Today, Natali Vineyards revisited. It’s been over a year since my previous post about Natali Vineyards and my timing could not have been better. They have built and opened a new tasting room that is attractive and bright with lots of windows looking out over the vineyards. Another change: Aronia is now their best-selling wine, thanks to its reputed antioxidant and inflammatory properties attributed to it. Our server also shared that a member of the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles buys it by the case (this was weeks before the Super Bowl game). More about Aronia and an exotic blend utilizing it later.
Natali Vineyards is a rather small operation. However, despite their small size they produce many different varietals and have been making quality wines for a decade. This is another of the wineries in Cape May, where the area’s winters are moderated by, and summers softened by, the nearness of the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. Al Natali, the winery’s founder, owner and winemaker, comes from an unlikely background – he was a professor of history at City University of New York and a network engineer on Wall Street. However, he has been applying those same academic and scientific skills to his obvious passion for winemaking. He also has continued his education related to wine by taking courses in wine chemistry and attending winery workshops. Those skills are producing some very good wines.
Natali makes six dry white wines: Chardonnay; Chardonnay (barrel-aged); Sauvignon Blanc; Pinot Grigio; Goshen (a blend of Trebbiano and Chardonnay); and Viognier. Their dry reds include: Tempranillo; Nonno’s Cellar Wine (full-bodied with a hint of smokiness from barrel aging); Barbera; Nebbiolo; Shiraz; Cabernet Sauvignon; Merlot; and Cedar Hammock (a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc/40% Cabernet Sauvignon). They also make a Blush (Court House Blush) and a Moscato.
Their fruit wines include: Pineapple; Strawberry; Cranberry; Beach Plum; Peach; TG Banana; Aronia; Erotic Aronia (a blend of aronia berries and two white grapes); Blueberry; and Raspberry Fusion (85% Merlot, infused with 15% fermented raspberries). I couldn’t resist trying the Erotic Aronia. It’s sweet, but not bad. After reading more about the health benefits, I may want to pick up more.
In the desert/sweet wine category, Natali also makes a wine called Nonna’s Cucina Wine (light and fruity with some residual sugar) and a Port-style wine they call Captain Vinho (a blend of black grapes, brandy and sugar that has been aged in whiskey barrels).
Natali has won many awards for their wine. In 2017 alone, they won Best in Show and Gold Medal at the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association Competition for their 2013 Nebbiolo. At the 2017 New Jersey Wine Competition they took a Gold Medal for their NV Dolcetta, two Silver Medals for their NV Beach Plum and NV Tempranillo and three Bronze Medals for their NV Barbera, NV Syrah and NV Viognier. Natali also won three Silver Medals at the 2017 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition for their 2015 Tempranillo, NV Blueberry and NV Aronia and a Bronze Meal for their 2015 Barbera. For a more complete list of recent awards, please check the GSWGA website.
My favorites dry whites this visit:
- Barrel Fermented Chardonnay
- Viognier
My favorite reds:
- Barbera
- Nebbiolo
- Captain Vinho (not dry, but very good)
Natali’s tasting room is open daily year-round, starting at 10 a.m.; closing hours range from 5 p.m.–7 p.m. depending on the month (check their website for exact times). For your $5 tasting fee, you can choose five of the wines on their tasting menu.There is something here for everyone’s palate. Their many varietals provide a great chance to try something new.
Cheers!
Tried a New Jersey wine lately? Visited a NJ winery recently? Share your experience here. Like what you read and see here? Consider subscribing and getting your weekly pour of NJ wine right in your inbox. No worries, though…no runs, no spills, and no errors (that I know of).
Coming Attractions
- Jessie Creek Winery
- Any Port in a storm? No, New Jersey Ports (or more correctly, Port-style wines). A look at Ports of all sorts, with a nod to several of my favorite NJ Port-style wines.
