I could not have picked a better day (at least in February) for revisiting Iron Plow Vineyards. Blue skies, sunshine and temperature in the 60’s! My wife and I enjoyed our flights of reds and whites on the deck under the pergola overlooking the vineyard. Having the luxury of visiting on a week day, we were the only patrons. We had a chance to chat with our server, Victor Tarassov (a retired therapist and a flamenco guitarist) and Marcus, a bright, articulate young man who volunteers and lives nearby.
Iron Plow Vineyards is located in Columbus-a hop, skip and a jump from the Route 295 exit. Opening in 2015, they are one of the newer wineries in the state.
I remembered how much I liked the Cabernet Franc and an interesting white wine, called Hopped Up or IPC (India Pale Cayuga) the last time I visited. While these were both good, I have a new favorite: their Traminette, which is one of the best Traminettes I have ever tasted. With our white and red flights I got to taste everything available, except their Pinot Grigio.
The white wines tasted included:
- Traminette-By far my favorite of the whites and all the wines tasted during this tasting. It has enough acidity to pair well with many light meats and seafood dishes, but balanced and tasty enough to enjoy on its own (which my wife and I did, while watching the deer on the property and the hawks circling above, serving as graceful entertainment in the sky.
- Vidal Blanc-Not my favorite, but not bad, with hints of pineapple
- Gruner Veltliner-A very good version with the typical hint of spice and acidity that would go nicely with grilled light meats or vegetables.
- Hopped Up-Still one of the more interesting white wines around. Purists might be detractors, but I admire the creativity and enjoyed the finished product.
The red flight included:
- Barrel into the Bottle-A very interesting dry red blend of Norton and Frontenac; very fruit forward, aged in oak with very soft tannin.
- Leon Millot-Pronunced “Me-Yo”, it is a French hybrid; very dry with a distinct dry taste.
- Chambourcin-A good version of this NJ hybrid favorite
- Cabernet Franc-A typically peppery, smoky version that was recently bottled and will likely improve with a little time in the cellar.
I was disappointed that they were sold out of the Norton (an under-rated red grape that does well in New Jersey, Virginia and a few other East Coast states and the Black Horse Red (a Bordeaux-style red).
I can’t tell you how much my wife and I enjoyed our visit today, enhanced by the wonderful weather and views. I will definitely return soon…hopefully when I can listen to Victor play his flamenco-style guitar. He is scheduled to perform there on 2/22 from 6-10 PM. Check out their website for some other great musical entertainment and events.
Cheers!
