We are coming to you today with a review that we are so excited to share! We had an opportunity to revisit Bellview Winery located in Landisville, NJ about two weeks ago. Bellview Winery opened in 2001 and has had vines planted for almost 20 years in South Jersey’s Outer Coastal Plain. They currently grow over 20 varietals on their estate and produce 24 different wines. With so many wines available, there’s something for everyone here!
Bellview Winery is conveniently located along the Atlantic City Expressway corridor about 45 minutes away from Philadelphia. For those making trips to the shore during the summer, we highly recommend making a quick pit stop and visiting Bellview Winery for a relaxing wine tasting experience.
Our trip to Bellview Winery was special because we had an opportunity to meet with Jim and Scott, Owners and Operators of Bellview Winery. We also met up with a few of our fellow New Jersey wine bloggers (some meeting for the first time!). Altogether, it made for an unforgettable experience filled with great, educational memories and delicious wines.
Once we arrived at the winery, Jim was gracious enough to take us on a private tour of the vineyard to see their property. Bellview Winery owns 150 acres of land and 40 acres are currently planted with vineyards. At the time of our visit, Bellview was in the process of pruning their vines for the start of the 2019 growing season. As we pulled into the vineyard to start our tour, we were joined by Jim’s son and grandpup, Scott and Mudkip. Jim and Scott walked us through their pruning practices and how they were preparing for the upcoming (and fast approaching) growing season. With 40 acres of vines to prune and each vine needing an individual approach, it is clear to see how much work goes into the vineyard even when the vines are dormant. As we continued our discussions about the vineyard, Mudkip, the spunky three year old border collie, kept us entertained by playing fetch with her favorite pruned vines! Her special responsibility is to keep the birds away from the grapes and she does a great job!
After finishing up our vineyard tour, we drove back to the tasting room where we had the opportunity to taste eight wines each. Below is what we tasted:
2017 Viognier- Dry white, peach notes, well balanced and smooth, Bellview recommends this white wine to those who solely drink red wines
2017 Gruner Veltliner- Bold acidity, fresh citrus notes, our favorite of the day, won Best Of Class from the San Francisco Chronicle
2017 Chardonnay- Blend of oaked and stainless steel aged, has a combination of both apples and buttery notes, won a Silver Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle
2016 Chambourcin- Dark red wine, medium bodied, earthy notes, Bronze at San Francisco Chronicle
2015 Coeur d’Est- Stands for “Heart of the East,” blend of 35% Chambourcin, 30% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, full bodied red wine blend, designed to showcase the grape varietals that thrive in the Outer Coastal Plain AVA
2016 Blaufrankisch- Dark plum notes, medium to full body
2016 Cabernet Franc- Cherry notes, medium body, Bronze at San Francisco Chronicle
2014 Petit Verdot- Bold black cherry and spice notes, full body, medium to high tannins
After we finished up our tasting, Jim and Scott took us onto the crush pad and into their production facility to see where the magic happens after harvesting the grapes each season. We were all so impressed with Bellview’s operations and expertise. For being open to the public for 18 years, Bellview has developed a history and cult following in the New Jersey wine scene. Even though Bellview has more tenure in comparison to many other wineries in New Jersey, 18 years is a relatively short amount of time compared to other national and international wine growing regions. For only being open 18 short years, Bellview Winery has hit the ground running and developed a solid operation and continues to deliver an exceptional customer experience through knowledgeable staff and high quality wines.
We loved everything that we tasted, but our favorites were their 2017 Viognier, Gruner Veltliner, and Chardonnay wines. We opted to purchase these three as we were packing up to leave. Next time we go, we want to try out some of their wines on tap and possibly purchase a growler or two to go.
Bellview Winery has developed a short, fun, and informational video showcasing their solid operations and dedication to amazing wines and a great customer experience. Click here to watch the video > Bellview Overview Video (Facebook)
We hope you enjoyed our review of Bellview Winery and that you will plan to stop by for a tasting. Check out our Instagram page for some fun photos and videos from our visit to Bellview. Well, wine is calling, we must go! Cheers!
Nick & Ed
P.S. A special thanks to Heather and Dan (@NJWineGirl) & Kristen and Tom (@The_Wine_Adventurists) for helping to coordinate this trip and meeting up with us! Congratulations to Kristen and Tom for finishing up their NJ Wine Passports which give them the chance to win a once in a lifetime wine vacation. A huge congratulations to Heather and Dan for closing on a property in which they plan to start and open their own vineyard and winery in the upcoming years. We look forward to following your future success!
