I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I was on the road and unable to post last week. This week, “It’s beginning to look and feel a lot like Christmas… “
Laurita Winery
If you haven’t been to Laurita Winery, you really should check it out. It is one of the prettiest tasting rooms in the state, they have wonderful wine, and there always seems to be something going on with their winery events. They also have a deli as you enter the tasting room, offering some tasty bites to enjoy with your wine. There is also an inn next door where you can spend the night in comfort.
On Thursday, my wife and I decided to visit Laurita Winery in New Egypt. Our previous visits have been in warmer weather, but seeing the Christmas decorations in this beautiful tasting room and around the property, we decided we had picked a great time. We also timed our visit to have the place virtually to ourselves, enjoy a great veggie sandwich from their deli, and enjoy the one-to-one attention of our server. Even better, the wines we tasted were even better than I recalled. There was not one wine that disappointed.
The Wines
We got to pick any six wines for $10 each. Their strong suit is definitely their red wines, though we enjoyed both of their Chardonnays.
- Chardonnay Naked-This wine surprised my wife and me. Whenever there is both an oaked and an unoaked Chardonnay, we almost always prefer the oaked version. But this naked version was soft and round with a fuller body than the oaked version.
- Chardonnay Reserve-Aged in Hungarian oak, adding a hint of vanilla.
- Cab Franc-An excellent Cab Franc, smooth as silk, with a little more body and a bit darker in color than many I have tasted this year.
- Merlot-A smooth, medium to full-bodied, fruit forward version, with a long finish.
- Norton-A lovely dark hue, with tasty black berry flavors.
- Bistro-The Bistro is a very good red blend that would be a great accompaniment to pizza, pasta, or a burger. It is fruit forward, with only a hint of sweetness.
- Meritage*-This red blend of Cab and Merlot, with a silky smooth was the best in the tasting, with delicious fruit, complexity, and excellent structure.
*The Meritage was a bonus tempting teaser for a wine they are now out of stock (my only disappointment during this visit).
On the Sweeter Side
We also decided to try an old favorite:
- Chocolate Therapy-made with a blend of reds and a rich chocolate flavor. It is delicious!
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Therapy, with all the chocolatey goodness of the Chocolate Therapy, and an added wonderful peanut butter aroma and taste.
Our Take Away
Looking for a Christmas Present For Yourself?
Look no further than your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Go to the iBook app and download a digital copy of my book about New Jersey wines and wineries. It is called New Jersey Uncorked: A Snob-Free Taste of NJ Wine. You will need to hurry if you want to get the sale price ($8.99). You must use the discount code Fall23. The ebook is not available at Amazon, Kindle, or anywhere else.
Coming Attractions
- Working Dog Winery
- My Top 12 NJ Wines of 2023
- Christmas 2023
- My 2023 NJ Wine Highlights
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