Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

It has become somewhat of a tradition that my summer vacation is deliberately without plans.  Four or five years ago, I found myself thinking frequently – and fondly – of the summers of my childhood: those long, long summers that seemed to last forever…  days, and their wonderful possibilties, stretching endlessly in front of me.  True, I also remember days of endless boredom when it rained, or when friends weren’t home and I was – horrors – forced to spend the entire day with my sisters!

But what I found myself nostalgic for was that sense of time stretching out in front of me.  I suppose as we headed back to school each Fall, we thought to ourselves, “where did the summer go?”  But if we did, it was more with a sense of loss, a letting go of those wonderful few months, and definitely not with the slightly hysterical “Oh My God, it’s September ALREADY?!” which is more often what you hear me saying now.

So in an attempt to slow down life and recapture that long-lost feeling of infinite time, I decided that I would take one week each summer (two, if I could manage it) and make no plans.  That’s not to say I would do nothing, just that I would make no plans other than waking up each day and doing whatever I felt like.

Which brings me to New Jersey.  I knew I wanted to do a couple of day trips during my July vacation week this year, and after my visit to Ventimiglia Vineyard at the end of May, exploring more of New Jersey wine country was at the top of the list.  So Saturday morning of vacation week found me swinging through Jersey City to pick up my friend Maree and heading out to the Musconetcong Valley on the west side of the state.

Our first stop was Alba Winery, New Jersey’s 2009 Winery of the Year.  Founded in 1982, Alba produces 16 wines made from local grapes, and three wines under the label Chelsea Cellars from grapes grown on a Sagmore Valley block they own in Washington state.  The Alba wines have won numerous awards in state and regional competitions, and several wines have won awards in the San Francisco Chronicle and Pacific Rim International competitions.

The winery is housed in an early 19th-century barn that has been painstakingly retrofitted to include modern winemaking facilities as well as lighting, air conditioning, and other amenities without losing the historic character of the building.  Carved into the side of a hill, with the vineyards ranging up the hillside behind the structure, the winery and tasting rooms have a long and rich history.  Built in 1801, the building at one point housed an ironworks which produced cannonballs for the Union Army during the Civil War.  In later years the property reverted to a dairy farm, and was finally converted in the late 1980s from a working dairy barn to the Alba Vineyards winery.  The result is a series of charming brick and timber rooms that meet all the functional requirements of a working winery while retaining the character and history of the original buildings.

Stop in the gift shop just inside the front door to purchase  a tasting and signature glass before proceeding down the few steps into the oldest part of the barn, the tasting room, a long rectangular-shaped room with the tasting bar stretched along the back wall, and oak barrels stacked to the sides and along the walls.  In addition to offering tastings, the winery also conducts tours and barrel tastings.

A tasting includes your choice of six or seven of the 19 wines, including the three Chelsea Cellars wines.  Guests are strongly encouraged to start with the whites and work their way down the list, but the staff will pour the wines in whatever order the guest requests.  Wines are also available by the glass, and the gift shop has a selection of cigars for those who wish to enjoy them with a glass of the Vintage Port.

The winery is open seven days a week; Sunday through Friday, 11 am – 5 pm, and Saturday 11 am – 6 pm.  They also keep a calendar of special events updated on their website.

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve, Editor

Welcome to another edition of the Stephen T. Colbert Memorial Better Know an AVA! Stephen wants all Americans to know the rich heritage of our Congressional districts and get to meet the people who occupy those seats. VinoVerve believes that you should get an opportunity to see where your local wine is being produced. So, as an homage to Stephen (who inspired me and who I would love to have a picture of holding a flag and a glass of wine (hint, hint…)) I give you a description of the fighting Central Delaware Valley AVA.

This viticulture area was designated in 1984 and further amended in 1987 and consists of 96,000 acres on both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey side of the Delaware River north of Philadelphia. The AVA at least as far as I can tell takes on the outline of a dragon. Why? I do not know. I just know that I tried to follow the descriptions listed in CFR as closely as possible and I have never gotten the image of an mythical creature before. So, I am going to chalk it up to dumb luck and hope I haven’t made a grave error. Ironically, I don’t think that you will find a lot of other sources for a map of this AVA so I am sincerely sorry for any weirdness that I may have created. I am a map nerd, but I am far from perfect.

Oh, and I am reasonably certain that you will NOT encounter any dragons while exploring this region. Marguerite has been out scouting the area already and she has not yet reported the smell of sulfur or scorched earth, so I think we are safe.

