Local wineries help keep your holiday spirits up

Is the impending onslaught of holiday gift-giving and entertaining getting you down? Don’t whine—wine!
Thanksgiving weekend is great time to avoid the mall crowds, while sampling holiday spirits at local vineyards during the Holiday Wine Trail weekend, Nov. 28-30 from noon to 5 p.m. It’s a great time to stop by Cape May County’s vineyards and to do some hassle-free shopping.
Turdo Vineyards tasting room, on Bayshore Road in North Cape May, will be wide open for the event, as it is every weekend, said vintner Salvatore Turdo. Guests can stop by to sample Turdo’s award-winning wine and to learn about how he has recreated a mini-Sicilian vineyard on the sandy soil of Cape May County.
“Wine is part of life,” Turdo said. He grew up in a family of grape-growers in Sicily.
“When I was five, my cousins and I crushed grapes with our feet,” he said. As he made his way in America as an electrical contractor and inspector, he never forgot the pleasure he found in the vineyards of his childhood.
Over the years, a dream took shape: to cultivate Italian wines here in New Jersey. Some people thought he was crazy, but after much research, he determined Cape May County had the microclimate necessary to grow Italian grapes like Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Nero D’Avola, and Barbera.
Today, the Italian wines he grows are very much in demand. Turdo recommends serving a Merlot with a holiday dinner, since it’s bold flavor goes well with many types of meats and rich, traditional trimmings. Luckily, Turdo’s deep red merlot is still available for tasting and purchasing.
For gift giving, Turdo recommends his young 2007 Pinot Noir.
For those who like a lighter wine, Turdo still has several whites, including Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Stephanie Busa, the Tasting Room Manager at Cape May Vineyards just across town on Town Bank Road has some suggestions for holiday celebrations and gifts, as well. Cape May County’s sea breezes make for a long growing season, and enable wineries here to grow top quality viniferas like Chardonnay, Riesling, and Cabernet Sauvignon. All of these are popular sellers, as are the Victorian Red and Victorian Blush wines for those who like chilled wine with a sweeter, jammy taste.
Busa said there are no hard and fast rules for what wines to serve with meals.
“We have something for everybody,” she said.
One highlight of the holiday season is the vineyard’s newly released, brandy-fortified port wine, Busa said, and it is guaranteed to warm up any cold winter night.
“It’s good with chocolate, especially dark chocolate, and it blends with salty cheese,” she said. Both wine and cheese will be available at the holiday wine tour, so if you are thinking about a gift basket for the gourmand in your life, you’ll be able to sample the delicious treats before purchasing them.
And don’t leave the winery without trying a TimTam slam, where imported dark chocolate cookies are used as a makeshift straw for sipping port.
If that doesn’t warm you up, area restaurants will be serving hot soup to winery guests throughout the holiday weekend. But you can stop by for shopping and sipping anytime. The tasting room is open all week from noon to 5 p.m.
Natali Vineyards, a few miles north on Route 47 in Cape May Court House, just celebrated their harvest festival last weekend with about a dozen reds and whites from which to choose. Among its offerings are two dessert wines: one made from Jersey Fresh blueberries and another made from the beach plums that have long grow along Cape May County dunes. Either would be a great addition to a holiday dessert table, and a great way to beat the Christmas rush and to get into the holiday spirits.