Three grapes you may associate more with Europe or South America are alive and doing quite well in New Jersey. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy variety in life. Especially during these times, I find comfort in the new, more than the tried and true. It is far too easy during this damn pandemic to go through your life like you were transported into the movie, Groundhog Day. We all have our “go-to” meals and recipes, as well as wines and cocktails. But one way to fight the pandemic blues is to get out of your comfort zone (not your safety zone).
For instance, if your “go-to” white wine is Chardonnay, you might try a Viognier or an Albarino. The Viognier tends to be full-bodied white that can have that lush mouth feel, like many Chardonnays. The Albarino is generally a bit lighter, but very food friendly. Both of these white grapes are grown in New Jersey and several wineries in the state make a very good version of one or both of these wines.
Viognier
Viognier originated in France (as the name might suggest). My first taste of Viognier came in Virginia in the Charlottesville area. It is very commonly produced and served and they do a very nice job with it. Though it is less commonly gown and produced in New Jersey, there are several wineries that make it. There may be others, but I am happy to report that the following wineries make an excellent version and I whole-heartedly recommend you try them (unfortunately I do not have any currently in my cellar):
- Hawk Haven Signature Series 2019 Viognier-aromatic with lemon notes (unfortunately sold out)
- Unionville Vineyards-I have enjoyed their Mistral Blanc, a great white blend utilizing Viognier as one of its components. I believe they have also offered Viognier as a stand alone grape in the recent past.
- Working Dog Winery Viognier-a beautiful version with medium to full-body; nicely aromatic
Albarino
This grape originated in Spain. It is most famous in the Rias Baxias Region. It also does very well in Portugal, where it is known as Alvarinho. This wine is a dry, light wine with lots of acidity. In recent years this grape has been grown with good success in New Jersey.
I have tried Albarino at the following wineries and enjoyed each of them:
- White Horse Winery 2018 Albarino-Estate-grown; fruity with notes of grapefruit
- Hawk Haven 2018 Signature Series Albarino-Refreshing; great with seafood.
- Autumn Lake Albarino-They actually make two styles: An oaked and a more traditional unoaked version. I love them both. The oak adds some traditional oak notes (vanilla) for a more complex wine, but still plenty of fruit and acidity.
- Turdo Vineyards 2019 Albarino diLuca Bianco-A thirst quenching wine, made for our Jersey shore seafood.
- Cape May Winery 2019 Albarino-Bone dry with great acidity.
Malbec
This grape had its start in France, but subsequently has done even better in Argentina, outshining its original home in the Cahors Region in the South of France. My favorite region for Malbec is the Mendoza Region of Argentina. Malbec is an easy wine to find at any local liquor store, but New Jersey Malbecs are a bit less common. We do have at least three wineries that produce Malbec that I know of and have personally tasted.
- Hawk Haven Vineyards Signature Series Malbec-My personal favorite; a full-bodied version. This wine is made from their estate-grown grapes.
- Old York Cellars-Not only very good, but also very reasonably priced. Medium-bodied.
- Valenzano-A pretty good version utilizing grapes from the west coast.
Think (but don’t drink) out of the box. Try a new varietal today!
Cheers!
Interested in New Jersey wine? You can pick up your copy of my paperback for New Jersey Uncorked for $19.99 here:
store.bookbaby.com/book/New-Jersey-Uncorked Use the coupon code: Summer20
You can get the ebook version for $9.99 at the Apple iBook App. Use the same coupon code, Summer20.
Of course, you can also buy the paperback at Amazon (but not the e-book).
Coming Attractions
- Terra Nonno Grand Opening
- NJ Uncorked & Unplugged
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