Vol. 1, Issue 6
2012
JANUARY
Health & Fitness Guide
SCHOOL NEWS: Mon Valley YMCA Youth
Page 38
and Government Club Returns From State Convention Page 32
Ripepi Winery Reopens to the Public After 10 Years By Samantha Milton
Ripepi Winery and Vineyard, located at 93 Van Voorhis Lane in Monongahela, reopened this December after being closed to the public for nearly 10 years. Owner Rich Ripepi, of Monongahela, planted the first grapes for the winery back in 1986. “We still have quite a few 25-year-old vines that make our winery unique,” said Ripepi. The winery was last open to the public in 2001. However, it did remain operating for the Ripepi’s personal wine making, while the rest of the grapes were being shipped to Forks of Cheat Winery in Morgantown, WV. “We are excited to be up and running again and thankful for the support and help of all our friends and family, who have helped us with picking and Rich Ripepi (right) and friend Pete, harvesting the grapes,” Ripepi added. The winery was supposed who helps with the winery, show off the lobby of the to have opened last year, but because of a heavy frost, all of the Ripepi Winery and Vineyard in Monongahela. grapes were ruined. This year there are nearly 8,000 grapes with 1,000 more to be added in the spring. With everything being handmade, down to the labels on the bottles, Ripepi Winery is a unique find in the Mon Valley. The wine list includes a sweet white Diamond, sweet white Apple, sweet rose Valley Sunrise, slightly-sweet red Steuben, dry red Cabernet, dry red Chancellor, and an oak-aged dry red Chancellor Oaked each ranging from $11.99 to $17.99 a bottle. Ripepi encourages customers to stop in for a wine tasting and plans to have tours of the winery starting up in the spring. Wine can be purchased in the lobby of Ripepi Winery Monday- Saturday from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. and soon online from RipepiWinery.com. For more information, call 724-292-8351 or email sales@ripepiwinery.com.
INDEX: Local News . . . . . . . . 3 Places To Go . . . . . . . 4 Business . . . . . . . . . . 22 People . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Ask The Experts . . . 26 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . 28 School . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Kids & Family . . . . . 32 Food & Dining . . . . . 34 Local Worship . . . . . 35 Home & Garden . . . 36 Senors . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Entertainment . . . . . 43 Classifieds . . . . . . . . 44
FRE COP E Y!
BVA Superintendent Announces Retirement Long -time Mon Valley educator Steve Russell will retire from his post as the chief school administrator at the conclusion of the present school year. Russell became superintendent of the Belle Vernon Area School District in November of 2008 following a career spanning six years of classroom teaching at Monongahela Steve Russell High School, now part of the Ringgold School District. He also spent 33 years as an assistant Belle Vernon Area High School principal and junior high and middle school principal. He stated, “It has been a privilege to be associated with the Belle Vernon Area School both as a student and administrator since 1959. Through these many decades I have continued to find resilience in the students I have been able to mold, guide and motivate. To each and every board member, thank you for the honor to serve the district.” The Belle Vernon Area Board of Directors will begin a search for a new superintendent immediately through the services of the Westmoreland County Intermediate Unit VII.