While we are not vegans in our home, we do try to eat healthy most of the time and enjoy a variety of vegetarian foods. Of course, like any other type of food, it always tastes better with a little wine. Our food for this pairing came from a little spot nearby, called Taste:Plant-Based. Ironically, the owner is the son of Meloni’s Butcher Block (next door). Taste has a nice small, but interesting and varied menu. Since our kitchen is presently being remodeled, real cooking is not in the cards right now. We still don’t have our sink and dishwasher hooked up and no counter tops, yet. But the microwave and stove are hooked up and usable for simple fare right now.
The Food
Our choices for our dinner were shared so we could taste a bit of each of the following:
- Southwest Quinoa-quinoa, black beans, bell pepper, onion, corn, cilantro, and lime juice.
- Farro with Parsley Pesto-Farro, white kidney beans, walnuts, garlic, spinach, lemon juice, parsley, and nutritional yeast.
- White Bean Penne Pesto-Whole wheat penne, Great Northern beans, roasted tomatoes, basil, nutritional yeast, and salt & pepper.
All three of these choices were delicious and pretty reasonable. They offer many other selections which you can access on their full menu online. So if you’re in the area and looking for something different and healthy, but don’t want to break the bank, you should consider checking out Taste: Plant-Based on the Black Horse Pike on the border between Blackwood and Turnersville.
The Wine
Red
Hawk Haven Vineyards Proprietor’s Red Blend-An easy-drinking, medium-bodied red that reminds me of their Flying Press Red (without the hint of reserved sugar). It’s a great every day, table red, that is handy to have in your cellar. It is a blend of Merlot, Cab, and Petite Sirah, with red cherry and vanilla notes.
White
For our white wine, I chose another Hawk Haven wine: Their 2021 Reserve Chardonnay Clone 76 & 95. This is one of our favorite Chardonnays produced in New Jersey. It has tasty notes of pineapple and pear, with a subtle influence of oak.
New Jersey Wine of the Week
My pick for this week’s NJ Wine of the Week is a marvelous Rose wine from Working Dog Winery in Robbinville, their 2021 Equinox. This Rose is made with their Chambourcin and Cab Franc. It is a delicious, dry and refreshing Rose with strawberry notes and a lush mouthfeel. Equinox has more body than most Roses I have recently tasted, but more than enough acidity to accompany a host of different meals. For those who feel Rose wine is strictly a summertime thing-I present the Equinox as Exhibit A-for the opposing argument. It is truly a wonderful Rose for any time of year!
Coming Attractions
- Spellbound Brewing in Mount Holly
- Trainwreck Distillery in Mount Holly
- My NJ Wine of the Week
Cheers!
New Jersey Uncorked: A Snob-Free Taste of NJ Wine by David Mullen
You can still download this handbook of NJ wineries at the Apple iBook store for ONLY $7.99 using the coupon code: Winter2022
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