The Autumn Lake Winery Blossom Festival is a wonderful yearly event in Williamstown. There is always great wine, super eats and a great band playing live music. In addition, they have one of the most scenic venues in New Jersey. The sparkling sunshine made me think Mother Nature forgot it was the weekend. For those who could not make it yesterday, by all means stop by today from 12-5 for Day 2 of this event.
The music was provided by a super band I had heard before at William Heritage Winery-Grass’ N Gravel (setting up above). They play excellent Country Rock covers of groups like The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Little Feat, Tom Petty and The Band. These guys were worth the trip just to listen to them.
While my wife and I did not indulge, the wonderful smells emanating from Big Papa Jai’s Barbecue were almost as good as the smiles on the faces of their customers. A few feet away there was a vendor selling Kettle Corn. Why did I pick Saturday to be so good with my diet? Ok, so I did consume a few liquid calories… I’ll share a little more detail about those liquid calories below.
My wife and I had visited Autumn Lake a couple of weeks ago, but since that tasting they have added two more winners: Cabernet Sauvignon and a brand new red blend they have called Tortuga 2016-a blend of Cabernet Franc (60%) and Merlot (40%). If you like full-bodied bold red blends, brimming with fruit and enough acidity to complement any barbecue, roast or pasta, you must try it! The Cabernet Sauvignon is also very good.
The Tortuga red blend pictured above, is not only delicious, the art work on their label is beautiful. Mark Hernandez, owner and winemaker, shared a great story about bartering with the artist to obtain the rights to use it. Long story short: Mark traded the artist a case of their wine for the rights!
For those of you who have not visited recently, let me highlight Autumn Lake’s wines presently available:
- Chardonnay 2016-unoaked, fruit forward; 90 rating at BTI and Silver Medal Winner at the Indy International Wine Competition
- Autumn Lake Barrel Reserve Chardonnay-A classic Chard with subtle oak, creamy finish.
- Albarino 2017-A delicious classic version of this grape, which seems to be doing very well in NJ and Autumn Lake is definitely one of the best.
- Albarino Barrel Reserve-A very nice addition to the one listed above; I really enjoy this one, with a little more color, a little more body and subtle oak. I chose to start our day with a bottle of this wonderful wine. Served cold, this is a great summer wine!
- Traminette 2017-Silver Medal winner at the BTI Tasting Awards
- Illustra-a great bargain white blend ($10); crisp tropical fruit
- Halcyon-Delicious white blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier; a Gold Medal winner at the 2018 ASWA Wine Competition
In addition to the two reds above, Autumn Lake Winery’s Reds presently include:
- Autumn Lake Chambourcin-Consistently one of the best Chambourcins in a state that produces some great ones.
- Pinot Noir 2017-A delicious earthy version that you need to try.
- Ore-A Port-style Bordeaux blend (yes this is a sweet, but very special dessert wine that makes chocolate even better, though it is dessert all by itself! One of the best Port-style wines in NJ!
While I have not recently tried their Off-Dry, Semi-Sweet, or Sweet wines, they come with high marks, too, including their:
- Lakeside Blanc 2017-Off Dry; winner of 2018 Best of Show at the Garden State Wine Challenge
- Lakeside Rose 2017-Off-Dry; Silver Medal at the 2018 BTI Tastings
Autumn Lake Winery also makes Per Diem White and Per Diem Rose (semi-sweet) and their sweet wines: Down Home Cranberry; Down Home Blue (blueberry); and Down Home Red (Concord).
Missing in action: Blaufrankisch, which I hope to see on the tasting menu by summer’s end.
Thanks to Mark Hernandez and his family and everyone who helped to make this such a fun day and a great event.
Cheers!
Coming Attractions
- Winemakers Co-Op Portfolio Tasting at Hawk Haven Vineyard
- On the Sweeter Side (while I prefer dry wines, I do occasionally enjoy a few sweet ones, especially Port and Sherry-style wines)
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