Stone Barn (Spring City); Manatawny Creek (Douglassville); Long Trout (Auburn); and Pinnacle Ridge (Kutztown).
For more information, visit www.berkscountywinetrail.com.