Rootstock ’25 at Hawk Haven Vineyards

On Friday, my wife and I went to Hawk Haven in Rio Grande to see Donavon Frankenreiter. I had a great photo and even a video, but my computer was not cooperating with my intentions. Donovan is the guy on the right with the hat and white shirt. We arrived early to take in some other music, enjoy some wine, and have a great lobster roll from the Cousins Food Truck. We were glad we came early enough to see the warm-up act, Christina Holmes. We were not familiar with her, but she was great, with a powerful, wonderful voice.

Todd and Kenna (Hawk Haven owners) always pull out all the stops to make these events such a great success. I am so glad the weather cooperated for this one, since the weekend weather has not been very kind to the South Jersey folks and events like this. Build a great event with great wine and food, and throw in super weather and “They will come…” And they did.

Christina Holmes

She may have been the warmup act, but she was terrific. She played guitar and keyboards and sang her original songs. She has a couple of albums out, including “The Beautiful Struggle”(2019) and “Stand Up” (2017);  as well as the Single Everybody Knows (2019) and the remix, (2025).

Donavon Frankenreiter

I was somewhat familiar with a couple of Donovan’s songs (“Free” and “It Don’t Matter”). But I must admit, he was still a revelation. First of all, I didn’t realize how long he has been playing, recording, and touring (over 22 years)! He has such a wonderful, easy, engaging voice and guitar style. Donovan played the electric guitar and was accompanied by another guitarist, bass guitarist, and drummer.

It’s hard to categorize the genre of Donavon’s music, but to me it reflects mostly soft rock love ballads, crossed with a Jack Jackson vibe. However you try to define it, the music is great! Though Donavon plays mostly original songs (as he did on Friday night), he does have an album with all cover songs (“Recycled Recipes”) where he adds his own unique styling to these songs.

My favorite is hard to pick, though “Free” and “It Don’t Matter” are right up there. If you haven’t seen or heard him, check out his music! If you want to see him live, good luck! He is touring all around the world, including Australia and New Zealand!

The Food

To start things off, I picked up some pretzels and DiBruno Brothers Pinot Grigio and fig dip. Delicious and great with our wine. While there were a couple of choices in food trucks and many choices from each, my wife and I couldn’t resist the Cousins Maine Lobster  Truck’s warm lobster rolls, with a delicious butter and garlic sauce. Brought back memories from summering in Maine and frequent visits, with Lobster Pounds, Lazy Man’s Lobster, and trips to Reds in Wiscassett, etc. A picture of what they looked like is shown below. Wow!

The Wine

The grapes pictured above (Merlot grapes) are starting to look good already. I love concerts surrounded by vineyards!

As for the finished product, I chose a bottle of the Hawk Haven Signature Series Pinot Grigio and a bottle of their Flying Press Red.

2024 SS (Dry) Pinot Grigio-This is a great version with lime and ginger on the palate and a nice refreshing finish. Great with the apps and the lobster rolls.

Flying Press Red-Tasty red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Petite Sirah (40%) with cherry and raspberry notes, and just a hint of sweetness. It’s a great summer wine that will pair well with grilled meats, burgers, and pizza.

Coming Attractions

• Grill Night at Cape May Winery ’25
• Unionville Vineyards Summer ’25
• NJ Wine of the Week
• A Few New Varietals (for me)

Tried a New Jersey wine lately? Visited a NJ winery recently? Please share your experience here. Simply scroll down, press the “Comment” button, and add your comment(s). Like what you read and see on these pages? It couldn’t be easier to scroll down, hit the “Subscribe” button, and get your weekly pour of NJ wine right in your inbox. No spills. No mess. Subscriptions are FREE and I will not share your email info with anyone.