Clover Hill & Vynecrest

             A picturesque estate setting is the best description for Clover Hill.  The perfect place for a wedding or special event is another good description.  A wonderful venue to enjoy meatloaf and mac n cheese is the description I would use for the time we spent at the winery.  The hall is large, the patio inviting, the tasting room welcoming (and chock full of gifts for the oenophile), the only thing missing, to the disappointment of the children, were the antique cars that adorned the grounds last year.  The atmosphere here is a little more sophisticated than the other wineries on the trail.  The staff is knowledgeable and courteous but there is definitely an "air" to the place.  They have a great place and great wines and they know it.

            A quick run down the road, literally five minutes, brings us to Vynecrest.  It is the opposite of Clover Hill, cozy, down to earth, less formal.  The views from the parking area look down over the valley almost to the Clover Hill property.  The outdoor seating is minimal and the downstairs tasting room is distinctly more compact than the previous stop.  The chocolate cake pops were to die for and paired nicely with Cherry DeVyne, as does almost anything or nothing at all.  This was one of my favorite parts of the tour.  It depicts the wide swing between vineyard settings, how different the approaches to wine making can be, and how those differences come out in the types of wines that are produced.  Both are wonderful stops on the trail while being distinctly different with only a mile between them.  Their close proximity to each other coupled with their accessibility to the highway make these two wineries the must-sees of the Lehigh Valley.  They highlight everything that the trail represents.  Yet, there are two more left, so down the road we head.