It’s hard to beat the awesome combination of food, wine, music, and friendship. When they all come together at the same time, it definitely feels like the pandemic is finally winding down and summer is back in all of its glory. My wife and I met good friends at Bellview Winery in Landisville on Friday for their Fiesta Friday. We were lucky to snag a table and chairs in the shade of a huge Maple tree. The resulting low seventies temperatures and a cool breeze made for a perfect late afternoon at the winery, that lasted into the evening. Only the conclusion of the music (there until 8:00) and the vanishing wine made us realize we had better call it a day.
But before our day was finished, we managed to eat, drink, and be merry.
Food
We were not sure what would be offered at Jays Crab Shack Food Truck, so we brought some hearty and healthy snacks (ranging from cheeses, chips, salsa, shrimp, and grapes. When we got around to the food truck, we were disappointed that the Bang Bang Shrimp was gone, but we opted for an order of Crab Cake sliders and Bang Bang Tenders (chicken tenders with the traditional Bang Bang sauce). The food was good and more than filling after our copious snacks were consumed.
Wine (pictured at the top of the post)
I bought a bottle of Chardonnay and a bottle of Blaufrankisch to complement our food. Our friends bought a bottle of Merlot and a bottle of Chambourcin. I also bought a bottle of Bellview Winery’s Venatti Red Blend to go.
- The 2018 Chardonnay was chilled and quite good, with the crab cakes and chicken. It is estate grown and fermented partly in stainless steel and partly in oak. The result is a creamy version with apple and vanilla notes.
- The 2016 Blaufrankisch was as I remembered-cherry and vanilla notes and a lovely summer barbecue-friendly red with a hint of spice.
- The 2018 Merlot was excellent. I had forgotten how good it was-black cherry and notes of vanilla with very smooth tannins and super food friendly.
- The 2018 Chambourcin was very enjoyable, medium-bodied red, with black cherry notes and light tannins. It is a flexible wine that pairs nicely with a myriad of foods.
I am saving the Ventanni 20th Anniversary Red Blend for a special occasion. I look forward to uncorking and enjoying this one. It is made with their estate grown Syrah and Cab Franc grapes. It was aged in the bottle for an extra year due to the delayed release during the pandemic.
Song
The music was provided by Rob McMahon. Rob utilizes technology to interact with his live vocals and guitar playing. His playlist ranged from Chicago (Beginnings) to Cat Stevens (Another Saturday Night) and Warren Zevon (Werewolves of London) to Rupert Holmes (The Pina Colada Song). My favorite was his version of Beginnings. It hit the sweet spot of his vocals, while doing justice to the guitar and the Chicago “vibe.” However, I must admit to humming The Pina Colada Song off and on the next day. A final note of appreciation: he sensed that the remaining folks were still in a party mode so he played DJ and spun a couple of dance tunes before leaving. My friend and I sipped our remaining wine while we watched our wives join the line dancers with relish.
We all had a very enjoyable time. I understand that Rob McMahon will be back at Bellview Winery this Friday…Cheers!
Want to Learn More about NJ Wineries?…
You can still download the ebook version of New Jersey Uncorked at the Apple iBook app for $8.99 using the coupon code WineNot.
Coming Attractions
- Terra Nonna Redux
- Core3Brewery
- Iron Plow Satellite Visit
- Laurita Winery Delivers!
Please note: I am taking next weekend off so there will be no post. Barring the unforeseen this will be the last post I miss in 2021. Thanks for following!
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