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

SEPTEMBER 5^TH & 6^TH

NEW JERSEY’S “JAZZ IT UP WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL”

Hosted by the Garden State Winegrower’s Association

Allaire Village

Allaire State Park

Farmingdale, NJ

On the grounds of the historic Allaire Village, the Garden State Winegrower’s association is hosting the Jazz It Up Wine and Food Festival over Labor Day weekend.

More than 25 New Jersey wineries will be on hand pouring more than 200 local wines.  Included among the attendees will be Alba Winery, 2009 New Jersey Winery of the Year,  and Governor’s Cup winners Tomasello Winery, Heritage Vineyards, and Pagido Winery.   Featured musical artists include The Gambone Project with Vel Johnson on Saxophone (Saturday) and Jazz in Pastel, a quartet led by Buzz Saylor on drums (Sunday).

Adding to the adventure is the setting, the historic Allaire Village, a 19^th-century Industrial Iron-Producing Community.  While sampling the local wines and food festivalgoers can step back in time as they stroll through the village grounds.

The festival runs from 12-5 both Saturday and Sunday; admission is $20, and there is a $5 car park fee.  Farmingdale is roughly 90 minutes from both New York and Philadelphia; detailed directions can be found on the Allaire Village website.

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

Summer 2009 has been interesting to say the least. A cold, rainy June and July followed by a hot and muggy August. Hiccups on the career front accompanied by long hours in the office. Unfortunate cancellation of a week’s vacation plans at the end of August.

By midsummer, I was feeling like Boone in Animal House, “Otter, this is ridiculous!”  So what’s a girl to do?

ROAD TRIP!

Or to be strictly accurate, road trips.  I decided to eschew traditional stress busters such as exercise and therapy in favor of exploring the Southeastern New England and Warren Hills AVAs.  Armed only with a full tank of gas, a list of wineries, a map, and the ubiquitous debit card, I hit the open roads on random weekends with wine trail buddies Christy Sherard and Maree Prendergast, discovering new wines and new places from Newport, Rhode Island to Rieglesville, Pennsylvania.

There were good wines and great meals, as well as the occasional wrong turn, but most of all, lots of laughs and that great sense of freedom you get from impulsively saying, “let’s get out of here.”

I’ve also decided it’s time to mix things up here at Vino Verve – while reliving the adventure of hitting the road without a fully-defined plan.  So rather than organize my posts as I’ve done in the past (chronological order of wineries visited), I’m throwing them all in a soup; one day you might find me in Rhode Island, the next in New Jersey.   I suppose you could say it’s the Vino Verve version of Where’s Waldo?

So I hope you’ll join me here at Vino Verve on Tuesdays and Thursdays through October for the 2009 Win(e)ding Roads Summer Adventure!

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

To date, Summer ’09 has been a cool and soggy one here in New England.  Despite that, there have been moments of glorious weather, perfect for hitting the Win(e)ding Roads of Connecticut, New Jersey, and as of yesterday, Rhode Island.   But the summer’s not over, and August promises even more great days – so if you haven’t hit the trails yet, come and join us!

All pictures by Marguerite Barrett, July – August 2009

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

On Saturday, August 8th (12-5) and Sunday, August 9th (12-5) join The Garden State Wine Growers Association for the

Jersey Fresh Food and Wine Festival

The festival will feature wines from 20 New Jersey wineries along with locally grown food and arts & crafts.

The event is being held at Heritage Vineyards (480 Mullica Hill Road (Rte 322), Richwood, NJ 08074 Phone: 856-589-4474 ).  Heritage Vineyards, owned and operated by the Heritage family, has been producing award-winning wines since 2001.

Richwood is located in the Southwestern corner of New Jersey, close to Philadelphia, and about 2 hours from New York city.

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

Believe it or not, I am coming to the end of the Connecticut Wine Trail.  To date, I’ve visited 15 of the 19 wineries listed on the Connecticut Wine Trail website (although there are 25 wineries represented in the Passport).  Christy Sherard, my wine-trail-partner-in-crime, and I are heading out today to visit at least one, and possibly two more.

It’s been a great adventure so far, criss-crossing the state from the foothills of the Berkshires in the far northwest corner to the shoreline of Long Island Sound in the far southeast corner and every place in between.  And while I will definitely finish the trail over the next month or two, it’s time to start thinking about venturing a bit further afield.

