This past week my wife and I stayed in the Lambertville area and decided to revisit a couple of wineries in the area: Unionville Vineyards in Ringoes and Angelico Winery in Lambertville. We try to visit this area once or twice every year. Years ago, it was New Hope that was the big draw, and it still is a great place to visit. Today, Lambertville has many of its own attractions, from great restaurants, wineries nearby, and lots of interesting shops. They specialize in antiques, more so than t-shirts and novelty shops-all in a less-traveled path. Speaking of paths, there is the popular, but not crowded, tow path along the railroad tracks. From our room at the Lambertville Station Inn we enjoyed looking out to a stream that feeds into the Delaware River (also visible from our room). We enjoyed watching a painted turtle sunning itself on a log and a blue heron patiently waiting for a fish to pass nearby, an provide a tasty meal.
Lambertville Station also has a wonderful, historic restaurant on the other side of the parking lot and fronting Bridge Street. We have enjoyed eating there many times over the years. On this mini trip, we decided to revisit a new favorite, Local Greek, and another great restaurant that we had never previously tried, Tavola Rustica. It is a fabulous Italian restaurant, that was recommended by the hostess and co-owner of Angelico Winery-more about that visit next week. But, it is the wineries that I really want to discuss on this post (no surprise, I’m sure).
Unionville Vineyards
Unionville Vineyards is located in Ringoes, a short drive from Lambertville. They have been around for more than 25 years. They have a very impressive list of excellent wines to choose from-estate grown and almost all dry. In order to try as many as possible, we decided to share three flights: A white flight, a red flight, and a miscellaneous flight. Our server, Terese Lecusay, is also the new Tasting Room Manager. She was very helpful and enthusiastic about the winery and the wines and expressed her thankfulness for her opportunity, shortly after graduating from college. She seems like a good fit for them and what a great opportunity for her.
White Flight
- 2022 Home Vineyard Chardonnay-This is a terrific Chardonnay that garnered 91 points from Decanter Magazine. It offers tasty notes of lime and a lingering finish. It was aged for nine months in neutral French oak.
- 2022 Pheasant Hill Chardonnay-Another very good Chardonnay with tropical and ripe citrus notes, as well as a zippy acidity.
- 2022 Hunterdon Mistral Blanc-This remains a perennial favorite for me. It is a delicious, unique white blend of Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne. This wine is full-bodied, with tropical and ripe citrus notes, and lively acidity.
Red Flight
- 2022 Pinot Noir Reserve-One of their best Pinot Noirs yet, in a long line of terrific Pinots. Wonderful ripe fruit, with blackberry and cherry on the palate; smooth, but lots of structure.
- 2023 Silver Lining Cab Franc-A very good, unoaked Cab Franc, rated 91 points by the Cork Report.
- 2020 Sourland Ridge Red-A delightful, medium-bodied red, based on Cab Franc (80%) and Cab (20%).
Miscellaneous Flight
- 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve-My biggest surprise. This one was new to their offerings and I really liked it. Half of the fruit was aged in stainless steel, while the other half was aged in oak. The result is a lovely version with tropical fruit notes on the palate and a bit more body and smoother, softer mouthfeel than many others.
- 2023 Dry Rose-Not bad, but not as dry as I was anticipating by the name.
- 2022 Mistral Rose-The real deal. Still one of my favorite Roses in the state. This version is a bit more robust than usual, based on 100% Syrah grapes.
- Revolutionary Red (Bonus pour)-a great smooth, easy drinking red; great for barbecues.
Another great visit here at Unionville Vineyards!
My Takeaways from Unionville
Coming Attractions
- Angelico Winery Summer 2024
- Rootstock at Hawk Haven 2024
- Annata Wine Bar & My NJ Wine of the Week
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