Auburn Road Vineyards is located in Pilesgrove. It is such a nice winery to visit any time of year. But, on a sunny September afternoon, I was looking forward to sitting outside and enjoying a Buddha Box of goodies and doing a wine tasting, while overlooking the vineyards. On Friday, we were greeted by Lily, who was behind the bar, but she seated us and was also our server. She told us that she was the only server today, but she was wonderful. She was cheerful, knowledgeable, and very efficient.
My wife and I have marveled at how this winery has grown and how the wines have continued to improve year after year. Along the way, they continue to expand, as their membership and patrons continue to discover them and recognize the quality of the wines. Auburn Road recently became a member of the Winemaker’s Co-Op, joining five of our other favorite New Jersey wineries. The other five are: Unionville Vineyards, Beneduce Vineyards, Working Dog Winery, William Heritage Winery, Hawk Haven Vineyards.
Wine Tasting
White Flight
- Pinot Grigio-A nice, light, and refreshing version.
- blancNU-an unoaked Chardonnay with a refreshing lively acidity.
- The White Bottle-A tasty and consistently good Chardonnay, done in the French style-stainless steel fermentation and then Sur lie aged in French oak for six months. A very good, reasonably priced Chard for $23.
- Dry Rose-A beautiful Dry Provence style Rose with citrus and strawberry notes on the palate.
Red Flight
- Good Karma-A very nice dry red blend with ripe cherry flavors.
- Peaceful Warrior-Another red blend, powered by Chambourcin.
- Gaia-an excellent blend of Cab Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. It is a medium+ bodied wine with velvety tannins; aged in French oak for 18 months.
- Eidolon-A very good dry red with vanilla notes from aging in American oak. It is named after a poem by Walt Whitman and 25 cents from every bottle goes to support the Walt Whitman Association in Camden. It is their Coeur d’Est. This is a designation that it is a New Jersey wine made from the best grapes in the Outer Coastal Plain. The wine is made in the Bordeaux style, but utilizing Chambourcin as one of its chief components.
Our Take Aways
We brought home the four bottles pictured below from left to right: Good Karma, Gaia, Barrel Reserve Chardonnay, and Give Peach a Chance. The Barrel Reserve Chardonnay is not available in the tastings, as it is a limited production wine. It is a great oaked Chardonnay with apple and vanilla notes and a creamy finish. The Give Peach a Chance, is a great Peach Sangria. It’s not quite as sweet as some, but sometimes you don’t want all that sugar. It’s not only tasty, but a percentage of the proceeds go to a charity.
Coming Attractions
- Finger Lakes Highlights 2024
- Beneduce Vineyards
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