Revisiting Balic Winery was a no brainer. Located in Mays Landing, it is the third-oldest active winery in the state. The vineyard was first planted in the early 1900s, and today it is also one of the largest in New Jersey. Balic Winery is unique in other respects, as well. They do not charge for tastings and they have a very extensive list of wines from which to choose. Since tastings are complimentary and there is a vast array of wines from which to choose, it allows you to try wines and styles of wines that you might not typically select. In my case, that means adding a few sweeter wines than I generally select. I have been transparent about my bias in favor of dry white and red wines. However, I decided to mix it up a bit on this Balic Winery revisit.
Founder Savo Balic brought his knowledge of the wine business from Yugoslavia. He immigrated to the United States and bought the 57-acre vineyard in 1966. In 1993, Bojan (Savo’s nephew) joined his uncle in the enterprise, adding his European winemaking background to further enhance the family tradition at Balic Winery.
In addition to the Balic main tasting room in Mays Landing, they also offer their wines at many outlets around the state (farm markets, etc.). They make more than 25 wines made from vinifera grapes, as well as those more common in the Mediterranean environs. To complement their classics like Chardonnay, Dry Riesling, Cabernet and Merlot, Balic offers a number of proprietary wines and/or blends. These include Napoleon Bonaparte (their Meritage white blend); Alexander the Great (their “indigenous red Mediterranean varietal”); Country Red (a “Beaujolais-style blend of Gamay and Cab Franc – with a bit of spice added”); and Red Velvet (their red Meritage, Bordeaux-style blend, based on Cabernet and Merlot).
Balic also makes several semi-sweet wines, including their Cream Red and Cream White, as well as their Almanique, a dessert wine fermented with cherry pits and toasted almonds, and Rose Supreme (an after-dinner Rose). Their sparkling wines include a Strawberry Spritzer and a White Spritzer, both billed as sparkling “spumante” wines. In the aperitif category, the winery also makes an excellent Cream Sherry. It is lighter than most cream sherries, both in color and in body, with roughly the same alcohol content (about 20%). It is also more refreshing and not as cloyingly sweet as many others I have tasted.
In keeping with Balic’s history and the history of New Jersey wine, they also offer an assortment of fruit wines. Their fruit wines include Pomegranate Wine, Huckleberry Wine, Mango Wine, Blueberry Wine, Red Raspberry Wine, Cherry Wine, Cranberry Wine and Blackberry Wine. Balic also produces Holiday Wine (utilizing American grape wine with spice flavor added). This is a big seller around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Balic has a number of wines in their showcase that have won miscellaneous medals in past wine competitions. They have not entered any recent competitions, however. When I asked Savo about this, he told me that they know they make good wines and they feel their customers know this, as well. Consequently they don’t feel the need to enter competitions now. They certainly have a loyal following among their patrons.
For those on a tighter budget, besides the complimentary tastings, Balic wines are all priced under $16, and they offer a 15% discount on a mixed case. They have very convenient hours: open seven days a week all year round. Their hours are 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.–7 p.m. on Sunday. So, you can stop in on your way to or from the Jersey Shore.
My favorites are still Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte and Red Velvet in the dry wine categories and their Cream Sherry in the sweet wine category. However, I was encouraged to try their Almanique and their Huckleberry. I must admit that both of these were very good and worthy of an after dinner libation, especially as a summer dessert wine (or poured over vanilla ice cream). Two benefits of keeping an open mind and adopting a snob-free attitude: it can broaden your palate and add to your own “Happy Places.”
Cheers!
Coming Attractions
- Natali Vineyards
- G & W Winery
- Jessie Creek Winery
- Brinx Jones Brewery in Vineland (another in my occasional series of New Jersey Uncapped posts)
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