Me at the computer, writing my letter.

Hello Santa, it’s me Maggie the dog! I overheard my owners talking about you one day and how you come to everyone’s house on Christmas Eve to deliver gifts to all who have been good this year. It’s a good thing I heard about you stopping by, because my brother Wally, he might be small and furry, but he has very sharp teeth and doesn’t really like new people coming to our house. But we are very excited to have you!

This cork is tasty but I would prefer a real bone.

I have been a very good dog this year. I’m very nice to everybody and I love to greet all the people that come to our vineyard. I almost never bark and I only sometimes chew on things I’m not supposed to (I couldn’t find the bone I wanted!).

This wrap keeps my ears warm.

I spent a lot of time helping my human dad Todd out on the vineyard. I did most of the work really. All he did was pull some of the leaves off and pluck those yucky little round things and putting them in big bins. Todd says they are grapes and they are really important for the winery. But I was the only one trying to chase all the animals away who were trying to eat those things.

Look how fast I am!

This Christmas tree doesn't have anything I would want under it!

I would like more bones to chew on, as well as lots of treats. I especially like the kind that tastes like bacon. I love to run and catch things like balls, sticks, and Frisbees so more of those would be nice too. Anything else you can think of will probably be just fine with me!

I hope you like the biscuits we left for you; they are one of my favorite flavors: beef and gravy. I can’t wait for you to visit and I promise I will be very quiet when you come, and I’ll make sure Wally doesn’t bark either. Merry Christmas, Santa, and if you ever need any help pulling your sleigh around, I would love to help!

Sincerely, Maggie

Our Tasting Room is open daily year round offering wine sales, wine tasting, wine by the glass and wine themed gifts.

OPEN EVERYDAY, ALL YEAR FOR TASTING!

HOURS:

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VALENTINE’S WEEKEND WINE DINNER

with celebrity Chef, Tony Clark

The February Wine Dinner 6:30pm seatings on Friday, February 10th and Saturday, February 11th are booked.

CALL 609-846-7347 TO GET ON THE WAITING LIST!

We’ve added an additional seating at 4:30pm on Friday, February 10th with some changes to the menu and a reduced price!

Enjoy a four-course wine dinner presented by one of our area’s finest chefs, Tony Clark

Tony Clark and The Old Grange in Inside New Jersey

(Click to learn more about Tony!)

Friday, February 10th 4:30pm Seating

$48 per person

Hors d’oeuvres and wine tasting 4:30 – 5:00

 Four-course dinner with wine pairings 5:00 – 6:45

Tax and gratuity additional.

Each course will be paired with a Hawk Haven wine, specially selected by the chef and wine maker.

THE MENU

Hors d’oeuvres:  Baby Potato with Cheddar Cheese and Bacon, Onion Tart with Goat Cheese

Amuse Bouche:  Deviled Egg with Roasted Pepper

First Course:  Pheasant Consomme with Spinach Ravioli

Third Course: Sea Scallops with Petite Vegetables on Puff Pastry

Entree: Seared Filet of Beef with Hawk Haven Wine Sauce and Celery Root Puree

Dessert: Poached Pears in Port Wine with Cream Anglaise, served with coffee or tea

Reservations are required, and space is limited!

Call 609-846-7347 to make your reservation today. Please inform us of any food allergies when you call.

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CHOCOLATE & WINE TRAIL WEEKEND

DRINK LOCAL at Hawk Haven this Valentine’s Day Weekend!

Saturday, February 10th & Sunday, February 11th 12:00  to 5:00 pm

Can you think of anything better than chocolate on Valentine’s Day weekend? How about chocolate AND wine! Visit our romantic tasting room for a wine and chocolate pairing with your sweetheart or a few friends. Our $10 tasting includes 6 wines with chocolate pairings and the Hawk Haven souvenir tasting glass. As always, there will be extra treats to enjoy! Our Barrel Room will be open with seating to enjoy wine by the glass & bottle.

