Of all the wineries we have visited, we always manage to find ourselves returning to Jonathan Edwards Winery with excitement.  This winery is in the eastern part of CT in North Stonington located in a great area with plenty to do.  There are several wineries, 2 casinos and Mystic, which is a great seaport town.  For those wine lovers coming from Long Island, the ferry from Orient Point to New London is a great option.

You will find that Jonathan Edwards Winery is different than most because almost all of their wines come from grapes that are harvested in Napa California; the aging and bottling are done in CT.

We are members of their Grape Nuts Club,  so off we went to pick up our wines for the quarter.  Being members of the club also gives us a free wine tasting which is normally $12 for the full flight, which included 8 wines.  They also have a sampler tasting which is $6 for 4 wines of your choice.

This time there were 4 whites, a 2010 Napa Sauvignon Blanc which was crisp and refreshing, a 2010 Russian River Valley Pinot Grigiowhich was delicious and light.  There

A special thank you to Andie and Andy, the pourers who helped make our visit fun.

were also 2 Chardonnays, a 2010 CT made with Estate grown grapes and a 2009 Napa Chardonnay.  Rich and I both preferred the CT Chardonnay as it had a more citrus flavor and had less oak.

Their reds are my favorites, especially their 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  It had hints of chocolate, blackberries and was a rich tasting wine.  I convinced Rich to buy a bottle even though it was $35 (no easy task)…it was that good.  They also had a 2008 Zinfandel that Rich liked; I found it to be peppery.  Their Stone Table Red from Napa was also tasty.   It’s a blend of Merlot, Petit Sirah and Cabernet grapes.  They also had 1 dessert wine, the 2008 Dark which was a very tasty port wine.

I know most of you are thinking…why would I love a CT winery that sells wine mostly from California?.  The reason is simple: their wines are outstanding and the people who work there make it a fun experience.  The owner of the winery personally goes out to Napa to harvest his own grapes and start his wine.  You can check out this year’s journey on their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jonathan-Edwards-Winery/224926601815?ref=ts

Being that we were visiting in December, I expected to enjoy my tasting, pick up our wine and leave.  On this day, the bright sun on the deck was so warm and inviting that we decided to purchase some cheese, bread, a couple of glasses of wine and enjoyed a savory lunch outside…what a welcome treat for this time of year!  I had a glass of the Cabernet and Rich had the Zinfandel.

As always, we had a great afternoon.  We met a very nice local couple who stopped in to say hello to the Jonathan Edwards Winery staff members and bring treats for the “pourers”.  A special thank you to Andie and Andy who helped make our visit fun.  Be sure to visit their website jedwardswinery.com.  This winery is a must when visiting Eastern CT.