My wife and I had a reservation for dinner at Tisha’s in Cape May on Friday. But we can’t go to Cape May without visiting a winery while there. We were initially going to pick up a couple of wines at Turdo Vineyards. As it turned out, we never got around to eating lunch and when we got there we discovered that Turdo is now offering a traditional tasting (with strict limits on the number of patrons indoors). We decided to take advantage of the tasting opportunity and enjoy some wine and cheese on their beautiful expanded patio.

Wine Tasting at Turdo Vineyards: A few of my highlights are briefly described below.

• Turis 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon-Perhaps the best Cab from this winery that I have had. Full-bodied and velvety smooth.
• Luca’s 2018 Rosso Black Label-Tempranillo/Syrah. I chose this one to enjoy with our cheese and crackers on the patio. A terrific blend, great with food or all by itself! Black cherries, spice, cocoa and vanilla.
• 2014 Turis Etichetta D’Oro Nebbiolo-Their super premium version of this grape is another winner with enough structure to hold onto for a decade or more, yet already pretty smooth and very tasty. They follow the same strict production techniques used to produce a Barolo in Piedmont (except that the grapes are estate grown here in Cape May). Subtle fragrance of roses, with notes on the palate of cherries, raspberries, and leather with vanilla and caramel in the finish that lingers.
• 2016 Turis Etichetta D’Oro Sangiovese-the counterpoint to their other super premium wine, this Sangiovese is made with the same specifications required to make a Brunello in Tuscany (except again the grapes are estate-grown here). This was definitely my favorite in the tasting. It’s like a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors, including red cherries, cocoa, spice, vanilla and black licorice with a finish that lasts and lasts. It is already decadently luscious.

In addition to the Rosso we opened on the patio, we took home enough friends to complete a case. The contents are pictured below.

The Restaurant

Tisha’s is one of our favorite seafood restaurants in a town with several very good ones. I also love that it is a BYOB restaurant. You get to choose what wines you want and save money in the bargain. Having said that, they do offer a few wines from a very good local winery (Cape May Winery). So it’s a win-win proposition. But the food is scrumptious.

Salads

For my salad I chose the Kale Salad with house made Caesar dressing, grated Pecorino and anchovies. See below.

My wife chose the Harvest Salad, substituting Asiago Cheese for Stilton. It also had roasted squash, Granny Smith apples and candied pecans tossed in a raspberry vinaigrette. See below.

Entrees

For my entree, I chose the Scallops Sambuca. Local scallops sautéed in a samba cream sauce, with mushrooms and baby spinach tossed with fettuccine pasta. Amazing! These tender scallops are the best around. The Sambuca was a nice subtle touch that did not overpower the dish (or clash with the wine).

My wife chose the Thai Salmon and Shrimp. Seasoned and grilled salmon, red mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans and Thai chili sauce. My wife was kind enough to let me taste and it was just as good as mine.

The Wine

I chose the William Heritage Winery Pumpkin Hill Chardonnay (pictured below). It was the perfect complement to both of our dinners. I love this Chardonnay, utilizing the Chardonnay grapes grown on a single vineyard on a hill, named Pumpkin Hill. Somehow that seems perfect for this time of year. It has a rich creaminess and full body, bursting with fruit, yet dry, with only a hint of sweetness.

Our seating behind the building on their patio was ideal. Not in the path of the wait staff, sufficiently distant from the nearest table, with greenery making us feel romantically (and safely) removed from other diners. There were some heat lamps further out to help warm diners on a cooler evening. We were also appreciative that all staff and diners were in complete compliance with safety regulations.

Our wine tasting at Turdo and our meal at Tisha’s were both memorable and exceptional. I recommend them both enthusiastically.

Cheers!

You can still purchase my book on New Jersey wine: New Jersey Uncorked. If you have a Mac, iPad or iPhone, you can download the ebook on the Apple iBook app for $9.99, using the coupon code Fall2020.

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