Earlier this year, Sharrott Winery in Hammonton unveiled a new, expanded tasting room—complete with beautiful views of vineyards and a game-changing pizza oven.
When Sharrott Winery opened to the public in 2008, it conducted tastings in a 2,500-square-foot building that also housed the winery and barrel rooms. The new building is more than 7,300 square feet, housing an attractive tasting room with large windows, high ceilings with exposed wooden beams and modern lighting.
Sharrott is just one of several New Jersey wineries that have recently invested in larger, more elegant tastings rooms to accommodate the state’s growing wine industry. (William Heritage Winery in Mullica Hill also unveiled a new tasting room in the last year.) I stopped in over the summer while I was researching for my New Jersey wine trails story (found in our October 2018 issue), and was impressed by the magnitude of Sharrott’s expansion.
The view from the tasting bar at Sharrott Winery. Photo by Shelby Vittek
Inside the building, you’ll find several standing tasting bars, where you can sample six wines for $10, including a wonderful cabernet franc and compelling dry riesling. If you stand at the tasting bar on the left when you enter, you’ll get a scenic look into rows of vineyards, which was a beautiful view on the sunny summer day we visited.
After our tasting, my companion and I stayed for lunch. We grabbed a seat at a table inside, and here were more tables available on the covered patio outside. The food menu is slim, though more comprehensive than the premade cheese and meat platters that most NJ wineries usually offer. Options include $6 cheeses, or a cheese plate for $16; various flatbreads priced from $11.50-$12.50; and small plates like hummus ($10), guacamole and chips ($10), or a Bavarian pretzel with gruyere fondue ($10).
We opted for two flatbreads: the Sopressata ($12), with sopressata, fresh mozzarella and crushed tomato, and the Parma ($12.50), with prosciutto di Parma, fig jam, Gorgonzola, arugula, Parmigiano Reggiano and a balsamic drizzle. We also ordered a bottle of cabernet franc—a steal at $25. The flatbreads were a delightful and necessary addition to a day of wine tasting, and the wine was a necessary accompaniment.
If you’re planning a day of wine tasting in South Jersey, be sure to stop into Sharrott Winery for a heartier lunch with your tasting. Then move along to the stops down the road.
Sharrott Winery, 370 South Egg Harbor Road, Hammonton; 609-567-9463. Open noon to 5 PM, Sunday-Tuesday; and noon to 9 PM, Wednesday-Saturday.