It’s been over a year since I’ve visited Auburn Road and I was missing a few of their wines. Located in Pilesgrove, I always feel like it is a longer drive than it really is. But, it’s just a lot of turns on some remote country roads. So if you have a GPS, it should be no big deal. I emphasize should be. But if you are new to Apple Play in your new car and your wife (unbeknownst to anyone), had the Google directions, seemingly coming out of your rear speaker, giving contradictory directions) it can be a little frustrating. We eventually realized the sound in the rear was from her phone in her purse on the back seat! Mystery solved. Now to immerse ourselves in a lovely and updated enoteca, drinking some excellent wines…
Recognition of the Quality of NJ Wines
Auburn Road recently completed some work on the tasting room building. They added a new entrance with a new hallway and brand new restrooms, before you enter the actual tasting room. However, the owners (Scott and Jules Donnini) have had some real excitement a bit further from home, as well. On June 22, 2023, the Garden State Wine Growers held a dinner and wine tasting at Tomasello Winery with the theme “Remembering the Judgment of Princeton.” For those not familiar with that occasion, it was a blind tasting held on June 8, 2012, Several French wines and several New Jersey wines were blind tasted by critics from both countries. The result was deemed a victory for New Jersey wines, as they “held their own” against the older, more famous competitors. For more information about this event, as well as an excellent history of New Jersey wine, I recommend that you read Sal Westrich’s book entitled, New Jersey Wine: A Remarkable History.
During the dinner and wine tasting, two Italian guests (Sally Semeria, a Sommelier and Food & Wine expert from Milan and her colleague, Davide Giloli) were honored for their part in “spreading the word” about NJ wine. Sally and Davide attended this dinner and visited several of our New Jersey wineries during that week in June. As an invitee, I got a chance to meet both of them.
The next step in this introduction of New Jersey wines to Italy was to do so in Italy. Scott and Jules Donnini had the honor of representing NJ wineries by going to Rome with Sally and Davide and serving New Jersey wines at the Embassy in Rome on June 26. This was done at the U.S. Ambassador’s personal residence. What will follow these exciting first steps? Time will tell, but this seems like an incredibly exciting entre into one of the epicenters of world class wine. I look forward to seeing more bold steps in introducing New Jersey wine to others. There is much more to this story and you can read more about Jules and Scott hosting the Italian “New Jersey Wine Ambassadors” at their enoteca, as well as their trip to Italy on their website here: auburnroadvineyards.com You can also read about the whole experience on the Garden State Wine Growers website here: newjerseywines.com.
Scott and Jules Donnini
Before, I share our experience at our recent visit to Auburn Road, I want to say a few more words about Scott and Jules Donnini. You may have seen Scott on their premises and did not know he and his wife were the owners. Scott is often on the tasting room floor-perhaps, helping out with work on the floor (he actually served our flights of wine). Or perhaps you have seen him playing bass guitar, sitting in with a couple of musicians on an Open Mic night (Thursdays). He’s actually very good! His wife, Jules is the winemaker-one of a growing number of female winemakers in New Jersey. It’s about time! Did you know that women tend to have a better sense of smell and taste than men? I might add, in my opinion, Jules is one of the best winemakers in the state. I find it interesting that she and her husband were both attorneys in Philadelphia before they decided to change their vocational direction. Selfishly, I am glad they chose their current direction. It seems like a wonderful destination to me.
On to the wine…
Our Flights
Red Flight (shown above)
- Good Karma-A red blend of primarily Merlot and Pinot Noir. It is fruit forward and smooth as silk.
- Peaceful Warrior-Another fruit forward red, this one Chambourcin powered, though there is a small amount of Cab and Petit Verdot in the mix.
- Gaia-One of their standard bearer reds. It is a blend of Cab Franc (primarily), with Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot, and Petit Verdot playing a smaller role in the blend. It was served in Rome.
- Mustang (“Spirit Animal Collection”)-A full-bodied Zinfandel. It is dry, but fruit forward with black cherry and raspberry notes and smooth tannins.
White Flight
- Pinot Grigio-I don’t recall trying their Pinot Grigio before now. After tasting it, I wondered why, as I thought it was quite good.
- blanc NU-A very good unoaked Chardonnay.
- The White Bottle-This is one of the best Chardonnays for the money in the state. It was one of the wines served in Rome. It is Sur lie aged in French oak and has a full-bodied, luscious mouthfeel, with good acidity.
- Dry Rose-A very nice Rose made from Merlot, Cab Franc, and Sangiovese. This one was also served in Rome.
The Food
It’s hard to resist ordering our “Go To” here-The Buddha Basket. You should always have at least a little food when drinking wine (or any alcohol), but we hadn’t had any lunch before we left, so our Buddha Basket was also our lunch. Luckily, it consists of crackers, hummus, meats, cheeses, olives, nuts, and jam. We actually brought home a little food (and a little wine).
Take Aways
Since the White Album was just as good (or better) than last year, I decided to bring home a couple of bottles, along with our unfinished Good Karma. If we had more room in the cellar I would have added a bottle of the Pinot Grigio and a bottle of the Gaia of Eidolon. But, I also knew we would be visiting three wineries in two days, so I had to go easy. Still, it is tempting when the wines here are so good and so reasonably priced.
Coming Attractions
- Hawk Haven Vineyard
- Va La Vineyards
- Autumn Lake Winery
- Bellview Winery
- Amalthea Cellars
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