It’s been over a year since I have visited Alba Vineyards and Winery. I have been meaning to go back for some time. It was definitely time to find out What’s New at Alba?
Our visit started with a very informative tour, led by Nick Sharko, son of the owner. Nick is involved in nearly every element of the daily winery life. His knowledge about wine and grapes is nearly encyclopedic. It helps when you grow up totally immersed in the life of the vines from such a young age.
As the picture above shows, Alba has a beautiful new tasting room. It is large and full of natural light with a great view into their fermentation and storage area. Beyond that, going out the back door leads to a gorgeous patio with a huge pergola and tables with brightly colored umbrellas and a view of the vineyard. This area is a wonderful place to enjoy your wine outside, while listening to live music or just taking in the surrounding beauty.
Alba is forging ahead with some other changes in mind. First, they are increasingly becoming specialists in the making of the three grapes that grow best: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. As a result they are producing fewer hybrids like Chambourcin and sweeter wines. Second, they are beginning to produce and sell their best wines with a label reflecting this: Grand Reserve. They have a Grand Reserve Chardonnay and a Grand Reserve Pinot Noir. These wines are limited in quantity and not available for tasting. Finally, this year they completed the first of three years of planned expansion on their estate.
Speaking of tasting, I was able to taste the following wines:
- Pinot Gris (this was their first bottling of this wine, but hopefully not their last)
- Dry Riesling (their largest variety produced; a super crisp and refreshing wine)
- Chardonnay (an excellent Chard, with a beautiful marriage of fruit and oak)
- Chelsea Dry Rose (with Chambourcin as the main component)
- Old Mill Red (again Chambourcin is the largest component in this red blend. I hope they keep making this one. It is a true bargain at $12.99 a bottle.
- Pinot Noir (one of the best Pinots in the state and beyond) Maybe next time I’ll take the plunge for the Pinot Grand Reserve! Then again, at $64.99 per bottle, I may have to just imagine how good it is…
- Heritage (Cabernet Franc) – A delicious full-bodied version with rich color and fruit with a long silky finish.
- Vintage Port (made with their Chambourcin, it is an excellent and affordable treat)
While it was not on the tasting menu (it is being phased out of their lineup) I bought a bottle of their Mainsail, as I remembered it from my previous two visits as a delightful white blend (and only $11.99 per bottle).
Coming Attractions
- Beneduce Vineyards
- William Heritage Wine & Music Festival
- My interview with Seferino Cotzojay, winemaker at White Horse Winery
- The Winemakers Co-Op Event (Get your tickets soon for this great event being held at Unionville Vineyards on Sunday, October 14 from 2:00-6:00; taste the best wines from five of our state’s best wineries)
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Hi David,
I enjoy your newsletter! It would be helpful if you mentioned the location of the featured winery, with perhaps an embedded link to their web page and/or a map. Thank you!
Barbara, Thanks for your feedback. I agree I should give the location of the winery more consistently. Alba’s mailing address is in Milford, which puts it in the western part of Hunterton County. However, their website says they are actually physically located in Warren County 1.5 hours from Philadelphia and 1.5 hours from New York. Best bet to avoid confusion is to Google Alba and click on directions. Google won’t let me use their maps. As for including links to websites, I sometimes do this and will consider doing it more consistently as well. Cheers!
Have you been to Monroeville Vinyard and Winery lately? Some very good wines!!
Karen, Thanks for your comment. I have been there two or three times, but I hope to do a revisit soon. Yes, they do make some good wines. I especially like their Stillwater Red.