Plagido’s Winery Fall ’25

On Monday, my wife and I visited Plagido’s Winery in Hammonton. I was really hoping their latest vintage of their Cabernet Sauvignon would be available. Unfortunately, we were told that deer had devastated their Cab vines and when they will be available it will be in limited production. Fortunately, Ollie Tomasello (owner and winemaker) makes several really good wines besides the Cab (especially the reds). While their winery has only been open since 2007, they have won lots of awards, including New Jersey Winery of the Year in 2016 and 2017.

I was hoping we would have a warmer day so we could sit out on their patio overlooking their vineyard. But being an early Monday afternoon, our bonus was being the only patrons for much of our visit. Since it was just after noon, we decided to order a charcuterie plate with our flights of wine. Our server was Candice, Ollie’s wife. This is a hard working couple. I really appreciate visiting the smaller wineries, where you can interact with the owner or winemaker (or both).

Our Charcuterie

Our cheese plate consisted of an assortment of artisanal cheeses, meats, dried fruits, nuts, and chocolate truffles. See photo below.

The Wines

There are six red wines and two white wines on the tasting menu. We decided to do two red flights, since we both agree that their reds are their strong suit here. Though disappointed that they did not have their Cabernet Sauvignon, we enjoyed all of the wines we tasted and we tasted all of their dry wines in stock.

• 2019 Chambourcin-A good version of this popular wine, with slightly tart cherries on the palate and smooth tannins.
• 2018 Coeur d’Est-A very good version of this classic blend of Chambourcin, Cab Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a celebration of the “Heart of the East” with estate grown grapes in the Outer Coastal Plains, with plum and blackberry notes.
• 2020 Cab Franc-Perhaps my favorite in the bunch, with tasty strawberry notes and a deeper color and a little more body than some other versions that I have tasted recently.
• 2020 Cabernet Merlot Blend-An excellent blend of these two grapes with dark fruit and a bold, but smooth flavor.
• Dark Water Blend-An interesting and tasty blend of red wine with bold espresso and toasted oak notes. I’m surprised that coffee (perhaps the world’s second favorite beverage) is not used more often as an additional flavoring.
• 2019 Petit Verdot-The only wine that is not made with their estate grown grapes (they are sourced from a local grower). A very good, full-bodied version with deep, dark fruit.

Bonus tastes

• Vidal Blanc-a nice dry version with citrusy and tropical fruit notes.
• Reverence-The Marquise grape used is one of the more uncommon hybrid grapes. I believe Plagido’s Winery is the only winery in New Jersey utilizing it as a single-varietal), but it is used to good effect in this nice dry white wine with notes of grapefruit and lime.

Our Takeaways

From left to right above: Coeur d’Est, Cabernet-Merlot, Petit Verdot, Reverence, Cab Franc, and Dark Water Blend.

Our thanks to Candice, for her personable and informative service and for allowing us to add the two white wines to our flights. It was a very enjoyable and informative visit.

Coming Attractions

• Amalthea Cellars
• Old York Cellars
• Beneduce Vineyards
• Auburn Road Vineyards
• Sharrott Winery
• My Highlights of 2025
• My Top 12 NJ Wines of the Year

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