Lele and Brad Galer
EAST MARLBOROUGH — November 11th, 2016 marks Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery’s 5th year open to the public. To celebrate this special anniversary weekend November 11-13, the Galer Winery tasting room will have customer appreciation wine specials, discounts, cheese vendors, art show, raffles, wine tours and live music Saturday and Sunday. Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery is located just behind Longwood Gardens at 700 Folly Hill Road in Kennett Square. Since opening, Galer Estate wines have earned more than 100 medals and awards for excellence in national and international competitions. In the Autumn and Winter months the tasting room is open to the public from 12-8pm Friday and Saturday and 12-7pm on Sunday.
The property formerly known as Folly Hill Vineyards was purchased by Brad and Lele Galer in 2007, three years after they had planted a 7 acre vineyard at their home in Pocopson township. After four years of replanting at Folly Hill and complete reconstruction and design of the new state of the art winery facility, Galer Estate opened its doors to the public in November 2011.
From the start, the winery motto “Blending Nature, Science and Art” was a part of every decision. “We wanted to make the best quality wine from Pennsylvania grown grapes, on par with France and California” states co-owner Dr. Brad Galer, “and we exceeded our greatest expectations.” Galer Estate’s winemaker, Virginia Mitchell, recently won Gold in the International Women’s Winemaking Competition, and Silver in the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle Competition for the 2014 Red Lion Chardonnay. The Red Lion Chardonnay is un-oaked, while the Reserve Chardonnay is slightly oaked in French oak barrels. The 2015 vintage was released earlier this month. Galer wines also include Cabernet Franc, Albarino, Pinot Gris, dry Rosé, red blends, white blends, and a Vidal Blanc dessert wine. 90% of the grapes in Galer wines are produced at the 2 estate Galer Vineyards, Red Lion at the winery site and the Home Vineyard at the Galer’s home in Pocopson, and the other 10% are from within a 30 mile radius of the winery. The Galer vineyards are managed by Jan Grimes, Brandywine Vines owner, who pays meticulous care and attention to the vines and grapes throughout the year.
“We owe our success to a terrific team of people: Virginia Mitchell – Winemaker and General Manager, Jan Grimes – Vineyard Manager, Joshua Towber -Sales and Marketing Manager, Cate Kelly – Events Manager, and a wonderful sales team in the tasting room.” Says co-owner Lele Galer. “From the start, Brad and I had lots of passion and energy, but we also needed expertise, which we were fortunate to get from true all stars in the industry: Lucy Morton, John Levenberg and Mark Chien. We are so grateful to all of our customers and friends who have been so supportive and enthusiastic. It has been a great adventure and we couldn’t be more proud of the winery and all the people who work here.”
To celebrate the anniversary weekend, November 12-13, all wine purchases will be discounted 15%, there will be a raffle for a romantic night at the winery bungalow for two, and a wine basket of Galer wines. Every day at 1pm there will be a winery tour with the Galers and Virginia Mitchell. Bill Hake plays Saturday 5-7pm, and The Northbrook Bluegrass Pickers will play Sunday from 4-6pm. There will be complimentary food, an art show on Saturday and a Chester County cheese vendors on Sunday with La Baguette Magique.
Galer Estate is located just behind Longwood Gardens. Every weekend guests are welcome to bring small picnics to enjoy at the tasting room, or enjoy a cheese board with a selection of cheeses from the Farm at Doe Run. Friday night features a discounted wine during Happy Hour and live music is available Saturday evening year-round! Sunday afternoons usually have a local author book signing, art show of local art, or an art class or lecture. For more information about Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery go to www.galerestate.com.
