The 2018 Autumn Lake Winery Bloom Festival had one major obstacle this year — the weather. Mother Nature tried its best to put a damper on things last weekend, but Mark Hernandez, his daughter, Lauren, and the whole family and team didn’t let the threat of rain (or actual rain) deter them. This is a determined and dedicated group of individuals. Their followers are no less dedicated, showing up in large numbers, especially on Sunday. Another metric to further highlight this point: my previous posts about Autumn Lake Winery last May spiked off the charts. More hits than any of my other posts over the two and a half years I have been blogging about New Jersey wines and wineries!

What elements do you want in a wine festival? Music, food, and of course, wine. Good wine. Well, the 2018 Autumn Lake Bloom Festival had all three.

The Music

Provided by Cool With Me, this is a local classic rock, party group of five, with lead singer, Lisa Corcione. They performed their sets with passion and enthusiasm. At one point, I thought their bass player was going to join the tour group in mid-song, as he boarded the tractor-pulled wagon, playing his heart out. The group played an eclectic mix of rock, highlighted by their rousing rendition of “Rock You Like A Hurricane.”

The Food

Provided by @butchesbbq, the food was the perfect accompaniment to the event: great sandwiches for the quick and somewhat messy chow down. We chose the brisket (recommended by Mark Hernandez) which was terrific, though the pulled pork sandwich also looked great. You could add sides like fries, beans, and biscuits. I’ll have to try the sides next time. We paired Autumn Lake Winery’s Chambourcin with our Brisket. Speaking of their wines…

The Wine

Your ticket included a tasting from the following wines (my choices are highlighted):

Dry Whites

• Illustra-A white blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
• Albarino 2016-This award winner is one of my favorites!
• Chardonnay

I was disappointed that their wonderful Traminette was not yet available, but “I’ll be back…”

Dry Reds

• Chambourcin 2015 – in a state that has put this grape on the map, this is a very tasty version, using oak chips to augment the structure and complexity of the wine.

Off-Dry 

• Lakeside Rouge 2015 – A great bridge for the sweet wine drinkers to open up to the world of drier wines (and dry wine-only fans to concede that a hint of sweetness is not a bad thing).

Semi-Sweet 

Per Diem Red 2015 – fruit-driven, unoaked.

Sweet

Down Home White – Sweeter, but with a bit of citrus and oak.

Down Home Red – Made with Concord grapes – a “jammy” red.

Don’t tell anyone, but my wife and I got to taste their newly bottled Port-style wine – an excellent marriage of Chambourcin and Blaufrankisch!

Another attraction at the festival was the tractor ride tours of the vineyards, fittingly provided by Brendan Boyle. Brendan is the Vineyard Manager.

Finally, there were also a couple of craft vendors. I noticed one of them was selling some attractive hand-painted glasses.

A good time was had by all. Thanks to all at Autumn Lake Winery who made the weekend such a good time, despite the weather.

Cheers!

A brief book update: I signed a contract with BookBaby (one of the larger, fast-growing Independent publishers) to print my book about New Jersey wine: New Jersey Uncorked: A Snob-Free Taste of NJ Wine. The book should be available for purchase in mid to late July. Check back for details and links on this site. 

Coming Attractions

• Sharrott’s Wine and Music Festival
• While you will not be able to read on this site, my article about Auburn Road’s What’s for Dinner Friday Pasta should be available in the next week or so at jerseybites.com. Check out what Deb Smith’s excellent online magazine has to offer on the subject of eating in New Jersey.

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