Turdo Vineyard May ’26

A little over a week ago, my wife and I decided to stop by Turdo Vineyard, since we were in the area. We were so glad we did. We weren’t expecting to see the owners (Sal and his wife, Sara). That was a real treat. We hadn’t seen them in many months. Their son, Luca is taking the summer off and it remains a family business. Until an offer turns into a deal, the work continues to need stewardship and the hard work that goes with that. Thankfully, Turdo Vineyard was not hurt by the late frost that has caused so much damage to vineyards and farms in New Jersey. Sal shared that neither his vineyards nor others in the neighboring Cape May Peninsula AVA were damaged. He said the lowest temperature he recorded did not go below 34 degrees during that cold spell.

We were thinking of just picking up a few bottles and maybe not even doing a tasting, as we hadn’t had lunch yet. But, we also had the good fortune to see that our friend, Ed was behind the counter and serving a few new vintages since our last visit. Ed is a knowledgeable and personable server. We decided to taste a couple of wines (that became several wines). We usually taste more reds than whites, but the whites were new vintages for us so we reversed things a bit.

White Wines (all fermented in stainless steel)

• 2025 Pinot Grigio-A tasty version that is crisp and refreshing with peach, pear, and lemon notes.
• 2025 Grillo-Their signature white wine with citrus notes and a briny mineral finish. I believe they may be the only growers and producers of Grillo in the U.S. Great with seafood.
• 2024 Albarino-A very good version with fragrant aromas of tropical fruit and flavors of apricot, mango, and pineapple.
• 2025 Sauvignon Blanc-Notes of grapefruit and lemon with a long finish.
• 2024 Rosato-Dry Rose-A pretty shade of dark pink, done in the Mediterranean style, with notes of raspberry and strawberry.

Red Wines

• 2022 Pinot Noir-An excellent version with earthy notes of cherry and a silky elegant body.
• 2024 Nero D’Avola-Their signature red wine. This grape’s heritage is Sicily, but it is estate grown and produced. It is the only grower of this grape and one of the few produced in the country. It has notes of black currant, fig, and hints of cocoa.
• 2023 Persara-Named for Sal’s wife Sara, it is a terrific blend of Merlot, Cab, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cab Franc.
• 2022 Turis Nebbiolo –Etichetta D’Oro-A perennial favorite, with rich bold flavors of cherries, vanilla, and caramel and a medium + body. It was barrel aged for two years and spent an additional year bottle-aged. Awesome!

It is always a no-brainer to stop by when they are open, but a much harder task to decide on which wines to take home. We will definitely be back once or twice over the summer, but in the meantime, we decided on the following bottles to join us…

Our Takeaways

We took home the following bottles (1, 2, or three of each): Grillo; Rosso Super Tuscan; Albarino; Pinot Noir; Persara, Barbera; Sangiovese; Ettichetta d’Oro Nebbiolo; and Nero d’Avola.

Coming Attractions

• Vino & Vibes at William Heritage ’26
• Plagido’s Winery June ’26
• Birthday Dinner & More
• Beneduce Vineyards June ’26
• Angelico Vineyard June ’26
• Cedar Rose Vineyards July ’26
• Bellview Winery July ’26
• BYOB’s & NJ Wine

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