Note: I will not be posting next week and this one is coming your way earlier than usual. But since this is my last chance to do so, I want to wish you all…

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I want to do an introduction to one of our newest wineries, Meadowbrook Winery. While they have been growing grapes and making wine for a few years, their tasting room was only recently completed.

Meadowbrook Winery

This is one of our newest New Jersey wineries. Located in Oldwick in Hunterdon County, in North Jersey, they recently opened their new tasting room. Their winemaker and General Manager is Conor Quilty. If the name sounds familiar, he was the winemaker at Unionville Vineyards for five year before going to Meadowbrook and helping them open their new operation. From my home, the drive to Meadowbrook is about a two hour drive. I was hoping to check them out in person, but for now, that’s not in the cards. However, when I checked them out online, I found out they will ship six or more bottles in the state for free. I don’t usually purchase that much wine without tasting one or two first. But, having tasted Conor’s wines at Unionville, I knew I would enjoy them. I ordered the six shown above and described below.

• 2023 Cabernet Franc- (2)-A very good, smooth Cab Franc with tasty hints of raspberry and cranberry. Another great NJ Cab Franc!
• Chardonnay-An excellent unoaked version that was very similar in taste to the oaked version. It is unusual that my wife and I enjoyed it just as much as the oaked version.
• 2023 Chardonnay Reserve-A very good pale straw colored Chardonnay with subtle oak influence, allowing the fruit (primarily Meyer lemon) to shine through.
• 2023 Albarino-A tasty version with citrus notes on the palate and bright acidity.
• 2022 Rose-Made from 100% Cab Franc, it has bright acidity and a little more body than most Rose wines. It is a very refreshing version with notes of pear and strawberry.

Having enjoyed each of the above wines, I will either make the trip north to the winery or at least order a few more wines to be delivered. I will definitely try to get a bottle of their Cabernet Franc Resrve, which won “Best Vinifer New Jersey Red at the Governor’s Cup Awards. It would be great if more wineries would offer free deliveries, like Meadowbrook Winery. It really allows one to sample wines from wineries that may be a little too far away to drive, enjoy some wines and then drive home from a distance.

Two Recent Discoveries from William Heritage

Recently, I have had the good fortune to discover two fairly new, top notch wines at William Heritage in Mullica Hill. They are limited production and only available to members. When I saw that they were having a huge sale (30% off for members with a $40 gift certificate if you buy a case), I could not resist. I stocked up on these and a few others that I will discuss at a later date. Here are these two beauties:

Left to right below in the photo are:

William Heritage Reserve 2022 Norman’s Vineyard Cabernet Franc-This is a terrific Cab Franc. It is definitely one of the best in the state. It is a little darker, with a little more body than most offering notes of plum and blueberry and plenty of structure. Yet the tannins are smooth as silk.

William Heritage 2022 Malbec Reserve-Probably the best Malbec produced in the state (in my opinion). It is a smooth, medium-bodied version with dark cherry and blackberry notes and a long finish. I want to try this one and compare it with a Malbec from the Mendoza Region in Argentina (the mother lode of Malbec).

Coming Attractions

• Thanksgiving Wine Selections & More
• Cedar Rose Vineyards Fall 2025
• My 2025 New Jersey Winery Highlights
• My Top 2025 NJ Wines of the Year

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