***3 1/2 stars***
Let me start by saying that a lot of my tepidness with Unionville is about preferences versus anything this winery did or didn't do, so keep that in mind going forward. I grew up very close to the Alba Vineyard in Finesville (I'd guess about half an hour northwest of here), and that was and remains my go-to when I'm in the area. I'm a big fan of the atmosphere and wine there, so unfairly or not, wineries in the area will always be automatically compared to it. I came here last Sunday afternoon with two of my chums (one of whom brought a coffee and basically supervised us as we discussed pop culture). They're both people I've been to wineries with before in the vicinity, so this wasn't an indoctrination for anyone. Itinerary-wise, two of us participated in a wine tasting and then each had a glass of wine and some food.
The area is gorgeous. We've been to Old York nearby, and it's understandably similar; a lot of picturesque, rolling farmlands and dusty rural roads. You're either into that or not. Honestly, I'd pick Old York over Unionville in that regard because they have better viewpoints - they're overlooking the Sourland Mountain Preserve, so you can sit outside and take in more of the landscape than you can here. To be fair, we also stayed indoor since it was about 90 degrees out, but there appeared to be several picnic tables and a larger tented area outside to hang out in if the need arose. The tasting room is located upstairs in the barn loft, and they've got a very nice setup in there, with some high-top tables and a counter/bar that you can sit at for the tastings and to just drink in general (it feels almost low class to call it at a bar in a winery). For whatever reason, there weren't a lot of people there at all. I'd guess around 10 additional visitors were there throughout our two-hour visit. It may have just been fluky (and this is again where personal preference comes in) but honestly I think a few more people would have added to the atmosphere.
I enjoyed the tasting for the most part. I like that you get seven choices, which is a little on the high side in my experience and allows you to sample a larger variety than at other wineries. I enjoyed most of the wines, but I wasn't blown away by any of them. The vast majority of offerings are dry, and I like a little semi-sweetness. My chum and I got a lot of the same wines and we both thought the dessert wine Cool Foxy Lady was the best. She actually grabbed a bottle for her parents as a thank you for watching their young pups during this endeavor. Constructive feedback - I actually thought the quirky, vivid descriptions of the wine were a hindrance to some extent, and after one or two samples I stopped reading them until after I'd tried them. For instance, one of them was described as tasting like a green Jolly Rancher. Well, once you have that in your noggin, you're not going to taste anything else. Massive power of suggestion. I suspect a lot of people are into the writeups and I don't dislike the creativity, but I think they almost work TOO well. Your mileage will certainly vary though. For what it's worth, my chum thought both of the reds she sampled were "awesome" (unusual for this area in her opinion) and loved the barn.
We both really liked the girl who handled the tasting. She knew what she was talking about, was both casual/friendly and professional (can be a tough balance for sure) and also deftly navigated that line of being nearby to fill up the glasses almost immediately upon consumption while also not oppressively lurking. I was impressed. She also threw some mild shade at Alba when I mentioned that I was a big fan of that winery with a comment along the lines of, "Unionville chooses to focus exclusively on its wine," the unspoken part clearly a dig at the constant musical acts and food offerings that go on there. My coffee-swilling chum Maximillion Bojangles murmured, "Shots fired" under his breath. Indeed. And I admire and respect the conscious decision to do exactly that, but we did think that at the very least they needed to up the food game a little. You don't need a dramatic wood-burning pizza oven, but the cheese cubes, etc. hanging out in the nearby fridge are a little underwhelming. I don't think it would take a lot to raise the level in that regard.
There's a lot to like here and I'm sure Unionville has a strong fan base. I'd come back, but I slightly prefer some of the other options in the area. read more