My wife and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and pay a visit to Bellview Winery in Landisville on Friday. We got there shortly after they opened (around noon) and took advantage of the specials they were running as part of the celebration of New Jersey Wine Week. We enjoyed three different wine flights: a red wine flight, a white wine flight, and a mixed wine flight and one of their great charcuterie boards with three kinds of cheeses, two different meats, crackers, figs, and some M & M’s. By arriving early, we had the tasting room to ourselves, seated at a table in the upstairs “balcony” overlooking the tasting area.

The Wines

Our first two flights and charcuterie board are pictured below.

Dry White Wines

• 2021 Gruner Veltliner-Bone dry with a hint of pear.
• 2019 Chardonnay-A very nice Chardonnay; gently oaked with apple notes and a steal at $18 and with the special discount today only $13.50! A Silver Medal winner at the NJ Wine Competition.
• 2021 Traminette-One of the best Traminettes around; wonderful floral nose, with a hint of sweetness and a bit of lime on the palate. Best in Show at the AWS Garden State Wine Challenge.
• Dry Rose-A good dry Rose with a hint of strawberry on the palate.

Dry Red Wines

• 2021 San Marco-Medium-bodied with dark fruit and smooth tannins. Gold Medal Winner at the AWS Garden State Wine Growers Challenge.
• 2019 Blaufrankisch-A very good version with medium body and dark fruit.
• 2021 Cab Franc-Very nice, with a bit darker hue and more body than many I have tasted recently.
• 2015 Petit Verdot-A tasty, full-bodied wine with dark fruit and smooth tannins, despite the strong structure (eight years old and still tasting great).

Mixed Flight

• 2021 Pinot Grigio-Very good; citrus flavor with lively acidity.
• 2022 Viognier-Lush mouthfeel with a hint of peach. Silver Medal winner at the AWS Garden State Wine Challenge.
• 2020 Chambourcin-Medium-bodied with cherry on the palate. Took a Silver Medal at the AWS Garden State Wine Challenge.
• 2020 Solavita-Deep color with stone fruit and vanilla on the palate. It won a Gold Medal at the Boston Wine Competition.
• 2020 Regent (bonus)-An underrated hybrid. It is often used in blends to lend color and body, but this single varietal is very good on its own.

Our Takeaways

We had a tough time deciding on which wines to take home, as we enjoyed all of the wines we tasted. We decided on the four bottles below. From left to right below: 2019 Chardonnay, 2021 Traminette, Solavita, and 2020 Regent.

Bellview Winery has one of the widest choices of wines, with some of the lowest prices at any winery in New Jersey. Where else can you get three flights of wine, a large charcuterie board, and four bottles of wine to go for under $100? If you have not visited this winery, you really should check it out. They also have some of the best festivals (Seafood Festival; Irish Festival, Italian Festival, etc.) and great live music in a beautiful bucolic setting.

Coming Attractions

• Working Dog Winery
• Laurita Winery

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