It has been a couple of years since I visited Laurita Winery. Parking the car and taking in the beautiful expansive property with the huge, unique tasting room, brought back great memories from previous visits. Laurita Winery is located in New Egypt. It is one of the largest and most attractive wineries in the state. To add to this good fortune, Laurita makes some very good wines. They have 40 acres of grapes under vine. Since it had been a long time since our last visit, my wife and I decided to do a tasting. Laurita still does the traditional tasting-standing at the tasting bar, choosing the wines you want to try, and drinking them out of real wine glasses (not plastic). Incidentally, the price for a tasting is very good, too (especially for these inflationary times). They offer your choice of six wines for $10.
The Wine
My picks
- Norton-One of the few produced in NJ, it is a good Norton-dry, dark in color and rich in flavor.
- Bistro-A fruit-forward blend of their Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
- 2020 Merlot-A lightly oaked Merlot with smooth tannins and a long finish.
- 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon-Very good, with notes of cherry and a hint of vanilla.
- 2020 Cabernet Franc-My favorite in the tasting. It is well-balanced, silky smooth and delicious.
- Meritage-A nice blend of their Cab and their Merlot.
My wife’s picks
- Pinot Gris-This Pinot Gris was quite good, with a medium body and lively acidity (it went great with our lunch)
- Chardonnay Naked-Their unoaked Chard was our least favorite in the tasting, but my wife and I both prefer Chards with a little oak. However, if you prefer the stainless steel Chardonnays, this one might be for you.
- Chardonnay Reserve-An oaked version that we enjoyed much more than the “Naked” version.
- Riesling-A dry Riesling with just a hint of sweetness to balance the acidity.
- Grand Cru Chardonnay-A very good, full-bodied Chardonnay, though a bit more expensive ($43)
- Cabernet Franc-Described above
Below are a few photos I took before we went outside:
After our tasting we decided to order a sandwich to share and a bottle of their Pinot Gris. The view from their deck is hard to beat and so is the food. The large sandwich with roasted vegetables and goat cheese and fries were more than enough to share for a late lunch.
My Top 5 Reasons to Visit (or Re-Visit) Laurita Winery
- The Wine-Old fashioned tastings at pre-inflationary prices and a very good and varied list of wines to choose from.
- The Beautiful Grounds-On a nice day you will love the outdoor wining and dining.
- The large, unique tasting room-The pictures above don’t do it justice. It is a 20,000 square foot structure that artfully combined two barns (each over 150 years old) into an incredible, beautiful facility.
- The food-They have a deli where you can pick from much more than just cheese plates and charcuterie.
- The varied and creative forms of entertainment offered.
Our Takeaways From our Visit to Laurita Winery
From left to right above: 2020 Cab Franc, 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, and Bistro.
Cheers!
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