Turdo Vineyards & Winerywas our last New Jersey winery stop on this Cape May winery tour. If you do your own Cape May wine trail, this is a good place to make your last stop. If you head south down this road, the winery will be on your left. You can park on the grassy area along the roadway. When your visit is complete, this road will lead you back towards the downtown Cape May area, which is where we ended up for dinner.
The Atmosphere
Turdo Vineyards is named after the owner’s family. The whole family is involved in the winery operation. The Turdo’s are actually from North Jersey and have been traveling down to the Cape May winery on the weekends for the past 10 years. How’s that for dedication! Adding to the family feel, when you arrive at Turdo, it appears as if you’re pulling up to a house. Don’t let this deceive you because the tasting room has plenty to offer. There’s a house on the right and a long wide driveway on the left. In the past, this has been used as a parking area. Just past the driveway is the tasting building. To the right of the tasting room is a lovely patio with small mosaic –like tables and chairs. To the right of the patio is a large yard. Behind the yard are rows and rows of grapes. The décor around the patio and the yard make you feel comfortable and relaxed. With the décor and Italian themed music playing it feels like you’ve escaped to Tuscany. Never having been to a vineyard in Italy, I imagine that it would be similar to Turdo Vineyards. The Turdo’s picked this location to be close to family and because the Cape May climate is ideal for growing vinifera grapes.
The tasting room has been recently renovated. It seems that this change was to accommodate more guests at the bar. The bar has been extended to wrap around the far wall in an L shape. The previous layout had a shorter bar and tables throughout the room. The new bar doesn’t include tables and it seems to allow for more people to fit more comfortably in the room. As we tasted at the far left end of the bar, we were joined by the family dog, who laid down near us.
The Wines
White Wines
2010 Sauvignon Blanc – This wine hashigh acidity, long finish, and light feel.
2011 Rosato – This Mediterranean style dry rose is made from Merlot grapes. You taste berries on the tongue and it presents a bitter finish. It’s like a strawberry zinfandel.
Red Wines
2011 Barbera – Tom liked it and said that it would pair well with chocolate. Now that I’m reading this wine’s description, I think I should have tried it. It’s described as coming from the Piemonte region of Italy. It has lots of red fruit flavors like cherry and raspberry. I will definitely have to try this next time, because it sounds so appealing.
2008 Rubino Port Wine – Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grappa and aged in French Oak, this wine delivered more sweetness rather than the taste of alcohol. With hints of black cherry this port was very good!
DiLuca Wines
These wines in my opinion were the best.
BIANCO-Albarino – Presenting vibrant pear and apple aromas, this crisp, clean wine goes down easy with a hint of alcohol.
BIANCO-Pinot Grigio – This is a nice summer wine that would be appropriate for a night out on a balcony. It’s sweet with refreshing crispness. It’s smooth, citrusy, untraditional and delightful. The residual sugar is well balanced with acidity.
After tasting the wines, we bought a bottle of Pinot Grigio and sat on the patio. We were also handed some crackers to take with us outside. Tom, Carol, and I sat around a small table and sipped our wine, taking in the beauty of Turdo Vineyards and the serenity of the surrounding nature. We sat outside with other people also enjoying their wines. As we were relaxing, Mr. Turdo was greeting guests and pouring them some Grappa. He didn’t make it over to use because he became engaged in conversation with visitors, but I still appreciated his kind and friendly gestures to his company.
Wine responsibly.
Rating
4.5 Wine Glasses (Out of 5)
I love how the winery owners in New Jersey are so willing to greet and mingle with their guests. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the wine making process.
Looks like a relaxing place – I’ve never been there. Will have to go now. Thanks!