Kennedy Cellars
I had only visited Kennedy Cellars once before and it was a few years ago. Though they source most of their grapes from outside of the state of New Jersey, the wines are made on premises and are quite good. The grapes utilized for a couple of their wines are sourced locally, like their Chambourcin (from Monroeville). Besides offering some varietals you won’t be able to find at any New Jersey wineries (such as Grenache) and others that you will find, but they are also sourced outside of the state (such as Pinotage). Kennedy Cellars also has a new winemaker since I last visited-actually two. Joey and Rich joined the Kennedy team in the summer of 2023. The cost of their wines are fairly inexpensive (with many bottles under $20). Kennedy Cellars has a very attractive indoor space, as well as an attractive patio area, much of it covered. Add to these attributes, a couple of the more knowledgeable and personable servers you will find in the business-Shaun and Danny. They are both are great.
The Food
We ordered a charcuterie board to accompany our wine flights. This was a tasty combination of meats, cheeses, crackers, and olives.
The Wine
The following were the wines we were able to try. My wife and I generally try to share flights when the pours are generous enough to accommodate this (as they were in this case).
The Reds
- Casa Mia-We were served this one while waiting for our flights and charcuterie. The Casa Mia is a nice blend of Merlot, Syrah, Cab, and Nebbiolo.
- Malbec– a good, very reasonably priced version ($17) with cherry and raspberry notes.
- Pinotage Reserve-A very good Pinotage; medium bodied, with a characteristically deep hue.
- Cape Blend-A great blend of Pinotage, Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petite Verdot
- Fire Blend-A wonderful blend of Cab Franc, Syrah, and Petit Verdot.
- Bordeaux Style Blend-A very good traditional style with Cab Franc, Cab, and Merlot. Very smooth.
- Bourbon Montepulciano-Probably my favorite wine in the tasting. Fragrant aroma of bourbon and hints of vanilla in this wonderful 100% Montepulciano, sourced from Lodi, California.
Rose
- Bipartisan *Dry* – A good fruit forward Rose made from Pinot Grigio and Chambourcin; dark in hue and very flavorful, with ripe cherry notes.
- Grenache Rose (not yet bottled)-A lovely dry Rose. Our server was kind enough to finish off our tasting with this one. I hope to pick up a bottle when it is ready. Already a wonderful Rose.
Dry Whites
- Sauvignon Blanc-Dry and refreshing with notes of lemon-lime.
- Pinot Grigio-100% Pinot Grigio, sourced from Washington State.
- White Pinotage-My first white Pinotage; interesting and pretty good.
Our Takeaways From left to right below:
Bourbon Montepulciano, Bipartisan *Dry Rose*, Cape Blend, and Fire Sale Select Red Blend.
We enjoyed all of the wines we tasted, though their strong suit is definitely in the red wines. The reds really shined and the Roses were also quite good. It was great to see some Roses made from different grapes. We shall return!
A Winery Hat Trick in Cape May
A short while ago, I received a text from Luca Turdo that he found a few cases of their wines and asked if I was interested in any of them. While I had already stocked up before they closed, I was thrilled that I could put together a case of some of my favorite wines (thinking that ship had already sailed). I made arrangements to pick up a case on Sunday (pictured below). On the way we stopped at Hawk Haven Vineyards to take advantage of a great sale on their Winter Red (also pictured below). We had to have lunch, so we stopped at another great winery, Cape May Winery and enjoyed a few Tuna Poke Tacos and a hummus plate, with a bottle of their Unoaked Chardonnay. Next we got a closer look at the condos that we rented for a week in August at Philadelphia Beach. Finally, we stopped at the Lobster House to pick up some fresh flounder for Sunday’s dinner and some scallops for a future dinner. We finished the bottle of the Cape May Winery Unoaked Chardonnay with our flounder (and clam chowder and Cole slaw). Wow! We squeezed a lot of fun into one afternoon!
Pictured above (left to right) is the Turdo Grillo, Etichetta d’Oro Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Nero D’Avola, and Luca’s Rosso. A great case of wine! On the right above are two bottles of the Hawk Haven Vineyards Winter Red wine, which was on sale for 50% off (plus my member discount of 10%)! Life is good!
Coming Attractions
- Terra Nonno Winter 2024
- Changes Since New Jersey Uncorked was Published (2018)
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