W.E.T.C.O.W. Wine Tasting Event #6 – Visit to Cape May Winery
On a beautiful September Saturday afternoon, the members of W.E.T.C.O.W. were given a private tour and wine tasting at the Cape May Winery.
There was a grape harvest in process, so we were able to witness the grapes come in from the fields and enter the crusher and destemmer. We leared about the BRIX index, a measure of the sugar content of the juice used to determine the optimum time for harvesting the grapes. Our tour was led by Lisa Senape,Wine Associate at the Winery, who also arranged for us to meet the winemakers, Darren Hesington. We had a great conversation with Darren, who took some time out from his harvest duties to answer our questions.
We also received a tour of the fermentation rooms, aging rooms and bottling “garage”. The tour ended with a tasting of 8 wines, from a nice Cabernet Franc, to a spicy Syrah to a sweet after-dinner port. We also enjoyed a nice spred of cold cuts, cheese and other snacks put out by the staff. After the tasting, we were given a few bottles to enjoy out on the sun deck. It was the perfect cap to fun afternoon.
If you’re going to be in the Cape May area, I highly recommend a visit to the winery. Be sure to call well ahead, as tours fill up quickly.