Cedarvale Winery Revisited

It’s been awhile since I have visited Cedarvale Winery in Swedesboro. I picked a fine autumnal day to take this ride in bucolic South Jersey. I did not have my usual companion this time (my wife, Carol) so my thoughts tended to float, like the leaves in the wind. The quiet autumn scene evoked an all-too-infrequent feeling of “Wow! This is peaceful.” My iPhone thankfully declined to ring or ding to interrupt this momentary reprieve from today’s world of constant connectedness. I even thought of how my father had once surprisingly shared that he always wanted to be a farmer. He wasn’t, though he was a gifted gardener in what little spare time he had in his work as a realtor.

My brief reverie came to an end, as I arrived at my destination: Cedarvale Winery Revisited…I remembered most of the wines from my last trip (though I missed the Cab Franc this time). I also remembered how warm and inviting the owners, Ed (winemaker) and Marsha (greeter, server and everything else needed) were and this warm memory was reinforced by today’s visit.

Marsha served up the eight wines on the menu from dry to increasingly sweeter wines, while reminding me of a great bartender. She managed to turn my questions into questions of her own (kind of hijacking the bread and butter of my former life as a Psychologist). Okay. I didn’t mean to digress or be so transparent. But I did enjoy our brief chat about festivals, the occasional rude customer and challenging weather, as well as what it’s like to live where you know your neighbors (because Marsha and Ed are related to most of their neighbors).

Meanwhile, I was able to taste the following wines:

• 2017 Chardonnay – dry, gently oaked
• 2014 Merlot – dry, oaked, with more than a hint of chocolate (I thought this might pair well with some of our left-over Halloween candy)
• 2014 Chambourcin – a nice smooth and oaky version of this popular hybrid

I must say my tastings sometimes end here, after the dry wines have been sampled, though I often try one or two sweeter wines just to be able to recommend an option for those with a sweeter tooth. I’m glad I continued the complete tasting, as the following wines while sweeter, reflect the taste of the fruits they contained, not sugar bombs (as Marsha was quick to point out).

• Blueberry Table Wine – no mistaking the real blueberries in the glass (from Hammonton)
• Cherry Table Wine (semi-sweet, made with sour pie cherries)
• Strawberry Table Wine – made with Jersey strawberries
• Apple Table Wine – made with Jersey Fuji apples
• Nectarine Table Wine – another tasty Jersey fruit

Marsha showed me where they had a recent bridal party in an adjacent room that they had turned into a festive occasion for the attendees. Marsha and her husband are great, down-to-earth folks. Come out and visit them, drink their wines and soak up a bit of that bucolic magic.

A few important notes about changes in our state’s wineries:

1. Cava Winery (North Jersey) recently and unexpectedly closed its doors. I was very sorry to hear of this loss, as I thought they had a unique venue with some good wines.
2. Cedar Rose Vineyards recently opened, with visits and tastings by appointment. They had already been present at just about every festival (including the Cape May Wine & Music Festival at Hawk Haven Vineyard, written about on these pages). They will be opening this week, according to their social media sites, without the need for an appointment. Can’t wait to go back!

Thank a farmer today! Cheers!

Coming Attractions

• Cedar Rose Vineyards
• Old York Cellars Members Only Festival (where I will be selling and signing my book Saturday 11/10 and Sunday 11/11 from 12-5.

Check out my latest contribution to Jersey Bites at jerseybites.com. My article is presently the third one down on their site. 

While you’re at it…have you picked up your copy of New Jersey Uncorked? Christmas will be here before you know it. Amazon no longer has a month wait. Their new message reads 11 in stock and you can get it tomorrow (“free one day delivery with Prime”). Or you can get it at BookBaby here: store.bookbaby.com/book/New-Jersey-Uncorked

Don’t forget you can also purchase the book as an e-book via Apple’s iBook App. It works on any IOS system (Mac, iPad, iPhone). It is $12.99. 

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