Continued from Thursday, October 15, 2009

Villa Milagro’s wines, in addition to being organic, are all European-style wines.  The Gambinos have eschewed the American hybrid varietals that you find so often in the Northeast, and have planted 11 acres of Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.  They have no plans to expand their holdings or production, preferring to focus on artisanal wines that they sell exclusively through the winery.

Villa Milagro produces five wines: one white, one blush and three reds, and in keeping with Audrey’s California heritage, all of the wines have Spanish names.  They are currently serving the last of their 2006 vintage, with the 2007 vintage scheduled for release around Thanksgiving of this year.

While we very much enjoyed our visit to the winery and our time with Audrey Gambino, both Maree and I were underwhelmed by the wines.  They all show promise, but in general we found them on the light side.  As both the vines and the winery matures, I would anticipate the wines becoming more complex as well.

The tasting kicked off with Villa Milagro’s sole white, a Chardonnay…

Dos Luz 2006 This is a very smooth Chardonnay.  In fact, one of the hallmark characteristics of all the Villa Milagro wines is their smoothness, which I believe contributed to our disappointment with the wines we tasted.  The wines were almost too smooth, lacking the acid that would give them balance and depth.  Aged for two years in stainless steel tanks, the Dos Luz is a light-bodied Chardonnay with a very soft, subtle nose and light notes of citrus on the palate.  I would have liked to find a bit of a “kick” on the end, and without it, the wine felt a bit flat.

Roja Dulce 2006 Roja Dulce, which means “sweet red,” blends Cabernet Franc with other, sweeter grapes to produce a fruity, slightly sweet Cabernet Franc.  The nose is pleasantly fruity, with interesting notes of strawberry.  Dry, with just a touch of sweetness, the Roja has a slight tartness and touch of acid at the end which gives the wine some character.   This was my favorite of the four Villa Milagro wines.

Sombra 2006 A medium-bodied Shiraz blend, the Sombra, like all the reds, is oak-aged for 24 months.  There are light notes of cherry in both the nose and the mouth, and the oak is stronger here than in either the Roja Dulce or the Suave, contributing smokey notes, particularly in the mouth.  I found myself writing “young” in my notes, and I suspect this wine will do better if cellared for a few years and then allowed to breathe before serving.

Suave 2006 The last wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon blend.  Suave, which is Spanish for smooth, is a medium-bodied red with both berry and chocolate in the nose.  In the mouth, cherry is the predominant note with a light toastiness from the oak.  The finish is light and slightly tart, and like the Sombra, I anticipate this wine will improve with additional aging.

We stayed a bit longer to chat with Audrey before saying a fond farewell to Commander Cody and heading north to continue the adventure…

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This week we’re heading back to New Jersey and the second of the three wineries that Maree and I visited one Saturday in late July.  After lunch at the Riegelsville Inn, we headed back across the Delaware River to Finesville and the Villa Milagro Vineyards.

One of my favorite memories from the winery is the approach in from the main road.   Turning into a small driveway surrounded by trees and thickets, you proceed up a winding gravel road until suddenly the trees clear and the vineyards open up in front of you.   The effect is one of finding a hidden world up on the bluffs, and you forget that the main road is just a 1/4 mile back down the drive.  The drive curves along the cliffs and through the fields and vineyards, making its way back towards a lovely farmhouse and the barn which serves as the winery.

Villa Milagro is New Jersey’s only organic winery and one of only two organic wineries on the East Coast.  Owners and proprietors Steve and Audrey Gambino planted their first grapes in 2003.  They follow a two-year aging cycle, releasing their first vintage in 2005, and are currently serving their second vintage, 2006.  The 2007 wines will be available around Thanksgiving.

Audrey, who has a Ph.D. in Nutrition, was a professor at Columbia University School of Public Health for many years and is a published author and “one of the most quoted nutritionists in the country,” is the principal winemaker.  She retired from Columbia in December and now focuses her time and expertise on Villa Milagro’s wines.

Originally from California, Audrey is the daughter of farmers who lived and worked near California wine country.  Despite moving east many years ago, she retained strong memories of and ties to her California roots, and as she and her husband thought about retiring she found herself a trifle homesick.  They both prefer being outside and knew that whatever the “next thing was,” they wanted it to provide them with the opportunity to work outdoors.  Add to that both Steve’s and Audrey’s love for good food and wine as well as their enjoyment of meeting and talking with wide variety of people, and a winery seemed the obvious step.  They spent some time looking around for the right property before finally settling on their current location in Finesville.

Joining them is the winery’s official greeter, Commander Cody, a beautiful German Shepherd who enjoys the people who stop by the winery as much as Steve and Audrey do.   On Saturdays and Sundays you’ll find Commander Cody on duty near the winery’s front entrance ready to greet visitors and lead them inside for a tasting and conversation.

Villa Milagro Vineyards
33 Warren Glen Road
Finesville, NJ 08865
+1-908-995-2072

Villa Milagro is open Saturdays and Sundays 12:00 – 6:00 for tastings.

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