“Membership has its privileges.” No, this is not an ad for American Express or Members Only Jackets. This post is about how one winery, Old York Cellars, rewards its members. Every year the winery, located in Ringoes (Central NJ), closes its doors to the public for two days and offers its members a meal from one of the three or four food trucks, a wine tasting and live music all day. They can also pick up their wine allocation. The members agree to purchase a case of wine every year, hand-picked by Scott Gares, the winemaker (but based upon their preferences of dry wines or sweeter wines). The wines are distributed via pick-up or mailed to members, twice a year. Members also get discounts on wine purchases, free wine tastings, discounts on winery events, etc. Lots of reasons to join the Vintner’s Club. Check out their website for more details.
This two-day event started on a mostly dry (limited to a brief sprinkles on our drive to Ringoes) Saturday, which was dominated by the high winds and the high spirits of the attendees. The members were treated to anchored tents with portable heaters, which helped tamp down the wind and the cold (and were much appreciated). My wife, Carol and I arrived early to set up and see where we would be located (on the tented, enclosed deck). While setting up our table to sell my book, New Jersey Uncorked, I couldn’t help but notice that Scott was busy making sure the tented areas were secure enough to withstand the gusts of 40 MPH! He and Laurin Dorman (the sommelier at OYC) and a number of other staff I have not met, wear a lot of hats normally and on festival and members only days they do a little bit of everything.
As you can see, above, the tented deck area, still had views of the vineyards. The tables were decorated with candles (which I thought might come in handy if we lost power) and there were even a couple of small, decorated Christmas trees with wrapped packages under the trees. The pictures were obviously taken before the crowds arrived at 12:00.
The music on Saturday was provided by Acoustic Road. They played soft rock covers from The Beatles to Pink Floyd and from Led Zeppelin to Pure Prairie League.
We did not need to do a tasting, as we had visited recently (and wrote about that on these pages). My wife and I decided to stay close to the heater and just munch on our snacks (mostly crackers and cheese), but I purchased a bottle of Chardonnay to transform this snack into a late lunch. I would have gone with one of their reds, but since my wife preferred a Chard (and she has been so supportive of my book project) I caved. Truth is I really like their Chardonnay, so I wasn’t being that unselfish…
Sunday was so much nicer-still cold, but sunny and NO WIND! We set up and agreed that we would try one of the food trucks when we got a chance. I also got to walk around a little more, but regret that I did not take pictures on Sunday, as I would like to have given you a sense of the crowd size. There were at least 500 or 600 patrons on Sunday (far bigger than Saturday)…and I don’t exaggerate crowd size.
The music was easier to hear and enjoy on this beautiful day without wind. Winery Catz provided the entertainment on Sunday. Their sounds were also eclectic, ranging from Peter Frampton and Elton John to Cindy Lauper and Adele. My wife and I agreed to see if this group or Acoustic Road play anywhere closer to us in South Jersey. Both of these groups were very good and provided a nice soundtrack to this event.
Getting back to the food and wine, we went with Oink and Moo (great name). Two barbecued brisket sliders each with a side of cole slaw. Good stuff. Even better was the Old York Cellars Syrah. I was torn between the Merlot, the Malbec, the What Exit Red and the Syrah. Since we had recently had the What Exit Red (I recommend you try this light, smooth red blend), but ultimately decided on the Syrah. I did not remember their Syrah, but the server was kind enough to pour me a generous taste and I was instantly convinced. Wow! This is a very good Syrah and the perfect complement to the BBQ brisket sliders.
While I did not sell out of my books over the weekend, my wife and I had a good time. Good music, food and wine. Hard to go wrong, right? I also enjoyed talking to folks who stopped by and shared their favorite wines and wineries (obviously OYC is definitely one of them, as what they all had in common was being members). The majority of them were surprised at how many New Jersey wineries there are. My work is clearly not done.
By the way, Dave Wolin, the owner at Old York Cellars, was unable to be there for this event (a rare absence for someone who really appreciates his members). However, the reason he could not make it was he was helping out with the opening of the Old York Cellars tasting room at the Quaker Bridge Mall. Pictures look beautiful. I will be posting about these “satellite tasting rooms” in the near future. They are increasingly popular and make great sense for the owners and the consumers.
Cheers!
I will be at the Margaret E. Heggan Free Public Library on Wednesday, 11/28/18 at 7:00 PM. I’ll be doing a brief talk about NJ wines and wineries and discussing my book. Immediately following, I will be selling and signing New Jersey Uncorked: A Snob-Free Taste of NJ Wines. The book is $25, including tax. I will only be able to accept cash or checks. The library is located at 606 Delsea Drive, Sewell. (08080)
Don’t forget to check out the e-book version. You can get it instantly. No wait. No shipping and handling…and it’s only $12.99. Just go to the iBooks Apple App, and hit the magnifying glass icon to search New Jersey Uncorked. It is only available on iOS systems (Mac, iPad and iPhone).
Don’t forget about the $3 coupon for the book available only at BookBaby (store.bookbaby.com/book/New-Jersey-Uncorked). Just use the code Holidays18.
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