Pinnacle Ridge Winery

Most comfortable wine tasting I’ve ever had. My friend and I were assisted by an awesome gentleman (sorry I forget your name!) who was just an absolute wealth of knowledge for everything having to do with wine — and entertaining! It’s $ 5 for 6 samples, he ended up giving us a few extra samples on things he thought we’d really enjoy (glad he did because we ended up buying them!) At the end when we each picked out a few bottles the $ 5 tasting fee comes off that price. Adorable old farmhouse and just being surrounded by the barrels made it perfect. Their wine is the best I’ve had in this area thus far and the variety can’t be beat, as you can see from their countless awards hanging around. Will definitely be back!

I loved this place. Our server was really patient and made us feel comfortable. For $ 5, you get 6 tastings AND you get to use the $ 5 you paid against any bottle of wine you buy. Took 2 bottles of wine home with us and would definitely come back again.

Nice winery parking is tight beautiful barn. Lots of award winning wines we like the sweet so concord and niagara are our favs. Lots of dry choices

Super cool atmosphere in the old barn. Staff describe wines passionately. Wines are, by far, some of the better tastes of the region. For some of the reds, the use of multiple barrels make for complex and bold vintages.

A great experience… neither overly attentive or indifferent… and all the more impressive given our experience at Vynecrest later that same day. Fortunately, the wine was good, particularly the reds. The Chambourcin Reserve and Merlot. One of if not the best I’ve visited on the Lehigh Trail…

My wife and I wanted to give Pinnacle Ridge a try on our special LV Foodie Tour day, and we were not disappointed. We met the owners, and were genuinely impressed by their knowledge and enthusiasm about their beautiful property and their wines. They are truly passionate about their offerings, and it shows in their vintages. They have won dozens of awards, and will continue to do so. Then on to the wines themselves. We favor the German whites which thrive in the area, and our tastings were met by some new standards. Multiples of the 2014 Dry Vidal, Reisling, and Traminette all had to come home with us in our first case club purchase along with a few extras, like Blanc de Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Finally, it was wonderful to be there on a quiet day so we could have the opportunity to chat and learn more about this fine business and lovely people. Thanks for a great time!

I met my best friend here for a tasting and it was lovely. They have a great selection for everyone’s tastes. We settled on a cold bottle of wine to share there at a picnic table. Parking is very limited and more seating opens would be nice but if you are tasting and then taking home it’s great!

Love this winery, it’s always a pleasent experience! The Dry Riesling and Oaked Chardonnay is consistently good and the Pinot Noir is pretty good too. The staff is always friendly, but they could give a little more info about the wines when they are pouring – I personally love to know what goes into perfecting any wine and I think they need to tell us more about each one.
This year I stumbled on an event they had in the barn upstairs. I highly recommend looking for their events. Since the first one my husband and I have been frequenting Pinnacle Ridge for the music, wine and food they have going on in the barn. It’s a rustic old place with shared tables and old comfy couches to relax listen to local bands, sip some wine and have a bite to eat. I’ve brought friends and family since and everyone wants to return!
Join their case club for discounts.

Have been to this winery before. Nice place. Cannot wait to try the Late Harvest Vidal wine. The host was very helpful in suggesting a place to eat in the area.

Number 3
My party of three Pennsylvania wine tour continues with Pinnacle Ridge Winery. Upon my check-​in, I was awakened to realize that I had previously visited with my former love many moons ago but this 2014 visit is with better quality people for a better memorable time. No wonder the warm red winery with stars was all too familiar of the façade. The red barn had a band playing but the power of observation there was no substantial food that the three of us desired. Tastings are $ 5.00 for six wines with a casino-​like chip as proof that you paid. The glass is $ 2.50 for purchase and rather small. Bulk discounts are available 10% for 12 bottles+.
Pinnacle Ridge do not offer wine tours of their vineyard, cellar, nor explanation of what type of barrels are used aging and what type of barrels used for fermentation– oh yet again. I like the Osis 2013 (Rosé) which exhibits a hint of citrus, Chambourcin Reserve 2010 (dry red) for fruity and oak, and Syrah 2012 (dry red) for an earthy flair and a touch of vanilla. It appears that Pinnacle Ridge won many awards in the Finger Lakes Competition and the 2014 Pennsylvania Farm Show. They participate in Lehigh Valley Wine Trail and is family owned. The vineyard and winery is small. Here lies another vineyard and winery that not offer wine tours of their vineyard, cellar, nor explanation of what type of barrels used aging and what type of barrels used for fermentation. Our server and host, Dominick is very attentive and knowledgeable to explain about the percentage next to the description of the wine which represent the sugar level.

