Amalthea Cellars’ Newsletter

“Making good wine is a skill; making fine wine

is an art.”

-Robert Mondavi

Issue 2, September 2011

Cheers to 2011!

Santé, Salud, Prost, Slainte, Chin Chin, Bottoms Up!

Whatever language you may speak and wherever you may come from, cheers to us all because the first crushing of grapes has begun. It has always been tradition at Amalthea Cellars that after you crush your first grapes of the harvest, you have a toast to that season. This celebration was for 2011.

We have some incredible grapes as well as many other vineyards in the Garden State, so be prepared for some champion 2011 wine and more importantly an even better harvest next year!

Did you know??

Did you know that New Jersey is a part of the Outer Coastal Plain AVA. American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States. The Outer Coastal Plain encompasses over 2.25

million acres in southeastern New Jersey. This is why Amalthea Cellars’ wine labels have “Outer Coastal Plain” written on them as a description of where the grapes come from.

Wine Not??

[9/3-4/11] Saturday &

Sunday

[9/10/11] Saturday

[9/17-18/11] Saturday &

Sunday

Jazz It Up Festival Allaire State Park Farmingdale, NJ

Harvest Wine & Jazz Night Amalthea Cellars Winery & the Green Dragon Tavern

Valenzano Winefest Valenzano Winery Shamong, NJ

Written by & Featuring photography by: Casey Economides

[9/17-18/11] Saturday &

Sunday

Grand Harvest Wine Festival Lana Lobell Farms Bedminster, NJ

Amalthea Cellars’ Newsletter Issue 2, September 2011

2

Wine Nerd’s Fun Facts What is all this netting about?

Keep a look out for…

liking to snacking on our grapes.

Louis Caracciolo (owner &

winemaker) decided that the

best solution would be to put

nets up around the grapes, so

that our unwelcomed friends

would be more hesitant before

they chose to eat our precious

harvest again. “We decide

when we will pick our grapes,

not the critters, “said Louis.

So far it has worked! Another

great benefit from the nets is that

when the weather does turn, the

nets protect the grapes from

wind and rain. Hurricane Irene

hardly laid a finger on our

harvest and a lot of appreciation

has to be given to those nets. All

and all, netting may not be the

prettiest thing to look at, but it

does protect those treasured fruit.

For those of you who have

ventured over to Amalthea

Cellars and taken a walk

around our vineyard, you are

probably curious about why

we have all those nets up on

our grapes. Well here is the

answer. PESTS! During the

time when the grapes start to

ripen, the birds and all other

lovely forest creatures take a

Amalthea Cellars just took on an exciting partnership with

“Living Social.” If you have never heard of “Living Social,” it is a

great website that sends special deals to members (FREE to sign up)

with activities going on in your area. We will be offering special deals

through “Living Social” for our Dinner with the Winemaker. We will be

giving a heads up to everyone that follows Amalthea Cellars when the

event will be offered, but make sure you keep your eyes peeled for it!

Amalthea Cellars’ Newsletter Issue 2, September 2011

3

Wine Not??

With the harvest season in full swing, so are the wine festivals! There are plenty of opportunities for you to come join us, so

we hope to see you at more than just one!

Jazz It Up Wine Festival at Allaire State Park

September 3 & 4 Noon- 5pm Saturday & Sunday

This is one of the largest wine festivals held in New Jersey and will be showcasing 25 wineries from all over the Garden State. There will be live jazz music as well as the chance to win a $150 gift certificate to any one of the 70 member bed and breakfasts of the Preferred Inns of New Jersey. Come enjoy your wine, listen to jazz, and step back in time while you explore the grounds of Allaire State Park.

Harvest Wine & Jazz Night at Amalthea Cellars Winery

September 10 Begins at 6:00pm Saturday Night

Listen to a live jazz trio and nibble on cheeses from around the world at the Green Dragon Tavern. We will be serving 15 of our signature wines during a wine tasting and barrel cellar tour. Wine will be available for sale by the glass and by the bottle. Come join us and sit outside while you sip and enjoy the bonfire and elegant tiki torch lighting.

Amalthea Cellars’ Newsletter Issue 2, September 2011

5

Valenzano WineFest at Valenzano Winery

September 17 & 18 Noon- 5pm Saturday & Sunday

Sample over 100 wines from six award-winning wineries and enjoy a live 2-day outdoor concert. There will also be the opportunity to go on helicopter rides over the pinelands and free pony rides. Perfect event for the whole family!

Grand Harvest Wine Festival at Lana Lobell Farms

September 17 & 18 Noon- 5pm Saturday and Sunday

Garden State Wine Growers Association will hold its annual Grand Harvest Wine Festival at Lana Lobell farms, which is one of the most highly esteemed northeast equestrian estates. There will be 24 wineries that will be offering nearly 300 locally produced wines.