While I prefer dry wines, I am often asked what my favorite sweet wines are. I also think there is a place for sweet wines. I just don’t drink them with my main course. Thankfully, New Jersey has emerged as a state producing many award-winning dry wines, as well as those sweeter wines that used to be the mainstay of New Jersey. I refuse to disparage others’ tastes in wine, just because they may differ from mine. That’s where the “Snob-Free” moniker comes in. Full disclosure, I occasionally enjoy a sweet wine myself-sometimes with dessert, sometimes as dessert. That said, I thought I would share some of my favorite sweet NJ wines.
Many of our state’s wineries produce dry wines exclusively, or may offer one or two off-dry alternatives. For purposes of the present discussion I will not include fortified wines (eg. Port-style wines). The following wineries also produce dry wines (including some excellent ones, I might add). A few of my favorite sources for sweet wines include Wagonhouse Winery, Balic Winery and Cream Ridge Vineyards. I will begin my list with examples from this group and later add a few more from other sources.
Wagonhouse Winery
They produce some terrific sweet wines under their Three Boys Brand (named after the owners’ sons). Among my personal favorites here are:
- Autumn Godess-White wine where apples shine; I pair mine with a Cider doughnut from Duffield’s Farm Market
- Shore Thing-White wine with mango and peaches
- Nutty Quaker-Red wine with tasty notes of coconut, chocolate and coffee
- Fallen Quaker-Red wine with chocolate, coffee and lavender
Balic Winery
- Huckleberry Wine-A unique wine that might make a Huckleberry Hound out of you.
- Almanique, a dessert wine fermented with cherry pits and toasted almonds
Cream Ridge Winery
- JavaBerry (Yep, java, as in coffee)
- ChocolateBerry-My favorite food group
- AlmondBerry-Their perennial best-seller
Finally, here are a few of my other favorites around our state:
- DiMatteo Vineyards Chocolate Raz – As you might imagine, the prominent tasting notes in this red wine are chocolate and raspberry (one of my favorite combinations).
- Sharrott Winery Just Peachy is my favorite Sangria, period.
- Natali Vineyards Beach Plum Wine – seems appropriate for a winery located in North Cape May.
- Tomasello Winery American Almonique – will remind you of Amaretto
- Laurita Winery Chocolate Therapy – As a retired psychologist and therapist (and acknowledged chocoholic) I heartily recommend this red-based wine, which will surprisingly remind you of a famous Irish Cream liquore.
By the way, any of these would make a fine dessert wine at your Thanksgiving table. Here are a few suggestions for what you might consider for pairing with everything you serve before dessert:Three of the most versatile wines are Riesling, Unoaked Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. You can’t go wrong with any combination of these wines. Below are a few of my specific picks (New Jersey wines, of course):
From left to right above: Beneduce Vineyards Three Windows 2018 Riesling; William Heritage 2018 Unoaked Chardonnay; Unionville 2015 Pheasant Hill Pinot Noir; and Beneduce Vineyards 2016 White Pinot Noir (Yes, White Pinot Noir!).
Happy Thanksgiving!
Coming Attractions
- New Jersey Hybrid Grapes
- Salem Oak Vineyards Fall 2019
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Want a paperback version? You can get it for $5 off with the same coupon (HOLIDAY19) at
store.bookbaby.com/book/New-Jersey-Uncorked
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