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PRESIDENT’S DAY WEEKEND
Saturday, February 18th & Sunday, February 19th 12 to 5pm

Todd pouring wine from the barrels

Meet the wine maker as he presents his new vintages straight from the French oak barrels where they age. Compare consecutive vintages and learn about viticulture and wine making while getting a preview of the upcoming releases. Wine tasting of our current releases will be available as well. Our Barrel Room will be open with seating for enjoying wine by the glass and bottle.

Starting on February 18th, stop in to try and buy our two much anticipated new releases: 2009 TALON and 2010 Chardonnay. Both will be available for tasting and sale from February 18th on.

The 2009 TALON is a limited production blend, 122 cases bottled. Blend: 47% Sangiovese, 34% Merlot, 19% Syrah. Gull brooding aromas of blackberry, strawberry jam and camphor. Jammy flavors and a rich sweet entry give way to a long finish of wild strawberry.

The 2010 Chardonnay is a mouth filling, yet restrained, very structured wine. Creamy with bright acidity. Flavors of lemon, kiwi, mango and a hint of oak spice. Burgundian in style. A hint of butter and lemon creme brulee. A 60 second finish.

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PRESIDENT’S WEEKEND WINE DINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

Don’t miss out on these two great events this weekend!

The Garden State Wine Growers Association will hold its annual Cape May Wine Festival Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8 and 9, from noon to 5 p.m. and Hawk Haven Winery is proud to be a part of this great event! Festival goers can take advantage of the warm autumnal weather to sample the award-winning wines of New Jersey, listen to two live bands, stroll through crafters and visit The Kids Zone which has activities especially for the younger attendees.

Join Hawk Haven at the Cape May Wine Festival

Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal Cape May, NJ (MAP)

Saturday, October 8, 2011
From 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Sunday, October 9, 2011
From 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Admission Tent open each day 11:30 am

Musical Entertainment

                   

Wine Fest not your style? How about a sunset wine cruise?

Enjoy a sunset on your cruise across the Delaware Bay as you savor some of the finest Hawk Haven wines and delicious Hors d’oeuvres.  This event includes return-trip foot passenger ferry cruise, wine samplings and pairings, and the opportunity to purchase featured wines by the glass aboard the Ferry. Live music will be “on deck” as well!

Cruises are available Saturday, October 8th
and
Saturday, October 15th

This Saturday the 10th we have our second Saturdays at the Crushpad. Enjoy wine tastings and wine by the glass from 11:00 AM until 7:00 PM, and a full menu of delicious food from Seaside Cheese Co. from 12:00 PM until 5:00 PM. Check out some of these treats!

Vineyard Turkey Club

Turkey with lettuce, tomato, pancetta and avocado mayo on multigrain bread.

Seaside Sliders

4 Roast beef sliders with bacon and horseradish spread served on mini buns.

Classic Greek Meze

Dolmas, gigandes beans, roasted red peppers, Greek olive mix, hummus, feta cheese and pita chips.

Seaside Cheese Plate

Assorted cheeses, crackers, Spanish cocktail nuts, fig spread and fruit.

Autumn Brie

Triple cream brie with pesto, sundried tomato and pepperoni on a panini , pressed and served warm.

Grilled Sweet Potato and Blue Cheese

Grilled sweet potatoes embraced by blue cheese, honey, and sugarsnap peas on a panini, pressed and served warm.

Don’t forget the music! From 2:00 PM until 5:00 PM listen to Gordon Vincent out on the Crushpad.

And on Sunday the 11th don’t miss the LAST Sangria Sunday of the 2011 season. Starting at 12:00 PM it’s the last chance to get your Hawk Haven Sangria until next year, along with wine tastings and wine by the glass. Seaside Cheese Co. will be back for a repeat performance of their Saturday menu, and we have two bands to entertain you!

From 12:00PM until 3:00PM kick back and enjoy Palmer & Reeves.

Then from 3:00PM until 7:00PM groove with The Dan Brown Duo.

