Harvest season is when all of the year’s hard work pays off for a winery. The grapes they have grown this spring and summer are removed from the vine and their juices are extracted for fermenting into the 2013 vintage to be unveiled later this fall. On Saturday, Sept. 14 and Sunday, Sept. 15, the members of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail will celebrate the grape harvest with their annual Harvest Weekend event. The eight wineries will offer wine tastings, vineyard and winery tours, food and wine pairings, and live entertainment. Complete event details can be found at www.LehighValleyWineTrail.com.
The wineries will also promote the state’s “Pennsylvania Preferred” program by partnering with manufacturers of other Pennsylvania products to showcase their high level of quality. Event hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. (Harvest Weekend is a free event, however each winery sets its own wine tasting fee policy. Please refer to each winery’s web site for details.) The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail is a non-profit organization of wineries whose mission is to promote agri-tourism and to create a premier wine destination and grape growing region while promoting Pennsylvania wines from the region.