I really loved this place! The atmosphere was great.
Saturday my boyfriend and I decided to do some wine tasting… we started out a few other places, but ended up here… which is where we should have been all day!
The band was playing and the consultant that helped us was not only informative, but super friendly, and well, a pleasure to chat with…
The fee was 5.00 per person which was returned if you bought wine. They also had a miilitary discount which we did not know about, until the other consultant heard us discussing traveling with our consultant.
It was a great experience. The next time we visit we will be sure to bring friends and make a day out of it.

Pinnacle Ridge
407 Old Route 22
Kutztown, Pennsylvania 19 530
610.756.4481
WHERE AND WHY: Yesterday, Leah and I ventured out to Kutztown to enjoy the beautiful weather. We both love vineyards and we haven’t been to PinRidge yet so we figure it was the perfect day to try it out. Leah is a student at Moravian, studying to become a teacher. Leah recently parted with her boyfriend of 3.5 years. We have committed to enjoying the summer trying new fun things in the area and appreciating all of the different places in the Lehigh Valley. We chose Kutztown, the closest door to the Amish Country to Lehigh, because in 30 minutes you are surrounded by a different culture and open farmland. As true adventurers and wine-o’s, we were excited to test out this new vineyard for us.
THE EXPERIENCE: We got there at just the right time! We made it to the vineyard by 3pm and it was moderately busy. The bar is not that big and the tasting room is in an older barn that they renovated. The barn has been there since the 1850’s and the vineyard has been operating since the early 1990’s. We were surprised by the limited parking when we got there, but as city girls we knew we could K-​turn it out of there if we had to. The wine shop had different jams and jellies, wine accessories, and fun events posted. We had bartenders who were nice enough, but not the nicest. In fact, even before the large group got there at 3:30pm, they seemed overwhelmed with 8 people. However, the product — the wine — was delicious enough that we still stayed and bought a bottle each. It seemed as though our original bar tender knew a LOT about the wine and helped us understand the wines as we went. The next bar tender at least knew about ice wines but really wasn’t too interested in educating us about the product.
THE FOOD WINE: The wine was perfect for Leah and I. I am a full-​bodied, red wine drinker. Leah loves sweet, sweet wines. Pinnacle Ridge definitely had enough to chose from that we could both enjoy this experience! I was highly impressed with Oasis: This wine was modeled after the classic
French style of dry rosé. This light pink wine has a slight orange hue, notes of tart cherries, grapefruit and melon. The citrus notes help with the balance of acidity. I tend to enjoy wines that are paired best with Mediterranean cuisine though. As a red wine drinker, the Oasis is a crowd pleaser for red and white drinker crowds. It was crisp and clean, very refreshing.
My absolute favorite Pinnacle Ridge wine, though, is the Cabernet Franc. I didn’t try it at the vineyard because I already knew that I loved it. In fact, I ventured out and got the pinot noir which is delicious! Leah loves the Sweet Seduction wine: Made from 100% Chambourcin. Medium sweet. Great with chocolate.
TAKE HOME MESSAGE: If you need open air, somewhere new to experience, and an all around offering of great wine, this is the place to go! We even made friends with the owners’ cat, who we didn’t want to accidentally run over in the «parking lot.» Luckily, Leah is a fantastic animal care specialist. She lifted the pretty girl up and moved her so we could maneuver out. You can drink wine outside on the picnic tables or inside in the unique tasting room. Whatever the case, I would call ahead to make sure that you don’t get there at a jam-​packed time. I would suggest making a night out of it and going into downtown Kutztown after your tasting for a nice dinner. Leah and I definitely started to celebrate summer yesterday and this was just the place to do so!
Slainte,
Katie
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Very nice setup here. Looks like a 200 year old barn, the look a lot of places try to have but it’s not authentic. Most of the wines had a wow factor. Only thing I didn’t like was that there was a salesman vibe. Like every wine I really liked was «hurry and buy one or more before they are gone, only a few left» BS or not I hate that. The wine is really good though.

