The Cape May Winery.

New Jersey may not leap to mind like Napa Valley or Bordeaux when one thinks of great wine producing areas. Nonetheless, the wineries near our Cape May NJ Bed and Breakfast deserve a look. When next you visit our pretty Victorian seacoast town, allow time for wine tasting at Cape May Winery and Hawk Haven Vineyard. We don’t think you’ll be disappointed by what you find.

Cape May Winery and Vineyard recently won three silver medals and four bronze medals at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. On a hot day, try their Barrel Fermented Chardonnay or Riesling. Tours of the facility and vineyard are available; they last under two hours and include a wine tasting and a souvenir wine glass. The tour also includes cheese and fruit, so your palate will be cleansed between tastes. If you’ve always been curious to see how wine is made, this tour is for you.

Hawk Haven Vineyard is also worth a visit. Their 2008 Quill New (a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend) was awarded a gold medal by The World Wine Championship. Tastings.com called it “distinctive, dynamic and exotic”. So much for New Jersey wines being pedestrian!

Stop by Hawk Haven Vineyard on any Sunday afternoon between now and September 11, 2011, for their Sangria Sundays. Wine and sangria are offered by the glass, and live music plays all day. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnics.

We offer our own special wine tasting every evening at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast. Try our house wine, affectionately known as Chateau Blanc, or dip a glass into Barbara’s Sangria, a tantalizing blend of Chateau Blanc and our homemade fresh fruit punch. A votre santé!

Please visit Cape May Winery and Hawk Haven Vineyard for more information about wine tastings and tours.

American Pride Day will honor aviators and astronauts. It will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of Naval aviation. NASA astronauts will here in Cape May to talk a bit about their work and experiences. An F-18 Hornet will fly in to the air field and visitors may meet the pilot. There will be live music, food, wine, and and an American Pride Camaro display, which is something to see.

See an F-18 Hornet Fly on June 4, 2011.

Cape May Winery and Hawk Haven Vineyard will offer wine tasting at the NAS Wildwood Centennial Celebration of June 4. The Nature Center of Cape May will be present with a display, and there will be a display by the FAA Tech Center. In short, there’ll be something for everyone (ladies, you may sip wine while your husbands ogle the planes).

You’ll be ready for a refreshing glass of wine at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast after a day on the tarmac!

Join us if you dare.

Craig is well qualified to guide us through two weekends of wine and spirits. In addition to being a respected psychic and medium – a gift he has been honing since his youth – he spent over 30 years working in the wine business. Craig has traveled the world in search of great wine and interesting spirits (of the otherworldly kind). He finds them both in Cape May NJ.

Cape May Wine and Spirits
April 1 and 2
April 15 and 16

The fun starts Friday evening, after you’ve had a chance to get settled in your Cape May Bed and Breakfast. Craig will host a casual meet and greet at the Mad Batter Restaurant and Bar at 8 p.m., followed by a walking tour past some of his favorite haunts in downtown Cape May.

We’ll meet again Saturday afternoon from  1-3 p.m., when we’ll tour a Cape May Winery and taste several of their wines. We’ll return to the Mad Batter at 7 p.m. for a great meal, followed by wine tasting: three white wines and three red wines from around the globe. Listen to Craig weave wine with ghosts and hauntings – it is sure to be entertaining and educational, no matter what you may or may not know about wine and the paranormal.

Participants will visit the Cape May Winery on April 2 and Natali Vineyards on April 16, 2011.

Craig will be staying at our Cape May Bed and Breakfast on April 1 and 2, 2011.

For additional information about Craig McManus and the Wine and Spirits Weekends in Cape May, please visit Craig’s website.

After lunch at a Cape May restaurant (TBA), you’ll board the MAC trolley and head off to your first winery. You’ll visit at least three vineyards – more if time permits – where you will learn a bit about viticulture. Of course, there will be tasting, and since you are traveling by trolley, you may taste to your heart’s content.

Cape May Winery started small, but has grown into the fourth largest NJ winery. With over twenties different varieties, you are sure to find a bottle you like.

After visiting Hawk Haven Vineyard, you will certainly be enticed to return to their wine bar some evening.

Natali Vineyard has been in operation for ten years; their focus is the vineyard, where they are producing some excellent wines.

Finally, Turdo Vineyard is one of the only North American wineries to produce Nero D’Avola – one of Sicily’s most renowned wines. In addition, it is now the only vineyard in NJ to run 100% on solar power.

This is a great addition to a weekend at our Cape May lodging. Bring back your favorite Cape May wines for your friends and family. Heck, why not bring back a few cases of this fine NJ wine, so you’ll always have a taste of Cape May with you at home.

Read on for a complete list of the Cape May Wine Trail 2010 dates.

2010 DATES

Sunday, Jan. 17

Sunday, Feb. 21

Saturday, Mar. 20

Saturday, Apr. 3

Sunday, Apr. 25

Sunday, May 2

Sunday, May 23

Sunday, June 20

Sunday, Sept. 12

Sunday, Sept. 26

Friday, Oct. 15

Sunday, Oct. 31

Saturday, Nov. 20

Sunday, Dec. 26

Limited event. Tickets cost $75 per person. Call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 for more information.

The first weekend of May is an ideal time to sip wine, and we are inviting you to stay with us at the John F. Craig House and take part in the Cape May Wine Weekend. Friday, May 1, indulge in a four-course Wine Tasting Dinner at the Washington Inn; the featured wine this weekend is Riesling, and all four courses are tailored specifically to highlight this tasty white. But the fun only starts with the meal. Saturday, you are invited to take part in a guided tour at the award-winning Cape May Winery Cellar Tour & Tasting. Sunday afternoon makes the weekend complete with a Wine School Class at the winery, where the wine steward will give you individual attention as he educates you on the wines you taste.

The John F. Craig House is less than a half mile from The Washington Inn, an 1840 plantation home that has been transformed into a fabulous restaurant. It’s an easy stroll if you like to walk, and a very short drive. Relax on our porch or bask in the sun in our gardens after your tour of the winery on Saturday, or before your class on Sunday. Consider taking advantage of our in-room massage special to make the weekend ultra-relaxing. After all, winter has finally departed, and the lovely month of May is upon us. It is time to celebrate.