Living in north central Connecticut, I have a number of options.  The wineries of Rhode Island and Massachusetts are well within a day trip of home, and the Long Island wineries are just a 90-minute ferry ride across the Sound.  And while I will be heading out to all these places in the not-too-distant future, the first stop is New Jersey.

There were several factors contributing to this decision: New Jersey has a a large and thriving wine culture, with 30 wineries in the Garden State Wine Growers’ Association. I began my New Jersey excursions with a stop at Ventimiglia Vineyards in late May, and those posts as well as a couple posts about the New Jersey Wine Trail and upcoming festivals have generated a lot of interest here on Vino Verve.  It appears we have a lot of readers who are interested in New Jersey wines.  And New Jersey has the added attraction of being the current home base of my friend Maree, an Australian expat, who I hope will soon become my New Jersey wine-partner-in-crime.

So tomorrow morning Maree and I meet up in Jersey City and head straight west to Warren County.  On the agenda?  Alba Vineyard, Milford; Brook Hollow Winery, Columbia; Four Sisters Winery, Belividere; and Villa Milagro Vineyards, Finesville.

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

Gene Ventimiglia, patriarch and principal winemaker of Ventimiglia Vineyards, is a third-generation winemaker, having learned the craft from his grandfather, who emigrated from Italy in the early part of the 20th century.   In the 1920s, the elder Ventimiglia, a member of a local Italian-American Club, produced wine for the club throughout the Prohibition era.  With the demise of Prohibition in 1933, Ventimiglia continued to produce wine, albeit legally now, and passed the traditional hand-crafted winemaking methods he learned in Italy down to his grandson, Gene, who after growing up in Patterson, New Jersey, opted to continue the family traditions here on the East Coast.

As for the Ventimiglia Reds, Gene has produced a very interesting collection of California and New Jersey table wines:

Rocky Ridge Red 2006 The Rocky Ridge Red is a bland of eight different grapes, all grown locally in New Jersey.  It is cold-fermented and aged in oak, and like all of the Ventimiglia Reds it is unfined and unfiltered.  The nose is bright and fruity, and in the mouth there are lovely notes of dark berries and stone fruits.  The wine has a slight tartness, which gives it a piquancy.

Chambourcin 2007 A Gold Medal Winner at the 2009 NJ Wine Competition, this is a very interesting wine.  Chambourcin with a slight blend of Syrah, Merlot and a little Sangiovese, this is a medium-bodied wine with a lovely deep ruby color.  The nose is bright and fruity, and the mouth-feel is lovely and full.  Aged for 16 months in French and Hungarian oak, there are notes of dark berries, particularly blackberry, in the mouth, with a light pepper finish.  95% of the grapes are grown locally in New Jersey, making this one of three of Ventimiglia’s New Jersey Reds.

Syrah 2007 The last of Ventimiglia’s New Jersey Reds, the Syrah is made from grapes grown in vineyards directly across the street from Jon Bon Jovi’s house.  Gene has added just a touch of Grenache to the Syrah and the result is a lovely medium-bodied wine with a delicate, fruity nose, a smooth, soft mouth-feel, and light cherry notes on the palate.  The Syrah will pair well with a wide range of food, and will also cellar nicely.

Carignane 2006 This was my first taste of a Carignane wine, as despite it being one of the most planted grapes in France, it is often used for blending rather than as the primary grape.  Medium-bodied with a soft mouth-feel and notes of stone fruits on the palate, it is designed to be a “companion” or table-wine, and is Gene Ventimiglia’s favorite everyday wine.  It shares many of the characteristics of a good European (French or Italian) table wine – interesting and lightly complex, without being overpowering, it will pair well with a wide variety of foods.

Merlot 2006 Made from California grapes, the Merlot has a bright nose with notes of plum and cherry, and a lovely soft fruitiness in the mouth that is balanced by a slightly acidic finish.   A nice wine, but not as interesting as the Syrah, Carignane, Chambourcin or Cabernet Franc.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Also made from California grapes, this is a full-bodied wine with a lovely deep garnet color.  The nose is sharp and tangy, and in the mouth the wine is soft with nice notes of plum and a smoky, spicy, slight tobacco finish.  The finish also lingers beautifully, and the wine grows more complex and interesting with each sip.

