When I started the Tales from the Wine Trails Blog back in 2018 my main goal was to promote the smaller wineries that often get overlooked by wine tourists. Last week I embarked on yet another quest to find a hidden gem – and struck gold. While Angelico Winery only opened its doors a scant year ago, the history behind its wine-making is both long and rich. Owner Ottavio Angelico hails from a family with over 100 years in the wine-making industry back in his native Sicily. After moving to the United States in 2002, he grew homesick for his family’s 70 year old winery so he planted 10 acres of vineyards at his Lambertville, NJ residence. The result is Angelico Winery, where it is all about the personal touch - from the handpicked grapes to the family run tasting room. And the wines? Absolutely wonderful.
My tasting experience at Angelico was a rare, perfect five for five. My overall favorite was the Gruner Veltliner 2021, a smooth, easy-drinking white wine. A close runner-up was Cool Brivido, a mellow white sangria with lemon notes with shout-outs to the slightly acidic Cayuga White, Pinot Grigio 2021 with its green apple notes and Raspberry Rose 2021.
While Angelico Winery may be small in size, there are big plans ahead, starting with Italian Heritage Movie Nights in March. Warm weather brings the fun outdoors where families are welcome to enjoy live music and wood-fired pizza and yes, they are dog-friendly too! I am definitely looking forward to watching Angelico Winery evolve and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this off-the-beaten path treasure.