Terra Nonno Winery Winter 2023

Terra Nonno Winery is located in Millville. I can’t believe all of the changes they have made since they opened about two years ago. My wife and I were actually the first paying customers at their opening. It had been about a year and a half since our last visit and the first day they were open after a brief seasonal absence for about a month or so. On Friday, we were able to arrive just before they started to get a little crowded. It was an impromptu visit, so we did not know they had live music scheduled.

The music was provided by Matt Diventi, a solo acoustic guitarist and singer/songwriter. He’s been performing in the South Jersey area for over 15 years. Matt performs a number of cover songs in the rock and reggae genres, as well as some original tunes. I would definitely like to see him again (especially at a winery venue).

To start things off, my wife and I decided to do a couple of flights to taste the new vintages. As usual, we shared our flights so we could taste a majority of their offerings.

MyDry Red Flight

Blaufrankisch-While not as distinctive as their previous vintage (it was my favorite at our last visit), it was still a decent version of this variety, with that familiar smokey dry quality, with a little spice.
Cabernet Franc-Definitely my favorite in my flight (and my wife’s flight)-Since they were sold out of their most recent Cab Franc, they substituted their 2016 Cab Franc. I can’t say I was disappointed with this substitution, as it was wonderful-Lots of fruit, not obscured by the gentle French oak aging, with very smooth tannins. We liked it so much, we not only got a bottle to go with our pizza, we also brought home a bottle. There are not many better Cab Francs in the state, especially at this price point ($22).
Godfather’s Blend-A dry French oaked blend that had mild tannins and notes of cherry and vanilla.

My Wife’s Mixed Flight

My wife wanted to sample both the oaked and unoaked Chardonnays, while trying the Trinity (red blend).

Oaked Chardonnay-We both preferred the oaked Chard, a gently oaked version that did not obscure the fruit (mostly apple notes) or diminish the acidity.
Unoaked Chardonnay-A bit less complex than the oaked version, but still worth trying.
Trinity Red Blend-A very nice oaked red blend. It is a smooth and easy drinking wine that would pair nicely with pasta , pizza, and burgers.

Below are a few photos that show a bit of the views and vibes at Terra Nonno.

                 

 

After finishing our flights we decided to order a couple of small pizzas from the HomeSlice Mobile Pizza truck (both very good) and to enjoy a bottle of that 2016 Cab Franc, while listening to a few of Matt Diventi’s tunes. This was a very enjoyable way to enjoy a Friday afternoon.

Cheers!

Featured NJ Wine of the Week

This week, I am highlighting a wine from Auburn Road Vineyards in Pilesgrove. They recently became the sixth winery member of the NJ Winemakers Co-Op. The other five include Unionville Vineyards, Beneduce Vineyards, Working Dog Winery, William Heritage Winery, and Hawk Haven Vineyards. Auburn Road opened in 2007 and their winemaker, Julianne Donnini (Co-owner and winemaker) continues to make better and better wine every year. The 2020 Gaia is an excellent example of their quality wines. It is a Bordeaux-style blend of Cab Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. Gaia is a medium+ bodied dry red, aged in French oak for 18 months. It shows tasty ripe fruit, with Velvety tannins. With minimal aeration, it is very smooth. But, I have cellared a couple of these for several years in the past with excellent results. For the price, this is one of the better red wine buys in the state.

Tried a New Jersey wine lately? Visited a NJ winery recently? Please share your experience here. Like what you read and see on these pages? It couldn’t be easier to scroll down, hit the “Subscribe” button, and get your weekly pour of NJ wine right in your inbox. No spills. No mess.