Old York Cellars Harvest Festival
So many wine festivals and so little time…Today a tale of two festivals. First, Old York Cellars Harvest Festival.
Old York Cellars is located in Ringoes in Central Jersey in Hunterdon County. I always enjoy passing the playfully painted cows that adorn the roadside nearby on Route 31 (and the real Belted Galloway cows, grazing in that area, as well).
Old York Cellars is a very scenic winery and their festivals are among the best in the state. The Harvest Festival is always a crowd pleaser, with live music, food trucks, tented crafters and, of course, lots of good wine. Dave Wolin, the owner, told me they have about 1,300 members and they come out in large numbers, as do nonmembers from near and afar.
For our tasting, I got to try:
- Vidal Blanc – A light, dry, crisp white
- Pinot Gris – A citrusy white with a bit of grapefruit
- Vintner’s White – a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Gris
- Rose – A very nice dry Rose with lots of acidity
- What Exit Red – A light red that is a perfect answer for a barbecue, but versatile enough to accompany a salmon dish
- Syrah – A medium-bodied red with some spice
While they were out of a few old favorites, we really enjoyed the Vidal Blanc and What Exit Red.
We had some white pizza with spinach with a light crust and we enjoyed switching back and forth between our Vidal Blanc and Malbec (I was able to snag one of the last bottles, though it was not available for tastings).
Live music provided an eclectic mix that ranged from The Allman Brothers and Van Morrison to The Beatles and The Grateful Dead.
This was a beautiful, fun day and (thankfully) No Rain!
The William Heritage Wine & Music Festival
William Heritage Winery is located in Mullica Hill. Though it rained on and off all day, I must say it did not stop the large, enthusiastic crowd from enjoying the wine, music and festivities.
With a great lineup of wineries and live music and even several craft beers available, this is another “Don’t Miss” festival. The following wineries participated: Working Dog Winery, Autumn Lake Winery, Auburn Road Vineyards, Hawk Haven Vineyard, Cape May Winery & Vineyard, White Horse Winery and William Heritage Winery.
In keeping with my approach to these festivals I focused on wineries which I haven’t been to for awhile or to try a wine I haven’t had recently. With this in mind, we decided to walk to the farthest tent (while the rain was a light mist) and sample a couple of Cape May Winery & Vineyard wines: Their Barrel Fermented Chardonnay (a creamy oaked version) and Merlot were just as good as I remembered.
I made sure to visit Working Dog Winery early on. Though they did not bring their Syrah (one of my favorites there), I had forgotten how good their Chardonnay (a great unoaked version) is and discovered their light, but tasty Sangiovese with notes of cherries.
Autumn Lake is close to where I live, but I wanted to try their Illustra again. This is a refreshing blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc and at $12 per bottle it is a real bargain. I also wanted to re-taste their Chambourcin. I love the aroma and color of this grape. It wasn’t on their tasting menu, but I’m glad they brought it with them.
I made sure I visited the Unionville Vineyards booth. Unfortunately, there was no Pinot Noir. However, I loved the Vertical Tasting (same wines from the same vineyards from two different vintages) of their Pheasant Hill Chardonnay. I tasted the 2013 and 2014 vintages. Both were amazing. The 2014 Pheasant Hill Syrah and 2013 Big O (a Bordeaux-style Blend) we’re also both exceptional. I wish they were closer to me, but I will be going to the Co-Op Portfolio tasting there on Sunday, October 14 from 2:00-6:00.
White Horse Winery was pouring several of our favorites, I chose their Estate Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, Dry Rose and Chambourcin. All three of these are hard to beat. The Rose and Chardonnay are standouts.
We did not get to the Auburn Road Vineyards or Hawk Haven Vineyard tents, but will be tasting both on Saturday at the Cape May Wine & Music Festival at Hawk Haven Vineyard. We also did not taste the local William Heritage wines, as we frequent their winery often. We also had to narrow our options as a prudent safe driving concern.
I should add here that this was my first time with VIP tickets. As a member at William Heritage, we were able to get the tickets at a significant discount. Another good reason to join if you are a local. The weather on Sunday made us thankful we were able to sit in a dry, covered area, try some wines not available to regular ticket holders and enjoy a delicious buffet lunch provided by Rastelli’s.
The music was provided by Grass’N Gravel (who played an upbeat mix of dance-inviting tunes (with some hearty patrons indulging, despite the downpours). There was also a solo acoustic performer who played more singer songwriter sets amid the vineyards in the VIP area.
All in all, another great New Jersey festival at William Heritage Winery! What a great weekend!
Cheers!
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Coming Attractions
- The Cape May Wine & Music Festival at Hawk Haven Vineyard on Saturday and Sunday (October 6 and 7).
- The Winemakers Co-Op Portfolio Tasting at Unionville Vineyards on Sunday, October 14.
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