Revisiting Plagido’s Winery was a no-brainer for me. It was an overdue visit. My first post about them was close to two years ago. While I have visited a few times since then, much has happened in that time. I also wanted to get a fuller picture of what they have to offer so this time we opted for adding a cheese plate and enjoying some wine on their patio. Their tasting room is beautiful, but it was a nice day and I wanted to enjoy the view of the vineyards and enjoy the beauty and quietude of the environment. I had wondered where and how they served folks on crowded weekends, now that they are enjoying all of the hoopla from their recent honors. It turns out they use their barrel room and when not actively harvesting or pressing their grapes, they open up the patio in the back.
Plagido’s Winery, located in Hammonton, is the winner of the New Jersey Winery of the Year for the past two years (2016 and 2017). Their winery is part of their fourth-generation farm, owned by Ollie Tomasello, Sr. The exterior of the tasting room is modern and modest in appearance. The interior is tastefully appointed and decorated. All of the grapes used in their wines are estate-grown. Only their blueberries and cranberries are brought in from other farms around the state. Their specialty is producing dry red wines and they like to age many of their wines in oak.
Plagido’s dry white wines include their Vidal Blanc, their Chardonnay (oak) and their Reverence (oak, using 90% Marquis grapes and 10% Chardonnay).
Plagido’s Winery offers several dry red wines. Their unoaked reds include Coeur d’Est (a blend of Merlot, Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon); Cabernet Franc; and Vino de Casa (a medium-bodied dry red). Their oaked reds include Cabernet Franc (they make it oaked and unoaked); Cabernet Sauvignon; Merlot; Cabernet/Merlot Blend; and Chambourcin.
Their sweet and semi-sweet wines include Niagara (made from the white Niagara grape); Plagido’s Choice (made from the white Marquis grape); Plagido Red; Antonio Rosso; and Concetta’s Casalinga. Fruit wines include Cranberry Wine and Blueberry Wine. Their dessert wines are Blackberry; Blueberry; Homestead (“Port-style”); Empire (also Port-style – made with 100% Chambourcin, no brandy, only adding sugar and barrel aging for two years to bring the alcohol level up to 20%); 5.8 Earthquake; and Pole Dancer (aged in bourbon barrels, “with strawberry, vanilla and cherry cola notes”). Plagido’s Winery also makes a Sangria.
Plagido’s wines have won medals at numerous state, national and international competitions. Most recently, at the 2017 New Jersey Wine Competition, they won a Gold Medal (Blackberry Vigoroso); four Silver Medals (2015 Cabernet Fran, 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, NV Concetta’s Casalinga and 2015 Coeur d’Est); and three Bronze Medals (NV Chambourcin, 2015 Cabernet Franc/Merlot and NV Niagara). At the 2017 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition they won a Double Gold Medal (2015 Coeur d’Est); two Gold Medals (2015 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2015 Cabernet/Merlot Blend); and a Silver Medal for their 2015 Cabernet Franc. They captured another Double Gold Medal at the 2017 Great American International Wine Competition for their 2015 Cabernet Franc, a Gold Medal for their 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon and a Silver Medal for their 2015 Cabernet/Merlot Blend.
My favorites here are still their reds, with the Cabernet Sauvignon being the best of these. But if you like Port-style wines, definitely try their Empire, aged in oak. It’s very good.
Plagido’s Winery is open seven days a week from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Tastings are $8 for your choice of available wines ($10 if you would like to keep your glass).
I’m sure I’ll be revisiting Plagido’s Winery soon!
I forgot to mention last week that you can read another of my occasional articles for Jersey Bites, recently posted on their site (Dinner at Valenzano Winery). Check it out here: jerseybites.com
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Cheers!
