Coda Rossa is another recent addition to the South Jersey Winery boom. Since opening in 2010 Kenton and Kathy Nice have seen their winery grow rapidly. Coda Rossa is named for the red hawks often spotted on their property (Coda Rossa means Red Hawk in Italian). Located in Franklinville, their grapes are sourced from their estate and from California. The tasting room is a small, but modern, nicely appointed room.
Coda Rossa specializes in both dry red wines and sweet wines. The only white wine they make is their Neve. They also produce two Rose Wines – Chambourcin Rose and Raspberry Rose. Their red wines include 1526 (named after their address, it is a blend of local red grapes); Ameritage* (a red blend); Coeur d’Est** (a red blend); Tempesta! (“Tempting Tuscan red blend”); and Holiday Spice (a spicy red wine).
Utilizing Californian grapes, they have created three blends: Barbera/Petite Sirah; Super Tuscan (Chianti- style); and Meritage* (their Bordeaux-style blend) as well as a Malbec.
Coda Rossa sweet wines include Black Bird (Sweet Raspberry and Syrah); Blue Moon Port (a blend of sweet blueberry and Merlot); Harmony; Peacho Grigio (with just a touch of peach); and Sweet Jane (their sweetest wine).
Their wines have won many awards. At the 2016 New Jersey Wine Competition – they won a Gold Medal for their NV “Harmony”; Silvers for their NV Ameritage, NV “Peach O” and NV Coeur D’Est; and Bronze Medals for their NV Chambourcin, NV Tempesta, NV Sweet Jane, NV Raspberry Rose, NV 1526 and NV Blue Moon. They also took four silver medals at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition for their 2013 Sweet Jane, Niagara, 2013 Harmony Concord, 2013 Ameritage Red Blend and 2013 1526 Red Blend. At the same competition Coda Rossa won Bronze Medals for their 2013 Blue Moon Dessert Wine and 2013 Coeur d’Est Red Blend.
Coda Rossa is open on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tastings are $5 for your choice of six wines on their menu. Their wines are also available for purchase at many local restaurants and outlets. In addition, should the winemaking bug bite you, Coda Rossa also offers beginners a chance to make wine utilizing their facility in Cherry Hill, as well as their tools, their grapes, and their barrels (and their expertise) until your wine is ready to be bottled and taken home.
*Meritage wine, is a blend of two or more red Bordeaux varietals (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot). Coda Rossa uses the term Ameritage to signify the use of American grapes (in this case Californian); whereas their Meritage wine is a Bordeaux-style wine using the same varietals, but utilizing grapes from their estate.
**Coeur d’Est is a term used to signify a wine that is produced by a winery in the Outer Coastal Plains (OCP) AVA that is generally considered that winery’s very best wine. For more about AVA’s click the link below:
Tasted a New Jersey wine lately? Visited a NJ winery recently? Share your experience here.
Cheers!
Thinking the book can’t be far away now!! Getting excited!!