Although the sky was a foreboding gray when we pulled up to Cream Ridge winery, the atmosphere outside the tasting room couldn’t have been sunnier - white tents, beachy sling-back chairs, couples enjoying picnic spreads, dogs playing by the vineyards, and a live band. I left hubby and Domino the Winery Dog chilling under one of the tents while I ventured inside the tasting room. The Cream Ridge staff couldn’t have been nicer, allowing us to split our tasting so we could trade-off Domino handling responsibilities (dogs aren’t allowed inside the tasting room).
Cream Ridge offers one of the best bang for your buck tasting fees in all of New Jersey – ten wines for only $5. As usual, I was drawn to their semi-sweet and sweet wines and for me, Catawba ruled the day. Other standouts included Jersey Berry, with its unique blend of Chardonnay and cranberries, Sweet Riesling, Summer Sangria and Almond Berry, a combination of raspberries and Niagara with an almond accent.
Cream Ridge harbors zero pretensions; they do not host weddings or big events and they only sell their wine at the winery, festivals and farm markets. They are definitely worth seeking out and even if the weather is drab as it was during our visit, just one sip of Catawba will brighten your day.
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