Climate change is warming and drying the Lehigh Valley climate, but at least we’ll get some nice dry red wine out of the deal. Pinnacle Ridge is ready and able to do it. The Chambourcin, Cab Francs, and Veritas blends are fantastic attempts to bring French and California wines to Pennsylvania, and they largely succeed. The austerity of the Cab Franc brings out the tannins and pepper in a way that makes their wine a great after-​dinner drink. The Chambourcin blends are big, complex, and fun to drink. I visit every year during my holiday travels, and always send a case back to California. But don’t miss the dry whites. The traminette is special, with strong floral notes and complexity you won’t find with a typical East Cost white. The Oasis rose is a great picnic wine and the «naked» un-​oaked Chardonnay manages to avoid the grassiness that plagues a lot of northeastern whites, instead delivering a strong floral nose with a little extra sweetness that works really well. This is not the Lake Niagara of the 80’s.
Love the barn basement tasting room and the friendly staff.

This winery has one of the smaller tasting rooms on the wine trail. If it’s a busy weekend tasting day or they have an event, the crowd in the store can be overbearing. After our tasting, we needed to wait in another line to purchase wine. Due to all the crowdedness, we ended up leaving without making a purchase during our last visit.
We enjoyed many of their sparkling wines. Unlike other wineries, they have the sparkling wines available for tasting, so take advantage while you’re here.
The staff was very friendly and knowledgable and would provide good explanations of the wines with your tasting.
They have a tasting limit of 6 wines, but this limit is the same as almost all the wineries on the Lehigh Valley Wine trail.
Their store has an interesting selection of oils, dips, and marinades along with some other wine novelties.
When it’s busy, you can see cars parked along the road outside the winery, parking is difficult in their small parking area.
It’s a good stop on the wine trail, but I’d recommend a visit on a day that is «off peak» for wine tastings. They have some good selections on their wine list and it is worth a visit.

What a disappointment. Very rude staff. We came in with a group larger than ten with full intentions of spending money at this winery. The staff said we were not welcome. Keep in mind this is a group of educated 30 somethings not a rowdy bunch of kids. I would not recommend this winery!

My bf and I were here a couple months ago and we loved this winery. The man that helped us was laid back, helpful and fun! He basically let us try anything we wanted and gave us tips. It was customer appreciation day and they had some delish food pairings too. There were a few wines I really loved. One being the Cayuga grape wine.
The place was unique which I love! The only bad this is the parking lot. Very confusing!

Our favorite winery in the Lehigh Valley. Their selection of whites and blushes is top notch. Consider the Naked Chardonnay, Chambourcin Rose, and Vidal Blanc. For a red, go with Quaff; it goes with everything. And if they have it in stock, the Blanc de Blanc can hold its own against any champagne! The tasting room is rustic and intimate. And becoming a case club member allows you to partake in their food pairing weekends.

My favorite local winery. They have a broad selection of options & the staff is friendly & knowledgeable. While they do some sweet wines, they have plenty of dry options that are actually dry (so many other local wines are super sweet, even those without added sugar). We enjoyed our wine tasting plus the additional food pairing (it was a special event, so they were serving mini cups of cream of asparagus soup… yum!) and brought home a few bottles.
The vines are all up above the building, so not much of a view. But the tasting room feels homey so it works.
My faves are the Chardonnays (naked & regular… and I don’t normally like Chardonnay), the Blanc des Blancs (crisp & clean) and the Veritas (red blend). Plenty of excellent sub $ 15/​bottle options.

Finally made our way out to some PA Vineyards. I was delighted to see that PA wines aren’t ALL completely sweet. The tasting room is inside of a barn on the property and the grapes lie along the hillsides.
We did a tasting, but were limited to trying five wines from their extensive list. We asked if you could purchase five more tastings but they would not allow that. With a tasting list of almost 25 wines, only allowing customers to taste just a small few is not a good way to promote sales in my opinion. Our group shared tastings, two or three people taking sips from one class to be able to get a broader sampling of their large wine list.
The whites were overall of better quality than the reds, but that’s not to say that the reds were all bad or anything like that. The Veritas and the Chamborcin Reserve were the highlight reds. The chardonnay was very nice. It had a good after taste and it wasn’t overly sweet as I was originally expecting. The traminette and the niagara were also good.
Overall, great experience, although I wish they would loosen up on their tasting policy a little bit.