Wine Trail of Lehigh Valley



	Amoré Vineyards Bath Big Creek Vineyard Kresgeville Blue Mountain Vineyards New Tripoli Cherry Valley Vineyards Saylorsburg Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery Breinigsville Franklin Hill Vineyards Bangor Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery Andreas Pinnacle Ridge Winery Kutztown Vynecrest Winery Breinigsville

New Awards listed on the Awards page!

American Viticultural Area

An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a federal designation through the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to enable vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. The Lehigh Valley AVA will be effective as of April 10, 2008.

What defines the Lehigh Valley AVA?

The Lehigh Valley AVA is 45 1,888-square mile viticultural area including portions of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Schuylkill, Carbon, and Monroe counties. More specifically, the viticultural area includes the Lehigh River Valley from the town of Jim Thorpe to the river’s mouth at Easton, as well as the regions to the northeast and southwest of the immediate river valley. Portions of the Schuylkill River Valley and the Broadhead River Valley are included as well as portions of the cities of Stroudsburg, Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown and Reading, PA. Currently in this designation there are 9 wineries and 13 vineyards with more than 220 acres devoted to viticulture.

What makes the Lehigh Valley a unique areato be defined as a viticulteral area?

Grapes have been growing commercially in the Lehigh Valley since 1974. Clover Hill Winery, Vynecrest Winery and Franklin Hill were among the pioneers for planting grapes. The area’s distinguishing features include rolling hillsides and a similar agricultural climate. The Lehigh Valley AVA includes heat accumulation measurements of 2,601 to 3,000 annual degree days, annual moisture surplus of 351 to 450 millimeters of water and 161 to 180 consecutive frost-free days. The soil in this designation is composed mainly of shale, sandstone and siltstone.

Where does the name Lehigh Valley come from?

Lehigh originated with the Delaware Indians in the 1600s, who named the area “Lechauwekink”, meaning an area with river forks. Through a series of translations of the original Indian name, the name “Lehigh” now identifies the area.

What does this mean for the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries?

Having the Lehigh Valley AVA is an exciting step to be recognized as a premium wine producing region. The AVA helps to best define a unique and specific growing region. The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries are committed to making premium Pennsylvania wines. In the near future, you will begin to see Lehigh Valley used on the wine labels. This will be the designation to help you understand the taste of the Lehigh Valley.

How can we celebrate theLehigh Valley AVA?

Celebrate this new AVA by enjoying a glass of your favorite wine from the wine trail. Know that you are drinking something that is locally produced, unique and specifically crafted to best suit this area. Cheers!

Born Johannes Seyve 25-205 (named after its’ developer Johannes Seyve), Chambourcin was released in 1963. Unfortunately, Seyve died leaving no documentation on Chambourcins’ parentage. Chamby still thrives in the Loire Valley of France. Actually there are more acres of Chambourcin in the Loire than all varieties combined in Ohio and Pennsylvania. It is believed to be based on Seibel hybrids and may involve up to eight American Vitis.

Chambourcin did not have any appreciable growth until the mid 1970’s when it was made into a varietal by an Ohio winery. Today it is estimated that there are more than 800 acres under cultivation in the United States.

Chamby grows best in deep well-drained soil and while it is winter hardy, it cannot withstand cold temperatures for long periods of time. Its loose clusters are a good defense against humidity, which Pennsylvania has plenty of! Chambourcin ripens late but is worth the wait as sugars can rise to 23.6 brix. Although Chamby can produce seven tons per acre, and average of three to four tons of grapes per acre is more realistic for optimum quality.

Chambourcin produces a dark, intense wine not being as heavy or robust as Cabernet. Often the varietal is compared to Merlot because of its softness and Shiraz for its spicy characteristics.

In the Lehigh Valley, there are 36 acres of Chambourcin grown today yielding 93 tons of grapes and producing 14,725 gallons of wine in 18 different styles. The styles include Nouveau, Rose, Sweet Red, Semi Sweet, Dry Oak Aged and Sparkling. Our Chamby has won more than 50 medals in various competitions around the country.