FORESTVILLE, NY (January 20, 2012) - The Lake Erie Wine Trail will once again host its annual Wine and Chocolate Weekend. As the wine trail's Valentine's Day venture for lovers, friends and family alike, the self-guided ticketed event will take place on Friday, February 17 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, February 18 and Sunday, February 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m at participating wineries. This year's event is sponsored by Finney's Chocolate of Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania.

Each year, Merritt Winery pairs a savory dish with one of their award winning wines to help give customers a break from the overwhelming amount of sweet treats they will devour throughout the day. This year the winery has chosen Chicken Milano, a chicken and sundried tomato dish served over pasta with crème sauce. The dish will be paired with Merritt's Seyval Blanc, a clean and crisp white wine with a delicate bouquet that pairs nicely with white meats.

 In an effort to participate with the overall theme of the weekend, Merritt will also offer a sweet finish to compliment their savory selection. Visitors to the winery will have the chance to create their own chocolate temptation when they choose from several dipping options to try in a chocolate fountain provided by Devine Chocolate Fountains of Western New York. Dipping choices will include pretzels, vanilla wafers, marshmallows and fresh fruits. Customers can dip something they like or try something new, creating a type of chocolate indulgence that differs from the rest on the wine trail.

As an additional incentive for event attendees who visit Merritt, the winery will offer a chance to win four tickets to the Lake Erie Wine Trail's Wine and Cheese Weekend, taking place May 18-20. Sponsored by Yancey's Fancy, the popular wine trail event is similar to Wine and Chocolate Weekend in its self-guided nature. Each customer will receive a raffle ticket just for visiting Merritt, automatically entering them in to the drawing.

"We are very fortunate to have generated such a loyal customer base over the years," said Jessi Luke, Public Relations and Promotions person for Merritt Estate Winery. "We do our best to offer new and exciting incentives not only to reinforce our presence and appreciation to our current customers, but in hopes of gaining new Merritt supporters as well."

Tickets and additional information for this year's Wine and Chocolate Weekend are available on the Lake Erie Wine Country web site at www.lakeeriewinecountry.org. A recipe book containing all courses to be offered by participating wineries can also be found on the web site.

For more information on Merritt news and events, visit www.merrittestatewinery.com or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/merrittwinery.

Merritt Estate is located in Lake Erie Wine Country, the largest grape growing region of New York State located along the shores of Lake Erie. The grapes and wines produced by Merritt rival the quality of premium vintages throughout the world.