Cabernet Franc 2006 The afternoon ended with the 2006 Cabernet Franc, one of my favorites of the day.  Aged in French Oak, the wine ages an additional 3 years in the bottle.  Made in the Bordeaux-style,  this is a full-bodied, dry red.  The nose is earthy with a slight mustiness, and in the mouth the wine is rich, full, with notes of grass and berries and a strong earthiness that gives it depth and character.   Very interesting wine.

A smaller winery, tucked in the northwest corner of the State, Ventimiglia is worth a stop.  While I definitely had my favorites from among the selection, none of the wines disappointed.

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Now that Marguerite has begun to explore wineries further afield from her home, I felt that it was only appropriate they they have their own map as well. This map is of New Jersey (sorry, that seems obvious), The Garden State. While it may not seem so garden-y these days that doesn’t change the fact that wine has been made there since colonial times. It is also home to the oldest continuously operating winery in the United States, the Renault Winery that opened in 1864.

Additionally, three American Viticulture Areas cross into the state, the Central Delaware Valley AVA, the Outer Coastal Plain AVA and the Warren Hills AVA. Maps for them will come shortly…

In the mean time, I can’t wait to hear more about Marguerite’s adventures in ‘Jersey!

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

Ventimiglia Vineyards specializes in dry wines, all hand-crafted and produced in small batches.  Almost all of their wines are barrel-aged, and all are unfined and most unfiltered.  Fining is the process by which agents, such as charcoal, bentonite, gelatin, etc., are introduced to the wine to help clarify it by binding with microscopic particles that could cloud the wine or produce odors or excessive tannins.  Through the binding process, these elements sink to the bottom as sediment and can be removed from the wine through racking  or filtering.  Gene Ventimiglia prefers more traditional, natural methods of winemaking and avoids chemical or mechanical intervention whenever possible, and he’ll rack his wines four or five times to achieve the same result as fining.  The result, he believes, are wines with greater character and depth.

Ventimiglia currently produces 13 wines: 1 blush, 4 whites, and 8 reds; six of the wines are made from grapes grown in New Jersey, the rest from California.

La Sorella 2006 This is Ventimiglia’s Blush wine.   Made from New Jersey grapes, this is a drier Rosé, not overly sweet, but crisp and refreshing.  There are notes of raspberry and citrus on the nose and mouth, and it’s a charming wine to serve chilled on a warm Spring or Summer afternoon.  Fans of sweeter blushes may find this a bit dry, but it’s worth a taste.  According to the Ventimiglia website, the 2006 vintage is sold out, so they may not have it currently available on the tasting menu.  But if you like blushes, and you do stop by, I recommend asking Gene when the 2007 will be available and making a point to come back and give it a try.

Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Made from California grapes, the Sauvignon Blanc is a semi-dry wine with a grassy nose and notes of green pepper on both the nose and palate.  Fermented in very cold conditions for 3-4 months, the wine has a stronger mouth-feel than comparable Sauvignon Blancs.  It would pair nicely with shellfish, particularly with a slightly spicy grilled shrimp or lobster.

Chardonnay 2006 Also made from California grapes, Gene ages his Chardonnay in very old oak barrels.  As a result, there is just the lightest touch of oak to smooth out the flavor and give the wine a soft, velvety mouth-feel.  There are notes of peach and pear on the nose and in the mouth, and the oak provides a hint of vanilla, particularly at the end.  Gene recommends serving the wine “well-chilled,” although I found I preferred it a bit warmer, only slightly chilled – it brought out a depth of flavor that was missing when it was served colder.

Buon Giorno 2007 A New Jersey White, this is a dry Cayuga.  The nose is very light.  On the palate, the wine is crisp with notes of green apple and citrus.  An interesting wine, but not one of my favorites – I found it a bit tart for my taste.  The Buon Giorno won a Bronze Medal at the 2008 NJ Wine Competition, but unfortunately, like the La Sorella, the Buon Giorno is currently sold out.

Vidal Blanc 2007 Also a New Jersey wine, this is a dry full-bodied white that would be great on its own or paired with food.  Like the Buon Giorno, the Vidal Blanc also has a light nose, with subtle floral notes.  There are interesting notes of grapefruit and apricot in the mouth that give the wine a touch of sweetness, providing a depth that I didn’t necessarily find in the other whites.  The wine finishes with just a touch of acid which balances the fruit very nicely.  A Bronze Medal Winner at the 2009 NJ Wine Competition, this was my pick of the day among the Ventimiglia Whites.

Also – congratulations to Ventimiglia Vineyards, who celebrated their one-year anniversary of being open to the public this past Saturday, July 5th!

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