Every time I visit Unionville Vineyards I ask myself why I don’t visit there more frequently. It is almost an hour and a half drive, but the wines are great, the ambience is terrific, and now tastings are back. While part of my drive often requires a 95 North component that is not fun, I love the Pennington area with their painted cows on display on the lawns of businesses. On Monday, I was able to schedule a tasting and was able to finally meet a social media friend, Carlo DeVito, who I have admired for some time. As luck would have it, Carlo is presently the interim winemaker at Unionville and he agreed to take a brief break from his work to meet and chat with me. I’ll share more about Carlo below, but first let me share a little about my tasting (not a flight).
Unionville Vineyards Tasting
I had a reservation for 2:00 on Monday and I was the only patron at that time. Andrew was my server. He is young, enthusiastic, friendly, and knowledgable and he guided me through my tasting of six wines:
- 2020 Pinot Grigio-I don’t recall tasting a Pinot Grigio at Unionville before, but it was very good-not quite as light in color or body as many. It had a nice mouthfeel (especially for a Pinot Grigio).
- 2019 Chardonnay (a blend of their different vineyard sites). This winery has long been a haven for Chardonnay lovers. This barrel fermented version is a real bargain at $23.95.
- 2020 Hunterdon Mistral Rose-The Mistral Series has been one of my favorites for a while and underrated (I’m my opinion). Nice to see that Robert Parker gave this bottle a score of 89. Pale in color, but tasty ripe strawberry notes with a hint of lime on the palate.
- 2020 Silver Lining Cabernet Franc-An unoaked version that reminded me of Pinot Noir in color and body (light), while exhibiting the deliciousness of the naked grape.
- 2019 Petite Sirah- A new offering this year and a very good one. It is characteristically dark in color and full-bodied, bursting with ripe fruit (blackberries) and acidity.
- 2019 The Big O -This is a terrific blend of estate grown Cab Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot from Ashenfelter Vineyard in Vineland. This medium plus-bodied red blend offers notes of ripe cherries and vanilla, with a long, lingering finish.
- Vat 27 Bonus Port (bonus pour)-Using the Solaro method of blending ten different vintages from 2009 to 2020, this is a delicious Port-style wine that is complex and not cloyingly sweet. Luscious!
A Memorable Chat with Carlo DeVito
For those who are not familiar with Carlo, he is a true Renaissance man. He is currently the interim winemaker at Unionville. His other experiences include being a former winery owner at Hudson Chatham Winery in New York, an editor, a publisher, and the author of numerous books. His most recent publication is a large, hardbound book called, The Spirit of Rye. You can see the title of his book on his hat, pictured above. If you get a chance you should view his other books, with subjects ranging from New York sports figures to books about wine, spirits, and beer. Most of them are available on Amazon.
Carlo has a gift with words-not just in written form. He can tell a story with humor and the kind of fascinating details that will keep you listening with rapt attention. I would have loved to continue our chat and listen to Carlo’s stories (and maybe have a bit more wine). But Carlo needed to get back to work and I needed to start my drive home. I promised my wife that I would not overindulge in my tasting. I was happy that Carlo agreed to do a longer interview some time in the new year, when he might not be quite as busy (I’m not sure if he is ever not very busy).
My drive home provided time to reflect on a fabulous day of tasting and chatting with Carlo DeVito, and nature supplied a beautiful tableau. There was a gorgeous sunset, as I passed a scenic overlook on 295 South. Yes, New Jersey has scenic overlooks. We’re not just exits on a turnpike. If I hadn’t been in a hurry to get home before the worst of the rush hour, I would have pulled over at the small spot overlooking the Delaware River.
I now started to look forward to trying my purchases:a three-pack of some of New Jersey’s best wines (all rated 90 Points by The Wine Enthusiast):
- 2019 Home Vineyard Chardonnay-Their limited production sold out and it is only available in this three-pack. This wine is from their original estate vineyard (Hilltop Vineyard).
- 2019 Counoisse (a marvelous red grape, originating in France). It is most commonly used in blends. At Unionville, it has been utilized in their marvelous Mistral Rouge blend, but this will be my first taste of the single varietal version.
- 2019 Amwell Vineyard Pinot Noir-I love the Pinot Noirs from here, though in the past the best were from their Pheasant Hill Vineyard.
I added an excellent bottle of Petite Sirah as a bonus treat!
My thanks to Andrew for the super, informative tasting and a special thank you to Carlo DeVito for his time, insights, and wonderful stories. My wife says she wants to be sure she can make my next trip to Unionville Vineyards (which will be sooner rather than later).
Cheers!
Treat Yourself for Christmas
Download a copy of the ebook version of my book, New Jersey Uncorked: A Snob-Free Taste of NJ Wine at Apple’s iBook app for ONLY $8.99 using the coupon code Winter22.
Coming Attractions
- My 2021 Highlights
- Mannino’s Cucina Italiano & NJ Wine
- Villa Barone & NJ Wine
- What’s New for ’22
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