Bellview Winery is located in Landisville, a small town in Atlantic County. Though in a rural area it is located only a couple of turns from Route 40, part of a “back road” route to the Jersey Shore. The tasting room is attractive and mid-sized, but larger than it appears from the exterior. Besides making a wide range of wines, Bellview hosts a number of very well attended festivals each year, including the Italian Festival, the Irish Festival, and the Seafood Festival. Bellview has a great space to host these events with a permanent outdoor stage for their musical acts. These events are visited by over 1,000 people each, with the Seafood Festival being the biggest draw in August.
Bellview’s dry white wines include Chardonnay, Gruner Veltliner (an Austrian grape that has a little spice, but has a very dry finish), Jersey Devil White, Pinot Grigio, Traminette and Vidal Blanc. Their reds include Blaufrankisch (also known as Lemberger and originating and popular in Austria), Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Coeur d’Est (“Heart of the East” – a red blend of grapes which grow very well in the OCP), Jersey Devil Red, Merlot, Petit Verdot (a dry red with deep coloring and flavors, originating in France) and Solavita (a red blend).
Bellview makes three Semi-Sweet Wines: Homestead, Nana’s Wine and Under the Arbor. Their Fruit Wines include Black Currant, Cranberry, Fiesta and Jersey Blues. Finally, they also produce a few specialty wines: Cristallina (ice wine), Dandelion (sourced from nearby Vineland), Winter Spice (a light sweet wine with a bit of cinnamon, cloves and orange peel) and a Sangria.
My personal favorites were their Pinot Grigio, Vidal Blanc and Petit Verdot. Though the latter was a bit pricey, their Cab Franc is a good, less expensive alternative and is also a Gold Medal Winner at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. I should mention that the Petit Verdot was a Gold Medal winner at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and the Vidal Blanc won a Silver Medal at the same competition.
At a recent tasting I found the server to be friendly and very knowledgeable. If you missed the Seafood Festival, but like cool cars and wine check out their Annual Car Show and Wine Festival on September 4th.
Tasted a New Jersey Wine lately? Visited a NJ Winery recently? Share your experience here.
Cheers!
