Old York Cellars, located in Ringoes, is a terrific winery with a deep bench of wines to offer in an idyllic setting. The vineyards date back to late 1970s (as Amwell Valley), one of the older wineries in the state. The tasting room is an attractive blend of stone and wood, with an inviting patio and lovely grounds to stroll and picnic.
Old York Cellars produces the following white wines under their Old York Cellar Label: Dry Riesling, Pinot Gris, Vidal Blanc and Chardonnay. Their reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah and Merlot. They also make a Sweet Riesling and Blush.
Their dessert wines include: Southpaw Red (a red Port-style wine); Southpaw White (white Port-style wine); Blackberry Wine; and Peach Wine. They also make a Blanc de Blanc, which is presently sold out (hopefully returning soon).
Old York Cellars produces a second label called What Exit, for which they donate $1 from every bottle of these wines that is sold. They have raised thousands of dollars to support charities such as Dance for the Cure, Hometown Heroes and victims of Hurricane Sandy. They also offer their event facilities at a reduced rate to non-profit organizations that host wine-themed fundraisers.
They make a What Exit White (blend of 90% Chenin Blanc and 10% Seyval Blanc); What Exit Red (blend of Barbera, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon); and What Exit Blush (90% Chenin Blanc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon). These wines are then customized by labels that show the various charities these wine sales help to support. They can be purchased as a single bottle or three-bottle set for each charity label.
Old York Cellars offers many different varietals and has won awards and accolades for many of these. In 2017 alone, they won a Gold Medal at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition for their NV Blueberry and Silver Medals for their 2015 Pinot Gris and 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon. At the same competition, they took a Bronze Medal for their NV Red Zinfandel. At the 2017 Great American Wine Competition OYC won Bronze Medals for their 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon and their 2014 Riesling. At the 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Old York Cellars took a Silver Medal for their 2014 Syrah/Shiraz and a Bronze Medal for their 2015 Pinot Gris/Grigio.
My personal favorites on this visit were their Malbec, the Merlot, the What Exit White and the Southpaw White. I pushed myself to try this white Port-style wine, as I loved the Red Port-style wine on my previous visit. However, I was also intrigued by the unique and very attractive blue bottle. The Southpaw did not disappoint, as this was just a tad sweeter than the red version, but also very delicious. My wife was conjuring plans for putting the bottle to some artistic use once we emptied the contents.
Old York Cellars is open daily from 12 p.m.–5 p.m. They offer several different options for tastings: $7 for 6 wines; $7 for Chocolate for two; $21 for Wine and Chocolate for two; $12/person for groups of six or larger, which includes souvenir glass; $7 per glass of wine; $2.50 for a souvenir glass and $10 for a glass of Port-style dessert wine, Cabernet Sauvignon or sparkling wine.
Our hosts at Main Street Manor B & B Inn (our evening hub for this Central Jersey visit) offered us coupons for free tastings at Old York Cellars and one other winery in the area for my wife and me on this trip. Nice perk. Better than beach tags at a Jersey Shore Inn!
Check the Old York Cellars calendar on their website. There is always something going on and the wine and beautiful environs create the perfect venue for your entertainment. In addition to the seasonal wine festivals (one reviewed on these pages a few weeks ago), they host Music Under the Stars, Comedy Nights and many other special events.
Coming Attractions: Next week – Alba Vineyard
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Cheers!
