My wife and I had been planning a trip to to Cedar Rose Vineyards and asking a couple of friends to join us for an evening of wine, music, and food. Cedar Rose has their own kitchen so they are not dependent upon food trucks to feed their customers. They continue to add offerings. We were pleased that our friends, Patty and Donna, said they would like to join us. We love the wine at Cedar Rose and we had seen Jimmy Dunn (the live entertainment Friday) at White Horse Winery about a year ago. The weather could not have been nicer-sunny and warm, but not too warm.
We were seated on the covered patio, not far from Jimmy Dunne. In short order our table for four was covered with four flights of five wines each.
My Flight of Red Wine
- Kindling 3-A full-bodied blend of Chambourcin, Regent, Norton, and Cabernet Sauvignon. All grapes utilized bring deep color and rich flavors to the blend.
- Samara-A wonderful blend of Cab Franc and Blaufrankisch. Best version yet of this blend; more full-bodied than I remembered.
- 2019 OA Cabernet Sauvignon*-Terrific Cab with medium body and silky smooth tannins
- Cabernet Franc-a smooth and earthy version.
- Estate Cabernet Sauvignon-Very nice Cab, not quite as rich and bold as the OA Cab, but good.
* The OA stands for Orley Ashenfelter, who is a noted grower in Vineland and who supplied the grapes for this wine and has also supplied high quality grapes to other wineries, such as Hawk Haven (most notably their OA Cab Franc). It should be noted that Orley Ashenfelter is also an economist and professor at Princeton University!
My Wife’s Mixed Flight of White and Red Wines
- Silica-Light and refreshing blend of Viognier, Cayuga, Vidal Blanc, and Albarino
- Quartz Edition 2-a delicious medium+ body and rich mouthfeel. Our favorite white in the tasting.
- Traminette-A good version, with just a hint of sweetness to go with the usual flowery aromatics.
- Dry Rose-Chambourcin-based, this Dry Rose had an attractive color and hints of strawberry and citrus on the palate.
- Old Hickory-100% Chamboucin, with oak influenced smoky wood and caramel. very good medium-bodied version.
To put the icing on the cake for me, I had contacted the winery ahead of time to see if they had any bottles of Norton and they contacted the winemaker (and one of the owners), Dustin Tarpine. Thanks to their followthrough and Dustin’s help, I was able to enjoy a bottle of their 2016 Norton with our food and take home another with us. I also got a bottle of their Quartz for my wife and I to enjoy with our food. Needless to say we did not finish either bottle. We packed them up and added them to our three take home bottles: Norton, OA Cabernet Sauvignon, and Quartz. The Norton is a delicious full-bodied, bold and unique earthy red with notes of blackberries and cherries on the palate.
Norton
I know some of you have probably never heard of or tasted Norton. The grape was named after Dr. Norton. He came up with the hybrid, one of the few ALL American grapes (especially red grapes) that make great wine (no offense to the Concord grape and to Manichevitz who use Concord grapes to make their wine). He did this in Virginia around 1920 (shortly before Prohibition put an end to alcohol, including wine). Before Prohibition, though it was recognized, even abroad as an excellent wine, winning a Gold Meal at a competition in Vienna. Today, it is still widely available in Virginia wineries. It is even more plentiful in Missouri, where it is the “State Grape.” The only other winery in New Jersey that grows and produces Norton (that I know of) is Valenzano Winery, where it is known as Cythianna (its other moniker).
The Food
My wife and I chose three small plate appetizers: Caprese Salad (a new addition to the menu); Crispy Calamari; and Spinach and Artichoke Dip with chips. All were great and our friends enjoyed their steak sandwiches. Cedar Rose has raised the bar for many other wineries, where cheese plates are often very good, but don’t offer the diversity of foods, which can not only accompany your wine, but fill your stomach with tasty choices.
The Songs
Jimmy Dunn provided the songs for the evening, accompanied very ably with his guitar. We were treated to covers of groups from the Beatles to Credence Clearwater Revival and the Temptations and Cat Stevens to Rod Stewart and Pure Prairie League. Dunn has a very good, versatile voice with a wide range and delivering versions faithful to the originals, yet putting his own stamp on them. As a “closet guitarist” myself, I also appreciated Dunn’s chops on the guitar. I look forward to seeing him at another winery in the near future.
Our Takeaway
It was a fun night for all. We were glad that our friends, Donna and Patty were able to join us. Kudos to Dustin Tarpine and everyone at Cedar Rose Vineyards!
Cheers!
Coming Attractions
- Summer NJ Wine Recommendations
- An interview with Noted Wine professional(s)
- Stokelan Winery (Opening Very Soon)
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