Food + Dining

Where was NJ?

The temperature, which had dropped straight down to mid-October levels last week, thankfully went back up for one last little taste of Indian Summer over the weekend, a fact I was grateful for, since I had plans to spend Saturday night in an open-sided tent at the annual Stockton Fire Company Wine Tasting. Granted, it would have taken a lot more than autumnal chill to keep me away, because for me, good wine + good food + a good cause = a winning combination. I’d been to the tasting some years ago and remembered enjoying myself, so I was pretty excited as I approached the tents under a clear sky and nearly full moon.

Sadly, my excitement dissipated about as quickly as the hot summer days did. My usual winning combination failed to equal out. I wasn’t sure if my memory was faulty, or if the many food-and-wine-tasting events I’ve been to in the ensuing years have jaded me, but by the time we left I was profoundly disappointed.

Why, you ask?

Well, for one thing, at this New Jersey-based event, held so close to at least a few vineyards and one major brewery that I can think of, I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a single New Jersey winery or brewery there. I was expecting to see tables devoted to at least some of them—there are many, and a lot of them produce very good wines and beers. We aren’t the Napa Valley, granted, but we can produce a good product. So, where was that product? There was nothing New Jersey about this at all—even the better wine shops weren’t represented (bizarrely, Stockton-based Phillips’ Fine Wines, where everyone had bought their tickets, didn’t even have a table that I could find). Who was serving up the wines and brews? Distributors. Apparently, the organizers could get Palm Bay International up from Boca Raton but couldn’t get a delegation from River Horse Brewery, not ten miles down the road. I don’t buy it.

It’s not that I don’t drink wine from other states—I do. In fact, most of the wine I drink comes from out of state, but I feel like at an event like this, someone should give a nod to the fact that there are some pretty good vineyards and breweries right here in the Garden State. We’re a proud people here, and many of us want to celebrate what New Jersey has to offer, whether it’s famous tomatoes, the Boss, or a nice red wine from Unionville Vineyards.

Having concluded the soapbox portion of the program, we can move onto the wines themselves. Although I didn’t try many that excited me, there were some that I liked. Herein, the tops:

Nimbus Vina Casablanca from Carolina Wine Brands—This wine is from Chile, and the moment I smelled it I immediately thought of the tropics. I smelled exotic flowers and sweet, juicy, flavorful fruits. After the nose, I was surprised (pleasantly) to find the wine to be more on the dry side. The fruits were there, but not too overpowering. It was a nice, light wine that would probably make for some nice sipping on a hot summer afternoon.

For those who buy wines because they have great names (and really, who hasn’t done that at least once?), try the Murphy-Goode 2007 Liar’s Dice Zinfandel. This wine actually managed to live up to its fun name—it’s a rich, robust zin with bold, fruity flavors of black cherry and currants. The suggested pairing with this wine is barbeque and other robust dishes, and I could definitely see that working.

After the Liar’s Dice, I took it a little easy on my palate with a taste of the Casiello del Diablo (another good name) 2008 Sauvignon Blanc. This was an easygoing, mellow wine that tasted like ripe peaches. Another nice one for summer.

Catena Malbec 2007 was certainly one of the evening’s highlights. It had a round nose to it, creamy, with definite vanilla and cherry notes, but was surprisingly bright and sharp when I finally sipped it—reminding me more of just underripe raspberries (in a good way). After that slightly startling beginning, the wine mellows quickly, softens, and gracefully fades away. As one of my companions noted—if this wine were a friend of yours, it would be a great guest—fun, interesting, and aware of when to leave the party.

Although I was disappointed the New Jersey breweries didn’t make an appearance, I did try some nice beers from Black River Traders. Their chocolate stout was thick and hearty—definitely a meal in a glass—and tasted pleasantly of chocolate just as the flavors were starting to fade away at the end, rather than being too forward and tasting like a fermented Hershey’s bar. Their Retro Red was much lighter, with a neat vintage-looking label. I could definitely envision Don Draper cracking one of these open in the afternoon. Pomegranate wheat was less sweet than most wheat beers, and had the slightest tinge of a pomegranate flavor.

So, there you have it. The food, aside from salsa from Lilly’s on the Canal and fabulous turkey with hot pepper and apple jam by Fabulous Feasts, was nothing to write home about (in fact, some of it was unspeakably awful). So all that’s left is for me to implore the event’s organizers, one more time, to remember they’re in New Jersey and try to work some of our breweries and wineries into the tasting. Trust me, many of the proud New Jerseyans who attend will thank you!