One way to save money on your wine purchases, while getting a more in depth experience at a winery, is to become a member. Not all wineries offer a membership, but many do-offering discounts on wine, a free glass of wine, invitations to special events, etc. Today, I will share two of the memberships I have and related benefits that my wife and I recently enjoyed. First up-White Horse Winery, located in Hammonton.
White Horse Winery
I am presently a member at White Horse Winery. To become a member you need to accept an allotment of four wines four times a year. You receive a 15% discount on these wines, as well as a 10% discount on future bottle purchases. In addition, they offer a free glass of wine during the first week that the allotment is available for pick up. They also offer member only access to some of their wines that are in limited production and other periodic special offers.
On the day that my wife and I visited (Presidents Day) we were also treated to live music provided by Camille Peruto, an excellent singer and acoustic guitarist. It was still a bit chilly, though most patrons were enjoying the relative warmth on the deck and beyond. We chose a seat inside by the window, where we could see and hear the music, while enjoying our wine.
My wife chose a glass of their 2020 Chardonnay and I chose a glass of their Merlot. The Chardonnay is unoaked, with nice acidity and notes of apple. Their Merlot is a silky smooth version with notes of black cherry.
Our allotment consisted of their Cab Franc, their Charger (a slightly off-dry red blend) and two substitutions. We are overstocked in our cellar with Rose so we opted for for the 2021 Chardonnay. We also decided to trade the 2021 Estate Sweet Traminette for their Painted White. The Painted White is a dry white blend with refreshing notes of peach. My preference for dry whites and reds has been shared many times before. I love that I am not locked in to all of the pre-selected wines, so that I can choose a wine sometimes, that better matches my preferences. Bottom line, we are very happy with our allotment, as usual. Our allotment is shown above, displayed on the bar in our cellar.
William Heritage Winery
I am a member at William Heritage Winery, which has tasting rooms in Mullica Hill (original) and Haddonfield. As a member, I agree to receive quarterly allotments of wine and receive a discount of 20% on those wines in the allotment. My wife and I also get a free wine flight and glass of wine quarterly. What a treat!
My wife and I both chose the Classic Wine Flight:
- 2021 Pet Nat Rose-A very nice lightly sparkling wine with raspberry notes and lively acidity.
- NV Unoaked Chardonnay-A good unoaked version with peach notes and a long finish.
- 2020 Estate Painted Horse– Red Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin and Malbec blend)-Light and smooth with blackberry notes.
- 2019 Cab Franc-A good version with notes of cherry and green bell pepper.
- 2019 Estate Syrah-My favorite in the tasting, with a dark ruby color and ripe blackberries on the palate. It is only available for members.
For my glass of wine I selected the 2019 BDX (Bordeaux style red pictured in the middle of the heart below). Their BDX has won all kinds of awards since they began producing this blockbuster. I am happy that it will be included in my allotment for March.
My wife chose a glass of their 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon. Another winner! It helped dampen my wife’s disappointment that there was only one white wine on the menu. The Cab is excellent and would doubtless continue to get even better in the cellar.
I will be picking up my quarterly allotment in the next couple of weeks. Check out the complete details about the memberships at both of these fine wineries on their respective websites.
Cheers!
Looking for another NJ Wine Bargain?
You can still purchase the ebook version of my book about New Jersey Wine and Wineries (New Jersey Uncorked) at Apple’s iBook app for ONLY $8.99. Just use the coupon code Winter21.
Coming Attractions
- Independence Distilling in Swedesboro
- Some Interesting New NJ Wines
- NJ Winery Entertainment
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