As you park your car on the grassy parking lot, you are gently transported to a bucolic sea of green grass, brown dirt roads, red barns and white fences. The scenery is warm and inviting and could inspire a budding artist. Georgene Mortimer with her scientific background (biology, geology, and environmental sciences) and her husband, Loren undertook this family business at the Mortimer family’s historic Westfall Farm in Montague, New Jersey. They also run Island Winery in Hilton Head, South Carolina (opened in 2006). They retreat to Hilton Head when they close Westfall Winery for the winter (check their website for more information).
Westfall Winery produces several white wines include Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Mid Summer White (a blend of Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc and Chardonel – a late-ripening hybrid varietal). Their reds include Malbec; Cabernet Sauvignon; Joe’s Reserve (Italian-style blend); Sangiovese; Merlot; Shiraz; Carmenere; Old Vine Zinfandel; Vintner’s Blend (a blend of Shiraz, Mouvedre and Grenache); and Tempranillo.
Westfall Winery also makes sweeter wines such as their Skylands Blush (made with a blend of Concord and Niagara grapes from their vineyards) and fruit wines (Apple Cinnamon Wine, Blackberry Wine, Peach Chardonnay, Blueberry Wine, Cranberry Wine and Spanish Passion (their Sangria, also called Southern Passion on their Website).
In 2013 Westfall Winery won Best American Wine at the New Jersey Wine Competition for their Skylands Blush.
The tasting room is open Friday through Sunday in the summer and Saturday and Sunday in the spring and fall. They close in the winter and head south, though they were open on Valentine’s Day weekend this year for their Wine and Chocolate Weekend. Check their website for hours, as they change with the season. Tastings are complimentary and you may try up to eight wines.
My favorites here were the Chardonnay (oaked with a creamy finish) and the Malbec. It should be noted that neither of these wines is listed on their current website (they were tasted in June, 2016 and may be back by summer). As is true at most wineries, present and future plantings and harvests may vary and these decisions, as well as supply and demand will determine which wines are available at a given time. Bring a picnic lunch to accompany your favorite Westfall wine. You can even bring your pooch, if you desire.
Next up: Another in my occasional tangential journeys off the beaten wine trails. I couldn’t resist when offered a reviewer’s copy from Loose Gravel Press in return for my review of Vertical, Rex Pickett’s sequel to the hilarious, Sideways.
I hope some of you had a chance to listen to my second interview with Tom Cosentino on his New Jersey Winedown Radio Show on WCTC 1450 AM Radio. You can listen to archives of previous interviews on their site. Tom, is the Executive Director of the Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA) and does a great job of promoting the state’s wineries and wines. His other guest on Wednesday’s show was Heather Brown, owner of the Wagonhouse Winery in Swedesboro. You can read more about Wagonhouse on my blog and on their website.
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Cheers!
