My Top 25 NJ Wines of 2023

It is impossible for me to place these wines in ranked order. They are all very good and were enjoyed during 2023. I will divide them into Whites, Roses, Reds, and even a couple of sweet wines. I could easily name 30 wonderful wines from just three or four New Jersey wineries. Instead I try to spread the wealth, with a larger number of wineries being recognized for their excellence. That said, I will admit that I don’t get to the northern most part of the state very often these days, so most of the wines are from wineries in the South Jersey or Central Jersey areas. I added two more qualifications to make the list: the wine had to be consumed in 2023 (regardless of vintage year) and the grapes had to be from New Jersey. That said, I know there are many other great wines made in the Garden State. Believe me. I have tried the vast majority of them in the eight years I have been writing about them.

Dry White Wines

• Auburn Road Vineyards 2021 Barrel Reserve Chardonnay-Great Chard with a bit of citrus and tropical fruit on the palate, a hint of vanilla, and a long finish.
• Working Dog Winery 2022 New Jersey Chardonnay-An excellent Chardonnay with a creamy and buttery finish.
• Hawk Haven Winery Signature Series Reserve Chardonnay-Gently oaked with smooth creamy mouthfeel.
• White Horse Winery Estate Barrel Fermented Chardonnay-Wonderful estate-grown Chardonnay.
• Autumn Lake Winery Albarino-A wonderful version, offering lively acidity and endless pairing options. They also make a great oaked version.
• Willow Creek Malvasia-The only Malvasia produced in the state, to my knowledge. It is full-bodied, dry, but delicious.
• Working Dog Winery Pinot Gris-Delicious, with medium plus body and very food friendly.
• Cape May Winery 2022 Estate Oaked Barrel Fermented Chardonnay-100% Estate Chardonnay with lemon on the nose and citrus on the palate.
• Bellview Winery 2022 Traminette-Great version with a hint of sweetness.
• Old York Cellars Vidal Blanc-My new favorite Vidal Blanc.A few of these are pictured below.

A few of these are shown below.

Dry Rose Wines

• Working Dog Winery 2022 Equinox Rose-An exceptional Rose, dry, but refreshing; made from Chambourcin (90%) and Cab Franc (10%).
• Unionville Vineyards 2022 Dry Rose-A great dry Rose made from Cab Franc, that offers citrus on the palate and bright acidity.
• Hawk Haven Vineyards 2022 Signature Series Dry Rose-a lovely pinkish/light copper color, with strawberry and vanilla notes. Made with a mix of Cab Franc, Cab, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Malbec, Tempranillo, and Syrah.
• Amalthea Cellars Leda Rose-A terrific Tavel-style Rose and very reasonably priced!

A few of these are pictured below.

Dry Red Wines

• Turdo Vineyards 2021 Barbera-The best Barbera in the state and possibly their best vintage.
• Hawk Haven 2013 Quill-A wonderful library wine, that is just starting to change color on the edges, but the flavor of this medium-bodied red blend is still robust and tasty.
• William Heritage 2017 BDX-Another great vintage of this classic Bordeaux-style blend.
• Turdo Vineyards 2021 DiLuca Rosso-Delicious “Super Tuscan-style” made with Cab, Merlot, and Sangiovese.
• Unionville 2019 Sourland Ridge Red-A great medium-bodied blend of Cab Franc, Cab, and Petit Verdot.
• Amalthea Cellars Legends Edition-2019 Europa I -A great Bordeaux-style blend, which has always been my favorite in this excellent series (Europa Series I-VII). This one is 75% Cab, 20% Merlot, and 5% Cab Franc.
• Beneduce Vineyards 2019 Blaufrankisch-Their estate-grown and produced Blaufrankisch is my favorite made in NJ. It is a full-bodied red, with bold red fruit that will enhance nearly any grilled meat.
• Turdo Vineyards Etichetta d’Oro-A premium version of their wonderful Sangiovese. It was produced consistent with the regs in Tuscany for producing their famous Brunello. Turdo already made the best Sangiovese in the state (in my opinion).
• Working Dog Winery 2021 Cab Franc-Almost as good as their 2019 Cab Franc. It is delicious, smooth and fruit forward. This has been one of their strongest varietals year in and year out and definitely one of the top Cab Francs in the state.

A few of these reds are pictured at the top of this post.

Sweet Wines

Those of you who follow this blog know that I am a big dry wine fan, but occasionally will indulge in a sweet wine (especially port-style wines). However, I also love chocolate.

• Laurita Winery Chocolate Therapy-Red wine-based, so perhaps healthier than Bailey’s Irish Cream?
• Laurita Winery Peanut Butter Chocolate Therapy-Same as above, with a distinctive addition of peanut butter in the aroma and taste.

Coming Attractions

• My NJ Wineries 2023 Highlights Part 1
• MY NJ Wineries 2023 Highlights Part 2
• What I Am Looking Forward to in 2024

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