Hawk Haven Chardonnay 2009

Price: $12.99

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Hawk Haven Merlot 2009

A classic Merlot, medium-to-full bodied. Very Bordeaux in nature with fine tannins. Cherry, dried lavendar and rose petal flavors float in a creamy texture with an excellent balance. This wine will improve for 10 years.

Price: $29.99

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Hawk Haven Riesling 2010

Our Reisling is semi-dry with just a hint of sweetness to enhance the natural fruit flavors. Cinnamon and lychee fruit are at the forefront. A tangy, clean finish rounds out this wine, making it a true delight. This is a great wine selection for the holidays.

Price: $17.99

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Hawk Haven Red-Tailed Rose

The second wine of our Hawk Series, this rose’s namesake can be seen soaring above our open vineyard fields, slowly turning circles on its broad, rounded wings. Red-Tailed Rose has hints of citrusy fruits with a sweet overtone, like a dash of sugar sprinkled on your morning grapefruit. A bright finish, long and clean. Pair with a long, lazy summer day.

Price: $10.99

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Hawk Haven American Kestrel White

This light white table wine is part of our hawk series. An American Kestrel is a bird of prey known to migrate through the Outer Coastal Plain. Stainless steel fermenting to enhances the bright and fragrant flavors of bright fruit, especially melon. Our 2010 American Kestrel White presents with bright acidity and a clean palate.

Price: $12.99

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Hawk Haven Pinot Grigio 2010

Our 2010 Pinot Grigio is lively and abound with a natural, crisp acidity. The grapes were harvested at full maturity, whole cluster pressed and cold fermented over a three month period. The wine was bottled young to capture the subtle aromas. The flavors are in the realm of citrus, especially lemon peel and kiwi, pear and Macintosh apple.

Price: $16.99

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Hawk Haven Red Table Wine 2008

This wonderful blend of a young and vibrant Chamborcin along with the bold, yet well rounded Cabernet Sauvignon make this a versatile wine for a wide variety of food pairings. The 2008 Cabernet and Merlot were aged in oak for 21 months to allow for ample maturity of tannins. While the 2009 Chamborcin was aged in stainless steel in order to retain its fruity youthfulness. Beautiful aromas of raspberry from the Chamborcin lead into structured layers of blueberry, blackberry and nutmeg from the Cabernet and Merlot. Medium bodied with a refined finish.

Price: $16.99

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Hawk Haven Northern Harrier Red

Our Northern Harrier is the third wine in our hawk series of wines.  A Northern Harrier is a long-winged, long-tailed hawk of open grassland and marshes.  This blend of five grape varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Chamborcin) achieves the winemaker’s goal of producing a fun, everyday red wine.  A Bordeaux from New Jersey. Nice balance of fruit and tannins brightened with acidity.  This wine craves food!  Pair with everyday meals:  brick oven pizza, pasta dishes with red sauce, a chicken focaccia sandwich.  Long finish of dried cherry and blueberry.  Will improve for 3 to 5 years.

Price: $14

Buy Online COMING SOON!

Our Tasting Room is open daily year round offering wine sales, wine tasting, wine by the glass, gourmet cheese plates and wine themed gifts.

HOURS

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NOVEMBER WINE DINNER

Our November Wine Dinner will be held at The Mad Batter in Cape May on Friday, November 18th.

Pinot Grigio grapes, before véraison.

That’s right, the new grapes have finished their major growth spurt, and are now focusing on changing from a tart, green acidic berry into the sweet juicy berries that we want to change into wine. The first phase of a grape’s life is marked with rapid growth and a build up of water and acids. As the grapes go through véraison and change from bright green to their ripened color, many of the acids break down and new sugars are formed and accumulate within the berry.

The same clusters of grapes, during véraison.

While the change is most noticeable in the dark skinned grapes, even the lighter colored berries go through the same process, changing from bright green to a more golden color. As the change occurs, the grapes also become more attractive to pests such as birds and insects; as the smell of the ripening grape changes from acidic to fruity and sweet. The berries themselves are now more susceptible to disease, and extra care must be taken to make sure that they all have a chance to make it into your glass.

