Kennedy Cellars & Scotland Run

I have been meaning to visit the Kennedy Cellars tasting room for some time. On Friday, my wife and I decided to stop by. Located in Hammonton, their tasting room is next door to their winemaking school. They offer services from purchasing grapes to providing the necessary equipment and the expertise to assist you throughout the winemaking process. On Thursday, our goal was a more modest one: enjoy a few locally made wines, perhaps with some light accompaniment. Unfortunately, they had a private event scheduled and they could not serve us inside and food would not be available. But Dan, our server, offered to let us try their wines, by the bottle, glass, or flight-as long as we did not mind doing so on their patio.

Since it was a beautiful day, we happily agreed to enjoy some wine on their patio. Dan was so accommodating, he even managed to get us a tray of veggies, naan, hummus, and guacamole. He also impressed us with his knowledge of the wines being presented (and about a few South Jersey wineries).

Our Wine Flight

• Albarino-A decent version that had just been bottled and will doubtless continue to improve.
• Fire Sale-A light and easy drinking red blend.
• Shiraz-A wonderful, full-bodied expression that is silky smooth.
• Winemaker’s Select Red Blend (a bolder, more full-bodied red blend).
• I decided to try a glass of their Bordeaux Blend, while my wife selected a glass of their oaked Chardonnay. She loved her Chardonnay and I was pleased with my classic blend.

I was disappointed that their menu didn’t include their Coeur d’Est, the classic New Jersey red blend, utilizing the best grapes from the Outer Coastal Plain. The problem was they were down to their last bottle. Again, Dan was quite helpful, selling me their last bottle of their Coeur d’Est. We added a bottle of their Shiraz, which was our favorite wine in our flight. It was a terrific, fruit forward, full-bodied wine with velvety tannins. On Saturday, I was eager to open the Coeur d’Est (pictured below). It is a medium-bodied red blend that rivals some of the best versions I have sampled at New Jersey wineries. I love that Kennedy Cellars includes this classic New Jersey wine with their wines created with grapes from around the world.

                               

Our special thanks to Dan, for his great service, flexibility, and wine knowledge. We shall return!

Scotland Run

Scotland Run is a golf club with a very good bar, restaurant, and pro shop, to go along with their beautiful golf course (that is open to the public). It is located in Williamstown. We seldom eat at restaurants that are not BYOB establishments, since we prefer to pick our wines and to avoid paying 200-300% higher prices for them. However, we utilized a gift card and Thursdays offer happy hour specials and half-priced wine (on all their wines-not limited to “house wines”). The result is a win-win! Our bottle of Kendall Jackson Reserve Chardonnay was only $17! We enjoyed our crab cakes and scallops. Both of our dishes were well-prepared and the presentation was super (much better than the pictures I decided not to utilize here). With views of the golf course and the creative use of fall decorations all around you, the ambiance is terrific. We even lucked out with the weather on Wednesday-dry and comfortable temperatures. This is outdoor dining at its best!

Cheers!

New Jersey Uncorked: A Snob-Free Taste of NJ Wine

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Coming Attractions

• San Marco Grapes & Wine
• NJ Petit Verdot
• More Music in the Vines
• Unionville Updates

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