The Grape Escape

We were invited by friends to take part in a red wine making, from crushing to bottling… i cant explain the middle step too well because we were there only for the crush and the last step, bottling.
At the start, i was reserved about committing to a large batch of wine, having received diy wines in the past as gifts that were fit for cooking, at best…
So we shared a quarter barrel. I knew when we got to the bottling and tasted some of the rich old vine zin that we had barrel stored for the past 7 – 8 months, that we didn’t order enough. The wine, only in its youthful state, was outstanding, comparable to zins you’d pay $ 75+ per bottle for in a wine store.
And it will only get better with some age and stable storing. We’ll begin to enjoy more around the Fall/​Winter holidays.
We were were going to give this wine as a holiday gift, but decided its better that we serve it and drink it ourselves!
We are signing up again for this fall’s red crushing and will try some other varietal next, i tasted their cab at the bottling and it was also delicious!

THE GRAPE ESCAPE MAKES A FOR GREAT DAY!
Who knew that this great winery existed in Central Jersey? My father and I spent our afternoon sipping on their wine while anxiously awaiting for the competition to begin. This was our first time at such an event, but they have had several others before.
— Pasta Fagioli (12÷10÷11)
— Spaghetti & Meatball (2÷11÷12)
— Clam Sauce (4÷28÷12)
— Tomato Sauce (8÷18÷12)
The cost is $ 30 per person and includes the following:
* Food provided by Postino Restaurant
* Wine and Chocolate Pairing/​Tasting
* Taste and help judge the cooking competition
* Wine tasting from our barrels
* Recipes for Competing Amateur Chefs’ Food
My review is based on our experience for the Clam Sauce Competition and both our hosts and the Amateur Chefs were welcoming and provided great food and fun for our entire stay. Our glasses never stayed empty as the had someone pouring wine the entire time we were there. And we certainly did not leave hungry either as there was no limit to the number of samples of the competitors’ food nor was there a limit to the pasta and salad provided by Postino Restaurant.
Other regularly scheduled events include the following:
* Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Bottling
* Make Your Own Mozzarella
* Melt Your Own Wine-​Infused Chocolate
* Make Your Own Gourmet Ravioli
We can’t wait to go back again for another event. This was something different to do on a day off and what better way to spend it than sipping wine and tasting fine food with good family and friends. I did hear from other guests that there was a
offer to get the same tickets for $ 30.00 for the both of us, so I’ll certainly be on the look out for a deal when we look to return for the next competition.