What better time to revisit White Horse Winery than their one year anniversary (roughly one year since they opened and since I first posted about them. As a special incentive, the night of my most recent visit happened to coincide with their “members only” party and timing of their quarterly wine pick up. While much has been done since my first visit, I was again struck by how much was already up, running and thriving during those first weeks they were open for business.
Located in that hotbed of wineries (and breweries) in Hammonton, White Horse Winery now makes most of their wines from their estate grown grapes. Their winemaker, Seferino Cotzojay, lives on the grounds and can usually be seen either tasting or tinkering in the cellar or walking the vineyards. He is originally from Guatemala, but worked as Assistant Winemaker for Bedell Cellars in Long Island, New York before coming to White Horse Winery. The Wall Street Journal had a great story about him, written by Lettie Teague and posted on the White Horse Winery’s website. The artwork for their labels was created by Jamie Wyeth (yes, that Jamie Wyeth)! While White Horse owners (Brock J. Vinton and his son, Brock J. Vinton II) live in Delaware, B.J. (son) runs the daily operations and can usually be found in the tasting room or nearby, making sure everything is running smoothly, engaging with customers and even pouring the wine on occasion.
White Horse Winery currently makes five white wines:
- Barrel Fermented Chardonnay
- Stainless Steel Chardonnay
- Vintner’s White (Signature dry blend of Albarino, Riesling and Vidal Blanc)
- Gewurztraminer
- Sweet Meadows (white blend)
Red wines produced by White Horse include:
- Merlot Reserve
- Cabernet Franc Reserve
- Nebbiolo
- Charger (a semi-dry blend of Petit Verdot, Nebbiolo, Merlot and Cabernet Franc)
- Vintner’s Blend (their Signature red blend)
- Chambourcin
- Dry Rose (Provence-style)
My favorite dry white here is their Barrel Fermented Chardonnay and my favorite dry red wine is their Merlot Reserve, though their Cab Franc is also very good.
White Horse Winery has only been open for a year, but they have already won a Silver Medal for their Hammonton 2016 Chambourcin and a Bronze Medal for their Hammonton 2016 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay at the 2017 New Jersey Wine Competition. At the 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, White Horse Winery took two Silver Medals for their Hammonton 2013 Cabernet Franc and Hammonton 2015 Chardonnay and Bronze Medals for their Hammonton 2013 American Vintner’s Blend and Hammonton 2015 Dry Rose/Blush. The awards for their estate grown wines are a special source of pride and underscore how New Jersey can make great wines from New Jersey grapes.
The tasting room is open from Wednesday through Thursday from 1 p.m.–7 p.m.; Fridays 12 p.m.-9 p.m.; Saturdays 12 p.m.-7 p.m.; and Sundays 12 p.m.-6 p.m. They are closed on Monday and Tuesday. Tastings are $8 for your choice of five wines. This has already become a “must try” winery. While a couple of their reds are a little pricey, they are excellent, and if you become a member, you get a 10% discount on bottle purchases and a 15% discount on case purchases.
The live music (most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) is generally held indoors in the winter or on the deck, with numerous fire pits spread around the grounds to keep you warm while you enjoy the music without worrying about the cold.
You can’t bring your own food, but White Horse Winery offers some snacks for purchase, such as cheese, antipasto, goat cheese and bruschetta boards.
Bottom Line: This is a beautiful venue to taste some excellent wines!
Cheers!
Tried a New Jersey wine lately? Visited a NJ winery recently? Share your experience here. Like what you read and see here? Consider subscribing and get your weekly pour of NJ wine right in your mailbox. No runs, no spills and no errors (that I know of).
