Auburn Road Winery is located in Pilesgrove, a rural area in South Jersey. While I have visited and written often about this wonderful winery often in the past, there are a lot of changes going on. The physical site, from tasting room to patio and beyond are under construction to accommodate the growing number of patrons who are discovering and enjoying the wines, the foods, the music, and the vibe offered here. There is truly something for everyone at Auburn Road. While they specialize in dry wines (red and white), they offer wines that will meet you where you are in your wine journey-dry to sweet and those in between.
Though they haven’t been doing their famous Friday pasta nights since the pandemic began, they always have lots of options to accompany your favorite wine choice. We visited around 1:00 in the afternoon, so we opted for their popular Buddha Box of charcuterie. They still do pizza on Saturdays and flatbreads on Friday nights. They still do the Open Mike Nights on Thursdays and have live music on weekends, as well.
Recently, Auburn Road won two awards at the Annual New Jersey Governor’s Cup, including best Chardonnay and best fortified wine. Speaking of wine, my wife and I chose to do a white wine flight and a red wine flight.
Dry White Wine Flight (See above photo)
- Hummingbird (“Spirit Wine Collection”)-100% Sauvignon Blanc. This is a tasty, citrusy wine with hints of lime and apple. It was fermented and aged in stainless steel.
- The White Bottle– An ongoing favorite, it is a tasty and reasonably priced Chardonnay that is done in the French style-sur lie aged in oak.. A creamy, soft on the palate Chard.
- Dry Rose-A lovely color, done Provence-style, with subtle aroma and taste of strawberries.
- Barrel Fermented Reserve Chardonnay-I can see why this one was recognized as the winner for the Chardonnay category. It is an exceptional Chardonnay. In the past we have not been able to try this one. They make a limited amount and it was actually not on the tasting menu when we arrived, but our server said there was an open bottle so we could try it. We were thankful, as this was by far the best white in the tasting.
Dry Red Wine Flight
- Lioness (“Spirit Animal Collection”)-a light blend of Tempranillo and Merlot. It was great with our charcuterie.
- Gaia-A perennial favorite here. It is also a red blend, with Cab Franc leading the way, to go with Merlot and Petit Verdot.
- Shewolf (“Spirit Animal Collection”)-A medium+ bodied dry red blend, that is savory, with blackberry and cherry notes on the palate.
- Mustang (“Spirit Animal Collection”)-a full-bodied, “jammy” Zinfandel; smooth, but with a bit of spice.
Bonus
- I also got to try their Port-style wine. It is based on Chambourcin, as many New Jersey Port-style wines are and it was fortified with Brandy (distilled from their Cabernet Sauvignon). This offering was also definitely deserving of recognition. It is very smooth and very good.
My wife and I had a great tasting and light lunch at Auburn Road and look forward to visiting again soon. Thanks to our server!
Cheers!
My Featured NJ Wine of the Week
In addition to the wines mentioned above, I want to give a shout out to my second weekly NJ wine of the week. The wine chosen every week is one I have singled out as noteworthy. This gives me a chance to recognize a wine and winery on posts in which I am featuring a NJ brewery or distillery or a winery in a neighboring state (like New York or Pennsylvania). At other times it will allow me to highlight a winery that perhaps I don’t get to as much or write about as often. But it also reflects the number of the superb wines produced in our state. With that as my goal, here is my choice this week:
Unionville Vineyards 2021 Hunterdon Mistral Rose-This is a wonderful, estate grown, produced, and bottled Rose. It is made from 81% Syrah and 19% Counoise. It is a beautiful light salmon color. The photo below does not do it justice, as it was still slightly hazy from refrigeration. It is bone dry, but possessing a rich smooth mouthfeel, with strawberry and lime notes on the palate. It will pair with so many foods, this time of year (or any time of the year), but it is also awesome on its own merits. Truly one of the best Rose wines in the state.
Coming Attractions
- Working Dog Winery
- Somer’s Point Brewery
- My Top 10 NJ Wines of the Year
- My 2022 Winery Highlights
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