Happy Father’s Day!
Most New Jersey wineries offer memberships with various incentives to join and remain members. The following are some reasons to check these out. I have enjoyed William Heritage Winery for several years now (previously called Heritage Winery). If I had any criticism, it was the price of a couple of the more expensive wines at the upper end of their offerings (some not available to nonmembers). However, two things have caused me to view things differently:
- The high quality of the upper end wines such as their BDX. Note: Their 2010 BDX won third place at the Judgment of Princeton (1/2 point behind Haut Brion (priced more than 10 times higher than the BDX)!
- The significant value of their memberships (offering discounts on wine purchases and events, members only events and other perks).
I have visited William Heritage several times in the past two weeks, but I want to discuss three of these recent events and related perks: The Winemakers Co-Op Event, the Members Only BBQ and the Vino and Vibes Event on Thursday (6/14).
Only the retirement party of a dear friend kept me from making it to the VIP offerings of the recent Co-Op event. Since I was not able to get to this event until late and not able to take advantage of the VIP offerings, I can’t give a first-hand report of the VIP event. However, the talks led by Lenn Thompson (founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Cork Report) were undoubtedly worth the price of admission , alone. Heritage also had music provided by The Sticked Up Nines, playing big band/swing music, and the wines at this event were amazing. While I got to taste the four Open Source Chardonnays, I missed the live discussion about them as well as the panel discussion. The Open Source Chardonnays was a joint project of the Four Co-Op Members (William Heritage Winery, Unionville Vineyards, Working Dog Winery and Beneduce Winery). The Chardonnays were jointly harvested in 2016 from each of their vineyards, brought to William Heritage Winery and pressed together. The resulting juice was then divided and brought back to the four respective wineries to be made into individually finished wines. Lenn Thompson spoke about this experience and will be writing a future column in his publication. I look forward to doing my own side-by-side tasting of these four Chards. Having these four wineries together in one place for a day was a real treat.
The next big event at William Heritage Winery was the Members Only BBQ held last Sunday. Free for all members, it included a glass of wine and a food ticket entitling you to your choices from their catered barbecued chicken, burgers, salads and side dishes. William Heritage Winery offers one of the largest menus of wines in the state (e.g. there were four different Chardonnays available to try). There were also two musical groups performing all afternoon. The whole day was a fantastic tribute to members of the William Heritage Winery and the dedication of the staff whose hard work made it all possible. On top of the highlights already mentioned there was a 25% off coupon for wine purchases good on that day only (an additional savings of about $35-40 for my wife and me).
On Thursday, 6/14, Heritage offered their Vino and Vibes event, costing only $7 at the door for members. For this small entry fee you are entitled (as a member) to a glass of wine and free nonstop music from 6:00-9:00 P.M. The Empanada Guy and Cannoli World provided the food for this shindig. My wife and I opted for some lighter fare (a nice cheese platter with fruit and nuts) to go with our bottle of Pumpkin Hill Chardonnay (at our 10% discounted price). It was a beautiful evening, with the sun slowly setting and a temperature that was near perfect. The music provided by Dave Kelly, was a pleasant soundtrack for what seemed like a Friday Happy Hour (until I realized we are retired and every day seems like a Friday…or Saturday or Sunday). Vino and Vibes is a weekly event in the summer on Thursdays. They sell out, so get your tickets in advance.
A Satisfied Customer
The final reminder of what a good membership William Heritage offers: an email, moments after I paid for my wine and cheese plate, telling me that I just earned another star with my purchases and was now entitled to $5 off my next purchase. Life Is Good! How do you become a wine club member? Just agree to buy three of their wines, four times a year. The wines are selected by them, based upon your choice of Classic Wines (both red and white, but all classic dry wines averaging $48-$75 per allotment), Estate Grown Dry Red Wines (not to exceed $96 per allotment) or Fruit Wines (Jersey label, averaging $32-$52 per allotment). Don’t like one of the selections? You can generally just swap it out for another one and add more or be reimbursed for any difference in price.
Cheers!
Coming Attractions
- A weekly newsletter/On the Road reports from winery events (music, festivals, and some less common winery events, as well as things to do before or after your winery visits). These will only be available to subscribers and most will not be posted on this blog. You will receive the newsletter once a week (mid-week) along with your usual copy of my blog (usually on Sundays). These will probably begin in August.
- Red, White and Brew (a patriotic salute to some NJ wine and beer)
- Updates about the status of my book: New Jersey Uncorked: A Snob-Free Taste of NJ Wine.
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