Last month, the founders of New Tripoli’s Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars, Joe and Vickie Greff, officially retired, turning operations and ownership over to Josh and Kristy Gier, according to local media outlet The Morning Call.
The Giers could not immediately be reached for comment.
Blue Mountain Winery was founded in 1986 when Joe Greff planted his first five-acre vineyard as a “hobby.” Shortly thereafter, “through research and experience,” the couple writes on Blue Mountain’s official website, “we discovered that the Lehigh Valley provides an excellent micro-climate for growing not only French Hybrid grapes but also European varietals.”
As a result, “Joe felt that the similar climate and soil composition that is nearly identical to part of the Loire and Burgundy regions in France, he would be able to produce world-class ‘old world’ style wines.”
However, it wasn’t until 1993 that Joe Greff made his first batch of wine, and it would take another two years for the winery to be built.
Nevertheless, since 2002 Blue Mountain has garnered tremendous accolades, including pouring wines at the Presidential Summit and Republican National Convention, as well as receiving a shout-out in USA Today as one of Pennsylvania’s top three wineries.
