New Jersey: More than Just an Exit

Unfortunately, the lovely Garden State has had a reputation for being filled with nothing but smoke stacks and Mafiosos. The former I can confidently deny. As for the latter? Well, I'd tell you, but then...



Before I defend the state that I've called home since 1991, I have a confession to make: I’ve only recently admitted to living here. (Come on, can you blame me? I grew up with SNL’s "I’m from Jersey, You’re from Jersey, Which exit?” routine!) But as time went on, I really came to appreciate it. I've even talked about my fondness for the Garden State in an earlier blog. It is quite picturesque here – after all, it's not called the Garden State for nothing!



Side note: I love trivia, so here are a couple of fun facts for you about New Jersey. First, it was recently ranked the 16th healthiest state in the country (Vermont was Number One). It also placed second among the wealthiest states, as measured by median household income, according to the latest stats from the Census Bureau (Maryland currently holds the title). Not bad!

Sunday was the perfect day for me and Yaniv (my BF) to drive the convertible – top down, of course – to a Jersey town called Lambertville. The sky was blue, the air was crisp and leaves were displaying their loss of chlorophyll. (Yes, Mr. Laurie, I paid attention during Earth Science class…) There is no better word to describe Lambertville than quaint (okay, charming works, too, but they're sorta synonymous). There are loads of antique shops, a variety of small boutiques, some really nice restaurants and the oldest winery in the state.





Tomasello Winery has a wine shop in Lambertville called The Tasting Room. (A winery in New Jersey? Yes, wine in New Jersey! As a matter of fact, there are more than 40 wineries in the state. And did you also know that wine is grown in all 50 states? As of 2002, wine has been – and continues to be – produced all across America…but more on that in an upcoming blog).




So with open minds, we entered The Tasting Room and laid out our $5, excited to experience Jersey's juice. (Twenty different wines for five bucks per person – talk about a deal!) Emily, our salesperson, was delightful and very well-informed about the wines. Before we actually began tasting, she asked us our preferences. Since Yaniv is more of a white wine drinker and I a red, it worked out in both our favors. (And, for the price, pleeeeze! Our tasting cost less than a drive though the Holland tunnel.)



Another side note: the bottles were lined up along the counter, each with a rubber stopper to prevent air from harming the wine. That got me thinking: how long had the wines been sitting? When were they first opened? All I can say is, when you’re faced with these questions, ASK. You're not being a snob; you're doing both your palate and the wine a huge favor. Besides, you might not get a fair representation of the wine, especially if it had been opened two days ago. (Btw, you should ask the same question when dining out. Don't just request a glass of Chardonnay without asking when was it opened, and don't be afraid to have them open a new bottle if necessary. If they give you a hard time – which they shouldn't – tell them that Grae said it was perfectly acceptable and that they shouldn’t feel threatened; if they still balk, feel free to mention that she's originally a Staten Island girl, sooooo, they probably wouldn’t want to mess with her… )

Most of the wines were surprisingly drinkable, starting with the dry Riesling that would make a great Thanksgiving wine. (Trust me: at $13 a bottle, you'll be happier pouring this for your brother-in-law on Turkey Day instead of your coveted Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru.) I purchased the following: the Riesling, Petit Verdot (which, at a whopping $28, is the most expensive of the Tomasello wines), Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Port and Rkatsiteli. (Here's some trivia about the Rkatsiteli grape varietal: it is believed to be the oldest varietal around, as seeds dating back to 3000 BC were found inside clay pots in Georgia. So the oldest grape varietal is sold at the oldest winery in New Jersey. Cool, no?)

We had a great time tasting with Emily and Wilhem Vandusen, another salesperson at Tomasello. (Wilhem ’s much more serious then Em, but very pleasant nonetheless. He’s also a men's fashion designer, so be on the lookout for his label. He's got the great name; now all he needs is the "line.") After we finished, we headed off to have an early dinner at Hamilton’s Grill Room, a nearby BYOB restaurant. Another perk to dining in Lambertville? Lots of BYOBs! (For the record, we brought a 2002 Louis Jadot Chapelle-Chambertin from my cellar.)



Hamilton’s Grill Room is a romantic restaurant located on the canal. It's been around for over 23 years, and the owner, Jim Hamilton, is an award-winning set designer. Needless to say, the atmosphere is unique, and like Lambertville itself, charming. The food, on the other hand, is not so good. Actually, it's less than okay, which is sad since the restaurant has so much going for it – great location, great atmosphere, friendly service….everything except the most important thing that makes a dining experience memorable: the cuisine! It's like meeting someone that has the perfect body, height and smile, but then they open their mouth to speak and they have really bad breath! Try as you may, you just can't get past it, right? Unfortunately, Hamilton’s Grill Room has a case of halitosis that a boatload of Altoids couldn’t cure. My suggestion? Stop off and see Emily and Wilhem at The Tasting Room, purchase your favorite from the tasting, take your Jersey vino around the corner to Hamilton’s Grill Room, enjoy Jim’s cheese plate as your appetizer, and then have dinner at the beautiful Inn at Phillips Mill across the bridge in New Hope, PA. (FYI, they're a BYOB, too!)