The same Pinot Grigio clusters, post véraison.

The next part of the vineyard schedule is wrapping the vines in nets to protect against the biggest threat; birds!

Can't you hear it too?

Our 2010 Red-Tailed Rosé is a blend consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Vidal Blanc, and White Zinfandel. We describe it as off-dry because it has just the right hint of sweetness to balance out the robust spiciness of the Cabernet, giving it a nice bright cherry flavor. During our Sangria Sundays, we blend it with frozen strawberries and it comes out tasting similar to a strawberry daiquiri, but better.

One trick to deciding how to pair wine with food (or use it in the food) is to think about what foods come to mind when you taste the wine. Some wines conjure images of a nice juicy steak smothered in mushrooms; other wines have citrusy flavors that would work well in a chicken dish (like this Chicken Française). The possibilities are endless! Since the Rosé carries so many berry tastes and aromas, we knew we couldn’t go wrong with a bag of frozen cherries.

Here is a recipe for Cherry Sorbet using the Red-Tailed Rosé. Feel free to adjust the amounts of each ingredient, and try experimenting with other berries. Strawberries or raspberries would taste wonderful as well. Better yet, try all three!

Red-Tailed Rosé Cherry Sorbet

3 cups frozen pitted tart cherries (we used a 16oz bag)

¼ cup sugar

1 cup Red-Tailed Rosé (or more if you’d like)

½ tsp salt

Blend cherries in a food processor until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until blended. Pour into a freezer container, cover and freeze until smooth.

This lively wine abounds with a natural, crisp acidity. The pinot grapes were harvested at full maturity and then whole cluster pressed and cold fermented over a three month period. This delicious wine was bottled young to capture the subtle aromas. As you take a sip, look for flavors like peach, apple and wild honey. A perfect pairing for this wine is sautéed sea scallops. Stop by the tasting room, open every day from 11:00 AM until 7:00 PM, and pick up your bottle today!

You know summer is here when you come home from a long day of work (or sitting on the beach) and you hear that familiar tune trailing through the streets. It’s the ice cream truck and for children it’s the most wonderful sound in the world that sends them running to find this traveling assortment of frozen goodies. Maybe it brings out your inner child and you find yourself searching your pockets for a little cash as you rush out the door. But we suggest that while the kids are out selecting fudgsicles and ice cream sandwiches, you enjoy a more grown-up summer treat. SANGRIA POPSICLES!!

First you want to find a sangria recipe which is usually some mixture of wine, fruit juices, and sometimes brandy or other spirit. You can experiment on your own, or try our recipe for white sangria (listed below) using our recently released 2010 American Kestrel White, a “naked” Chardonnay with bright fruit and melon notes. If you’ve been to one of our Sangria Sunday Events, you’ve probably had the white sangria and you no doubt thought it was amazing.

Next you are going to need your popsicle molds which you can usually find anywhere home/kitchen supplies are sold, or check out the wide and rather unique selection on amazon.com. Fill the molds with the sangria, leaving a little bit of space at the top for expansion, and stir it up a little to remove any air bubbles (or follow the manufacturer’s instructions). Don’t forget to add your popsicle sticks after the wine has solidified a bit. Now try very hard to wait until they are frozen! May we suggest popping open another bottle of American Kestrel White to enjoy in the meantime?

Here's the finished product! Perfect for a hot day.

And now I give you Hawk Haven’s [formerly top secret] recipe for white sangria, never before distributed to the public until now!

Hawk Haven Winery’s White Sangria

4 ½ cups American Kestrel White (1 ½ bottles)

1/3 cup (3 oz) simple syrup (1 part sugar, 1 part water)

¾ cup apricot juice

¾ cup mango juice

¾ cup peach juice

Mix together and serve! We also add a splash of ginger ale and some fresh pineapple chunks, but if you’re freezing this mixture you might want to skip the ginger ale since carbonated beverages can tend to be a bit explosive when frozen. You want to eat the popsicles, not wipe them out of your freezer.