April & May 2019

Hawk Haven Winery co-owner Todd
Wuerker tastes the goods along
with his colleagues. Hawk Haven is a
short drive from Cape May.
Local beer, wine and spirits have gone from a boomtown rush to an
established part of the Jersey Cape landscape, and the expansion does
not look over yet. Local beers are on tap in bars throughout town and
throughout the region and cans from Cape May Brewery and 7 Mile
are chilling in the cold sections of local retail outlets. Local wineries
started first and have grown into important tourist attractions as well
as producing award-winning vintages year after year. Here’s our suggestions
for what to sample when you explore the local beverage scene.
But definitely don’t take our word for it — go out and try something you
think you’ll like. — BILL BARLOW
That is on the high end of their line, at
about $40 a bottle. They also offer some
more affordable wines, including their Flying
Press red, which he described as a fun,
pizza or burger wine compared to some of
their more serious efforts. White, red and
rosé Flying Press go for $10 to $15 a bottle.
Third generation Cape locals, Ken and Todd
decided about 20 years ago to plant wine
grapes on land their grandfather had cultivated
in the 1940s. The winery opened about
10 years after that. Along with tours and
tastings, the winery offers numerous special
events, including the Rootstock music series.
Wineries
Cape May Winery and Vineyard
711 Town Bank Road, North Cape May
What to Drink: Sauvignon Blanc
Like arguing over the best guitarist in history
(Jimi Hendrix, of course), choosing a “best”
wine is a pointless but entertaining exercise.
And if you made the wine, it’s all the
more personal. So it’s no surprise that Cape
May Winery owner Toby Craig balked when
asked which of his wines he’d recommend.
He wanted to suggest trying them all, but
then again so did every other winery owner.
He recommended the sauvignon blanc, new
last year and very good, he said. Every year’s
chardonnay is good, he added, mentioned
the Isaac Smith Reserve and the cabernet
sauvignon for the red drinkers.
Hawk Haven Vineyard and Winery
600 South Railroad Avenue, Rio Grande
What to Drink: Cabernet Franc
Hawk Haven’s wines have always done well
in competition, according to Todd Wuerker,
who founded the winery with his brother
Ken. But the winery’s 2012 Cabernet Franc
took a medal as the best in the state.
exit zero 118 april-may
Willow Creek Winery and Farm
160-168 Stevens Street, West Cape May
What to Drink: Wilde Cock Red
A visit to the Willow Creek tasting room
includes braving a series of rough dirt roads
before the view opens to the vineyards, where
once stood a disused lima bean field, and the
winery and tasting room, a purpose-built
structure with a huge interior space for weddings,
events and concerts.
Owned by Barbara Wilde, who also owns
the Southern Mansion, the winery offers
overnight stays and an extensive menu.
Willow Creek planted the first vines in