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CO VER S T OR Y TECHNICAL REVIEW Blair has approximately 150 barrels from different cooperages Group in Chicago, Ill., and the wire cages for storing filled bottles Blair reports that his Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewürztraminer were fine. Later red varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Syrah had 11 days of sunshine that helped color accumulation, and those wines are coming along nicely. Marketing is another challenge, al- though major metropolitan population centers are not far away. Blair is located just west of Allentown, Pa., 70 miles from Philadelphia and less than four miles south of Interstate 78, a highway that feeds directly into New York City about 100 miles east. The winery belongs to the Berks County Wine Trail, a group of eight win- . The five-spout bottling line are imported from France. eries that sponsor four weekend events during the year: Wine and Chocolate in February; Food of the World, April 21-22; Christmas in August, Aug. 4-5; and Wine and Cheesecake Pairings, Oct. 6-7. As many as 1,000-1,200 customers come to visit the winery during the Wine and Chocolate weekend, while the other weekend trail events attract about 600 people. In addition, Blair holds winemak- er dinners once a month at the winery, which can seat up to 60 people. Future plans At some point, Blair plans to add more vineyard acreage at the Greenwich Vine- comes from SBC Bottling and Canning yard site. He has 20 acres in vines now and could add between 5 and 9 more acres in the future, possibly adding some Sauvignon Blanc. Although the winery was constructed less than two years ago, Blair already has plans for its expansion. "I'd like to add a cut-and-cover cave to use for product storage—both barrels and finished product," he said. The tasting room, which currently is approximately 1,000 square feet, also is proving to be too small. The covered patio outside the tasting room may be enclosed while a new, larger patio is added closer to the vineyard. We are fully stocked with all repair materials! Your Source for All Vineyard Trellising Supplies • Erosion Control • Gripples • Crimp Sleeves • Wire Vices • Post Repair Clamps • Anchors • Metal & Wood Stakes • Grapestakes • Crossarms • T-Posts • Grow Tubes • Bird Netting • End Posts • Wire NEW! OCLOC Post Repair CLamPS Largest Manufacturer of Grapestakes Nationwide! 800.423.8016 www.JimsSupply.com 32 Wines & Vines MARCH 2012 ( c en t er ) ( (l re if gt) h t)