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Editor’s note: The COVID-19 crisis has hit us all; we have been heartbroken, uplifted, unmoored. To help document the moment, Edible Jersey is sharing a few stories from our community.
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New Jersey’s Wineries Turn to Virtual Tastings During Pandemic
Editor’s Note: The COVID-19 crisis has hit us all; we have been heartbroken, uplifted, unmoored. To help document the moment, Edible Jersey is sharing stories from our community. Here, Robin Shreeves writes about a new approach to a favorite tradition.
Laurin Dorman looks into the video camera. “I love this wine,” says the sommelier and general manager of Old York Cellars, speaking of the winery’s 2018 Riesling.
“This wine is a very traditional Riesling. One of the great things about it is our winemaker does it in sort of an off-dry style,” she continues. Via Facebook video, Dormin is hosting a virtual tasting, educating the winery’s customers who are currently unable to spend time at Old York’s tasting room and vineyards.
Back in 2014, the winery in Ringoes began hosting Virtual Vine tastings, live video tastings led by the winemaker and others from the winery. Participants received the wines ahead of time and tasted along from the comfort of their homes, asking questions on Twitter using the hashtag #virtualvines.
“We were an early pioneer for a local winery doing virtual tastings,” says owner David Wolin. As business at the winery began to pick up, the OYC team continued to share short videos of events and bottlings, but the virtual tastings became too much of a hassle to continue.
Now, the winery is turning to videos again to reach out to its customers during the COVID-19 crisis.
“We’ve done a number of virtual tastings so far,” says Wolin. The tastings are pre-recorded, and those at home can choose when to open a bottle from the winery and follow along with the video posted on Facebook and YouTube.
Old York’s videos are a sign of this moment in time. Onsite participants in the videos appear to stand at least six feet away from each other, something viewers would have found odd just two months ago.
On May 2 and 3, Old York Cellars will hold a two-day Virtual Spring Festival with a line-up of Facebook videos featuring winemaker tastings, vineyard tours, cooking demos, musicians and more. The week before the event, a list of the featured wines in the festival videos will be posted on Facebook. Customers can order ahead and choose curbside pickup at the winery or shipping.
The tastings are pre-recorded, and those at home can choose when to open a bottle from the winery and follow along with the video posted on Facebook and YouTube.
Bellview Winery’s Vine to Wine Kit
Further south, Landisville’s Bellview Winery in the Outer Coastal Plain AVA recently held its first virtual tasting. It was casual, a replacement for their annual Dandelion Wine release event.
Now the winery has launched a Vine to Wine Tasting Kit that comes with an invitation to a Zoom meeting. The kit features four wines that grow well in Bellview’s part of New Jersey – gruner veltliner, chardonnay, chambourcin and regent. Most people know what chardonnay is, but many may not be as familiar with the other three varietals.
“We’re going to expose people to some of the new varieties that are growing well in our state,” says Scott Quarella, vice president at Bellview. Quarella, winemaker David Gardner and owner Jim Quarella will discuss each wine, bottle by bottle. At the end of the virtual tasting, they’ll ask for questions from those watching.
The Vine to Wine Kit with four wines is $65 ($69.14 with tax). It’s available for curbside pickup or free delivery via UPS. The first tasting took place Saturday, April 25, and similar virtual tastings are planned for future dates, perhaps even continuing after the winery is able to invite guests back.
“When things are opened again,” says Quarella, “it will not be at full capacity.”
Virtual tastings may be around for quite some time.
Old York Cellars and Bellview Winery are not the only two in the state moving their tastings online for the time being. Many New Jersey’s wineries are doing virtual tastings in some form and announcing them on their social media pages.
And, wineries that aren’t doing virtual tastings are still selling wine. Customers can order ahead and pick up curbside or order online and have wine shipped. Policies vary from winery to winery.
Editor’s note: Photos courtesy of featured wineries. For a full list of New Jersey wineries, visit the Garden State Wine Growers Association website at www.newjerseywines.com .
Marc Goldstein, director of hospitality, and Laurin Dorman, general manager and sommelier, Old York Cellars, Ringoes
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