Calling all Valentines! Enjoy a chocolate filled weekend with your sweetheart when visiting the eight wineries of the Berks County Wine Trail on Saturday, Feb. 14 and Sunday, Feb. 15 (12 to 5 p.m. both days) for the wine trail’s annual event: “Chocolate & Wine Pairing Event Weekend.”
Plan a romantic tour of scenic Berks County with your sweetheart by organizing your own self-guided adventure visiting the eight wineries of the Berks County Wine Trail. This is also a great weekend to enjoy with your grandmother, mother, your sister or your daughter…as they are the best Valentines to spend time with! See a wine and chocolate pairing combination or two that grabs your attention? Pick your stops along the trail based upon what pairings make you feel extra sweet or be bold and select pairings that seem so very unusual! Chocolate paired with wine is a great way to try out wines you may not normally consider trying…because, who can say no to chocolate? You might discover a new type of wine during this event! And if you want to be even bolder, at any of the wineries’ main tasting bar you can check out other new wines just like your newest discovery. Expand your wine horizons! And of course, if you like any of the featured wines during the event? Keep your sweet vibe going by taking a bottle home for the holiday weekend.
No reservations or tickets required for this event; this event’s featured wine pairings are free, but please note that two or three of the wineries do charge a nominal fee for wine tastings from their complete wine list. These tasting fees are refundable with the simple purchase of a bottle of wine.
Special treat! Meet the new owner of Calvaresi Winery! Sweetheart Shannon Birosik will be enjoying her very first Chocolate & Wine Weekend as part of the wine trail; she cannot wait to experience this annual event by finding out first hand why people are in love with wine and chocolate. She’s got a bit of a sweet tooth herself so she’ll be enjoying the wine treats and sweets during this event weekend (including those decadently insane ultimate malted milk balls that Calvaresi annually features at this event).
The complete menu of wines & chocolates drizzled with all the sweet details is featured on the wine trail’s “events” page, but here’s a taste of what you’ll be discovering on your tour:
Blair Vineyards (Kutztown): Earl Grey Chocolate Truffles will be paired with Pinot Noir red wine.
Kog Hill Winery (Morgantown): Merlot red wine with double chocolate fudge cake; and a bonus sampling of Dry Riesling white wine with white chocolate, covered fresh grapes.
Bashore & Stoudt Country Winery (Shartlesville): Two chocolate fountains for dipping samples of fresh fruits, cookies, and pretzels paired with Strawberry Wine.
Pinnacle Ridge Winery (Kutztown): Mexican Mole with chicken paired with two reds, 2013 Merlot and 2013 Quaff.
Manatawny Creek Winery (Douglassville): Syrah chocolate cake with a Syrah wine glaze paired with a Syrah Sangria.
Long Trout Winery: (Auburn): Chocolate cherry cookie truffles and feta cheese with walnut/date cigars paired with Berried in Chocolate red wine.
Clover Hill Winery (Robesonia): Vignoles white wine paired with a White Chocolate Almond Bark from Premise Maid Candies. NOTE: This event and free tasting will only takeplace at this winery’s Berks County location. Please note, this event is not taking place at Clover Hill’s Lehigh Valley location.
Calvaresi Winery (Bernville): Chocolate covered dried cherries paired with the winery’s, Concord red wine; or ultimate malted milk balls paired with Calvaresi’s bold Port wine.
Want to organize a day trip with groups of friends and family? Groups larger than eight people it would be very helpful if you contacted the wineries you plan on visiting to let them know about your plans to visit. Your call will be helpful for winery planning to make your visit the sweetest ever. Please note, “No Buses” will be accepted at Pinnacle Ridge Winery during this event weekend. And Clover Hill Winery’s Robesonia location will be the one to visit for wine & chocolate weekend; this event is NOT taking place at their Brenigsville location.
Looking to make a weekend out of your chocolate adventures? Need suggestions of where to stay to make it a truly romantic weekend? Please email the wine trail: berks_county_wine_trail@yahoo.com for suggestions.
For more info, list of winery information and maps/directions, visit: www.berkscountywinetrail.com.
Combined, the Berks County wineries have won hundreds of state and international awards and produce nearly 100 individual wines. The winemakers, their families and employees are proud to be able to preserve beautiful countryside landscapes and the agricultural heritage of Pennsylvania farming through the growing and processing of Pennsylvania grown grapes and fruits. The Berks County Wine Trail’s membership are proud to be associated with Pennsylvania Wine Association, Pennsylvania Wine Society, the PQA, and PA-Preferred Programs, Buy Fresh/Buy Local PA, and several regional Visitors Bureaus and Chambers of Commerce. For more info: berks_county_wine_trail@yahoo.com or www.berkscountywinetrail.com