It has been about three years since I last wrote about Coda Rossa Winery. My wife and I have enjoyed their wine before performances at the Pitman Theater,* but it was certainly time for a revisit to the winery. It is located in Franklinville, a short distance from my old Child Study Team office more than a decade ago. My, how time flies! Don’t let the barrenness of winter fool you in the photo above. The shelves are well-stocked with bottles of their most recent vintages at Coda Rossa Winery. While they have only been open for a short time (opening in 2010), they have accomplished a lot in the past decade. Coda Rossa means “red tail” in Italian. It is named after the red-tailed hawks who live nearby and make an appearance from time to time.
*Coda Rossa has a wine bar in Pitman, right next to the Pitman Theater on Broadway.
Interestingly, they do not do the pressing, or the wine making in Franklinville…
That is done at their Cherry Hill Site. The grapes are grown in Franklinville, harvested and then transported to Cherry Hill, where everything else is done. The tasting room is small, so they keep sufficient stock to sell at the tasting room, but the barrels are stored in Cherry Hill.
The Wine Room in Cherry Hill is not just where they make their wine. You can make your own wine there, too. That’s right. You can use their facilities, equipment and expertise to help you and a group of friends make your own wine. You crush, press, rack and bottle it. They store it and give you the expertise that you need from beginning to end.
My wife and I did a tasting on Friday at Coda Rossa’s tasting room. She focused primarily on the dry whites, while I concentrated on the dry reds. You are permitted six tastes for $5, but as we customarily do, we shared our choices in order to experience a more diverse tasting.
The following are the wines I tasted on this visit:
- Riesling-Made with New York grapes, it was a bit lower in acidity than most Rieslings I’ve tasted.
- Sauvignon Blanc-A pretty good Sauvignon Blanc made with California grapes
- Pinot Grigio-A fruit forward version, made with estate-grown grapes
- Bianca-A Chardonnay-based blend of California grapes
- 1526 Blend-A red blend of Chambourcin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc and Merlot; named after their address at the vineyard (1526 Dutch Mill Road)
- Coeur d’Est-The highest rated hybrid red wine in NJ; scored 93 Points by BTI
- Malbec-A bit less bold and less body than many I have had.
- Super Tuscan-Californian Sangiovese, Cab and Merlot.
- Barbera/Petite Sirah*-a decent dry red blend, with a deep rich color.
- Meritage-Still my favorite here. Nice to see that it is a consistent winner.
- Blue Moon-their Port-style wine made with Merlot and blueberries and fortified with brandy (ABV=17%). Blueberries are the prominent taste, but not over-the-top sweetness.
* Petite Sirah should not be confused with Petite Syrah. While they are both red grapes, they are not related (though both are pronounced the same). Petite Sirah is also known as Durif. Less confusing, don’t you think?
Below are my take-aways from this visit:
Cheers!
Coming Attractions
- Wining and Dining in South Jersey
- NJ Uncorked and Unplugged
- Va La Vineyards-I know it’s in Pennsylvania, but it’s time to find out what all the buzz is about!
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