The William Heritage Winery tasting room in Haddonfield was due to open just before the Pandemic closed down businesses. But it has been open for a while now and I finally got to check it out on Thursday. We live about equidistant between the Mullica Hill tasting room and the Haddonfield tasting room, but have continued going to Mullica Hill out of habit, I guess. While much smaller, the Haddonfield tasting room added to their space in the past year and they have done a remarkable job of decorating this upscale space, while giving it a bit of a youthful, “hipster” feel. The picture above only shows one side of the room. There is another similar size space on the other side of the bar area. My photos don’t do this space justice, but…
There are even a few comfy window seats
On Thursday, my wife and I decided to use our quarterly freebies (cards for a free tasting and a free glass of wine). Our server, Bob, a knowledgeable and friendly guy (who I remembered from previous tastings in Mullica Hill) shared that they were a little light on white wines right now. When I asked about their Pumpkin Hill Chardonnay, he shared that Starlings had decimated a large portion of the crop this year. They appeared to have singled out that grape for some reason. My theory is they have great taste and are a lot smarter than they look. Heritage Pumpkin Hill Chardonnay is a real favorite in our home. For our tasting we chose the “Classic”- four of their offerings consisting of:
- 2020 Estate Cider (made from several varieties of apples and pears (and a little of their Chardonnay)
- NV Unoaked Chardonnay-Subtle notes of apple and lemon
- 2019 Estate Merlot-Strawberry and cherry notes; aged in 15% new French oak. Included in our most recent allotment.
- 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon-Our favorite in the tasting; a smooth, medium + bodied classic Cab with cherry and raspberry flavors, smooth tannins, but enough structure to continue to improve with time. It was also included in our most recent quarterly allotment.
My wife and I both chose a glass of their Cabernet Sauvignon. By this point we had been introduced to Penni Heritage, who poured our Cab. I had met Penni’s husband, Bill (owner of the William Heritage Winery and their farm in Mullica Hill) a couple of years ago at a wine event. It’s always nice to put a name with a face. It truly is a family business. Now they have a lovely small-town, historic setting for their tasting room in Haddonfield to go along with their lovely bucolic winery in Mullica Hill. Their growth, beauty, and praise from wine critics highlight how their business is thriving. Those of us living in South Jersey are lucky to have them in both of these neighborhoods.
Cheers!
Home Cooking and Wine Pairing
On Wednesday evening, my wife was kind enough to make a tasty white chicken chili, with cannelloni beans, jalapeño peppers, fresh lime juice, cilantro and garlic, garnished with avocado. My job was to find a good wine to do this meal justice. My choice was the Hawk Haven Vineyards 2020 Gewurtztraminer. A great choice, if I do say so myself. The lime and ginger notes, with a kiss of sweetness, was meant to be served with this dish.
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Coming Attractions
- An interview with Larry Coia, wine grower, who was instrumental in bringing the San Marco grape to New Jersey. I encourage you to read his comments to last week’s post on the San Marco grape. It can be found in the comments section below. Just scroll down until you come to it. I’ll get Larry’s take on the New Jersey wine business and more on the San Marco grape.
- Unionville Vineyards Updates
- Train Wreck Distillery
- Tonewood Brewery
- Versa Vino Wine Bar
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