We had the good fortune to arrive for our tasting when there was only one other visitor (and he turned out to be Tom Cosentino, the Executive Director of the Garden State Wine Growers Association). We got a very personalized tasting and impromptu tour from our energetic and enthusiastic server, Marsha. She and her husband, Ed Gaventas, are the owners of Cedarvale Winery, located in Logan Township. Ed is also the winemaker. He was busy bottling by hand in another room during our tasting.
We were able to taste five wines for five dollars and received complimentary glasses with our tasting. I tasted their 2014 Chardonnay, their 2014 Pinot Grigio, their 2013 Cab Franc, their 2012 Merlot, and their Cherry Table Wine. My favorite white was their Pinot Grigio, a refreshing light wine, and my favorite red was their Merlot, though their 2013 Cab Franc was an award winner. While not a big fan of other fruit wines, their Cherry Wine was really not bad, either.
Cedarvale Winery has been growing rapidly and we saw how other rooms were being incorporated and transformed from storage to overflow for tastings and special events and included a patio area outside, as well. Their growth has been quick and amazing, especially considering Marsha’s story about how they got started growing grapes for another winery and then deciding to take the plunge and open their own winery to the public in 2008.
A real bonus on our visit was getting to meet and chat with Tom Cosentino, who shared recent happenings in the realm of Garden State wines and told of three new wineries in New Jersey. I look forward to checking those out and to revisiting this charming winery.
Visited a NJ winery lately? Let me know what your experience was like and what you thought of the wine.
