Bellview Winery is located in Landisville, a couple of turns off Route 40. They really know their grapes, make very good wines, and few wineries have more great festivals of every sort. Yesterday, my wife and I met friends at Bellview’s Seafood Festival, one of my favorites. A $5 ticket gets you in, where you can enjoy the beauty (and safety) of the great outdoors, while listening to live music; browsing among craft vendors; purchasing the seafood appetizer or entree of your choice (you can also bring your own food); and purchase your choice of wines from an extensive list of super wines.
Wine
Speaking of wine, since we were going to be eating some seafood, we went with two whites:
Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. The 2018 Chardonnay is a medium-bodied version with lively acidity and notes of apple and vanilla. It is only $18.
The 2019 Pinot Grigio was also a winner, with citrus notes, lots of acidity, and a refreshing dry finish. Did I mention it is only $15? In addition to making good wines, Bellview Winery sells them at very reasonable prices.
Bellview has such a deep bench of good wines to choose from. In addition to the traditional ones like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cab Franc, and Merlot, they have lots of very good red and white blends. I am always wanting to try a new one, but still haven’t tasted them all. Had we chosen something more spicy, I probably would have gone with a bottle of Gruner Veltliner ($17) or Traminette ($15). Both are delicious and can take the heat.
The Food
After perusing the many options, we chose the lobster rolls and an order of Coconut shrimp. My wife does not like coconut so I was forced to eat the shrimp all by myself.
The lobster rolls from Star of the Sea Food Truck were actually quite good. We’re not talking Red’s Eats in Wiscasset, Maine, but good. They were stuffed with lots of lobster meat and a little melted butter. Thankfully, it was not smothered in mayo like many others.
The Coconut shrimp were also from Star of the Sea and also very good, with the traditional dipping sauce. These babies were very filling and well-paired with our Pinot Grigio.
The Music
Music was provided by To The Max, a terrific, high energy group, complete with horns and awesome vocals-strong enough to do fine covers of groups like Earth, Wind, and Fire and the Temptations. What better place to hear, “Heard it Through the Grapevine?” Their female vocalist’s cover of Whitney Houston’s song, I’ll Always Love You” was amazing! I have never seen so many people dancing at a winery festival before, but Landisville was rocking.
I got a chance to say hi to Jim Quarella (the owner) and his son, Scott. They were both busy making the rounds, answering questions, and making sure everyone was having a good time. We certainly enjoyed ourselves. A great time was had by all!
Cheers!
Coming Attractions
- Lunch at Cape May Winery
- Slack Tide Brewing Company
- Kennedy Cellars
- Stokelan Winery
Wondering about our other New Jersey Wineries?
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