Welcome to wine country
Eight Bucks wineries to host Bucks County Wine Month
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
June is so close, one can almost taste it. While the rest of the country is planning vacations and barbecues, Bucks County has only one thing in mind — wine. Eight local wineries of the Bucks County Wine Trail have come together to host the first Bucks County Wine Month, with live music, tastings, picnics and more at each family-owned location throughout the month.
One of the featured wineries, Crossings Vineyards and Winery in Newtown, will be celebrating its 17th anniversary this December, and cofounder Christine Carroll has some fresh ideas in mind for Wine Month to keep her guests coming back for more. Friday, June 2, is National Donut Day, so Crossings extended this into an entire weekend. From June 3–4, guests can sample several wine and munchkin pairings.
According to Carroll, there will be enticing yeast-based pairings such as vanilla buttercream yeast munchkins with chardonnay, glazed yeast with risling, fudge-filled yeast with chocolate cherry truffle — one of their most popular wines — and blueberry yeast with wild berry wine. The munchkins will be provided by a local Dunkin’ Donuts, an example of the Wine Trail’s mission to support local businesses.
“We can help each other out,” Carroll said.
Correlating with Wine Month is Father’s Day on June 18, and Crossings is making sure local dads are included in the fun. A lunch will be held in the vineyard with tables sprinkled throughout, and attendees will receive a glass of wine. Following the lunch is a tour of the winery, during which guests can see where and how the wine is made.
“We try to educate them while making sure they have a good time,” Carroll said.
The tour will also include visits to the winery’s newest additions, including the all-glass garden room. If it’s ever too hot or rainy, guests can sit inside while still enjoying the views of the vineyard.
Also in June, but not part of Wine Month, is Crossing’s wine and music series. The Fabulous Greaseband will take the stage June 9 to perform classic oldies hits, jazz band Hot Club Philly will appear on June 17, and The Beach Boys tribute band, Still Surfin’, will perform on June 23.
“We try to vary the experience for our regular customers while attracting new customers with offbeat and different ideas,” Carroll said.
Crossings Vineyards opened its doors in 2003, though the idea to start the business originated from Carroll’s son many years before. The family had just moved to the farm, and as he studied his new surroundings, he stated how the area would make a great vineyard. Naturally, Carroll and her husband laughed it off, and though her son went to California to work in the entertainment industry, he didn’t forget. Eventually, he made his way back east, and his childhood idea became a reality.
Since embarking on her journey into the wine industry, Carroll has seen a steady rise in appreciation for local vineyards. As a charter member of the Bucks County Wine Trail, she helped to build the area’s wine scene from the beginning. Formed as a nonprofit organization in 2004, the trail’s mission is to promote awareness of Bucks County wines. People tend to associate vineyards with California, but there are many others out there that deserve appreciation. The other trail members include Buckingham Valley Vineyards, Peace Valley Winery, Rose Bank Winery, Rushland Ridge Vineyards, Sand Castle Winery, Unami Ridge Winery and Wycombe Vineyards.
Along with the Pennsylvania Wine Association in Harrisburg, these Bucks locations are working to make the community aware of what they do. In addition to Wine Month, they host trail events, attend wine festivals and promote the Passport Program, which allows guests to visit all eight wineries with the purchase of one ticket.
“We’re giving people reasons to come,” she said. “They need to experience the beauty of these places.” ••
Each of the eight wineries has a unique list of events and pairings for Bucks County Wine Month. For a full list, visit buckscountywinetrail.com/event/celebrate-bucks-county-wine-month-june.
