Auburn Road Vineyards Winter ’26

On Friday afternoon my wife and I decided to take a drive to Auburn Road, now that even the back roads are pretty clear and the temperature is rising a bit. The winery is located in Pilesgrove, so back roads are key to the drive. We love their charcuterie, as well as their wines. The owners, Scott Donnini and Jules Donnini (winemaker), have been doing a great job promoting their wines, as well as other New Jersey wines-here and abroad. Check out their reels on their website and on social media.

As per usual, we did a dry white flight and a dry red flight, sharing each.

The Wine

Dry Whites

Our favorite white varietal is Chardonnay and they have three different versions here!

• 2024 Pinot Grigio-A very good version, with a little more body than usual and a little softer on the palate than many Pinot Grigios, yet still pretty light and refreshing. It won a Gold Medal at the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
• 2024 BlancNu-Their unoaked Chardonnay, Sur lie aged, light and dry, it took a Gold Medal at the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competion.
• 2022 Featherbed Vineyard Chardonnay-Recently received 92 points from Decanter. It is one of my favorite Chardonnays in New Jersey and beyond, with tasty notes of lemon and apple.
• 2024 Dry Rose-Beautiful pale salmon Rose done in the Provence-style, with notes of citrus and strawberries. It was made with a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the best Rose wines I have had in quite awhile.

Dry Reds

• 2024 Good Karma-Their best vintage to date, in my opinion. It is a delicious blend of Merlot (83%) and Cab (17%) with subtle, but tasty notes of cherry and raspberry.
• Peaceful Warrior-A very nice blend of Chambourcin and Merlot; fruit forward with medium body.
• 2022 Gaia-Delicious  and velvety smooth Bordeaux-style blend of Cab Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot.
• 2022 Eidolon-Named after the Walt Whitman poem, this is their full-bodied, Coeur d’Est blend of Merlot and Chambourcin, with smooth notes of cherry and vanilla. 25 cents from every bottle sold goes to support the Walt Whitman Association in Camden.

The Food: Gourmet Tasting Plate

This is a wonderful charcuterie board with cheeses, meats, olives, pita bread, dried apricots, honey, and fig spread.

Our Takeaways

We decided to take home a few bottles (from left to right below): Peaceful Warrior, Good Karma, Dry Rose, BlancNu, Featherbed Chardonnay, and Barrel Reserve Chardonnay.

Coming Attractions

• Bellview Winery Winter ’26
• Blue Cork Winery Winter ’26
• Sharrott Winery Winter ’26
• Beneduce Vineyards Winter ’26
• Hopewell Valley Vineyards Winter ’26
• Angelico Winery Winter ’26
• Old York Cellars Spring ’26

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