Old York Cellars Spring ’26

My apologies for those who have not been able to access my site for the past week. I could wax less than elegantly about what the ongoing issues of writing a blog are like, but this is an all too familiar theme. Instead I will share the fun we had last week. Last week my wife and I decided to take a visit to Old York Cellars in Ringoes. I had reserved a cabana in case of cold or rainy weather. The whole experience here is always terrific. We love the food, especially the paella and the wine is always very good. The views of the grapevines (even though they were only recently budding) are always attractive. I don’t know about you, but we really like the flights served at your table vs the older version of standing at the bar to do a tasting. Maybe that’s just getting old or enjoying being spoiled once in a while.

The Winery

I’ve written about Old York Cellars often over the years. But for those who have not had the pleasure of visiting, I will share a few things with you. The owner, David Wolin, is a great guy. He has a home right on the property and likes to “make the rounds” and make sure everyone is having a good time. Before buying the property, Dave’s day job was attorney. This legal background has come in handy, as New Jersey continues to fight for a more competitive playing field with liquor stores and other issues. When Dave stopped by to say, hello, I asked him about the current hot issue: “Are wineries in New Jersey, like elsewhere, facing a crisis, especially with younger patrons drinking less wine” (and increasingly abstaining or opting for other ways to relax and unwind)? Dave shared that his approach is to “give them what they want.” He offers live music, comedy nights, and a friendly atmosphere, where patrons are not talked down to and the goal is to just have fun.

They have a large tented area where most of their entertainment is offered, come rain or shine. There are two tasting rooms (the original) and one a short walk up a ramp that gives an amazing view of the property.

The Wine

Old York Cellars offers a large variety of wines-from bone dry to sweet and they also make a few cocktails, with their wine as the base. They even have a couple of “mocktails” for those who are abstaining, but want the other experiences that the winery has to offer. We selected two dry flights-their Favorites and their Reserved Flight and shared them so we could taste all of them. We added the bottle below once our food came.

Favorites Flight

• Sauvignon Blanc-Nice lemon and citrus notes with bright acidity.
• Albarino- Wonderful floral aromas with notes of stone fruit on the palate.
• What Exit White-A white blend of Cayuga, Chardonnay, and Vidal Blanc. The Cayuga gives it just a hint of sweetness. I love that a percentage of their sales of the What Exit wines are given to local charities.
• Darryl Mack* Cellars Red-A red blend of Merlot, Cab, Cab Franc, Syrah, and Chambourcin. See note below.
• Cabernet Sauvignon-A medium bodied Cab with cherry notes and smooth tannins.
• Merlot-Hints of cherry and plum in this medium-bodied version.

Reserve Flight

• Sauvignon Blanc-Same as noted above.
• Vintner’s Blend White XI-A dry blend of Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc with notes of stone fruit.
• King DMC* Reserve White-A dry blend of Pinot Gris and Vidal Blanc with apple and citrus notes.
• Rose Reserve-A nice dry Rose made with 100% Chambourcin and notes of red berries.
• Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve-Our favorite in the tasting. Tasty full-bodied version with smooth tannins.
• Vintner’s Blend Red X-A tasty blend of Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah.

*DMC/Darryl Mack was a famous member of the very popular hip-hop group, Run-DMC. He has been collaborating with Old York Cellars for several years now.

The Food

We chose to order a bottle of the Albarino, a perfect accompaniment to our Paella! The Paella Del Chef is wonderful, with imported Bomba rice, chicken, chorizo, grouper, and shrimp,

Our Takeaway

While we enjoyed all of the wines we tasted, after we finished the bottle of Albarino, we chose our favorite wine in the tasting to take home. Truthfully, we have limited space in our cellar for newcomers, but we both really enjoyed the Cab Reserve, so we brought that home with us (along with the rest of our paella–they are big portions). We will return in the near future.

Coming Attractions

• Recent allotment pickups
• Saddlehill Winery Spring ’26
• Updates on a few Cape May Wineries
• Sharrott Winery Spring ’26
• Bellview Winery Happy Hour
• Autumn Lake Happy Hour

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