Our Wines

Great wines are produced in the vineyard. Being that the fruit is 100% estate grown, we can control the yield and hang time to produce the finest wine possible.

Turdo Vineyards is pleased to announce that all our wines have been awarded the QWA designation, which stands for Quality Wine Alliance. The QWA is a program already in use in Italy and France, and instituted in New Jersey in 1999.  It insures that all wines sold to consumers meet or exceed set quality standards.

Some of our better known varieties include:

Barbera

Barbera is an ancient variety with its historical roots in Italy, where today it remains the second most widely planted red variety, after Sangiovese.

Although normally indistinct in aroma, when cultivated in temperate areas and cropped for quality, Barbera can exhibit an attractive ripe aroma of red fruit, currants or blackberries that can be enhanced by vanilla, smoky or toasty  notes added by barrel aging. On the other hand, neutral aroma, high color and acidity are all good characteristics for blending with other grapes and this is how Barbera is most frequently used.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon makes the most dependable candidate for aging. More often improving into a truly great wine than any other single varietals.

With age, its distinctive black currant aroma can develop bouquet nuances of cedar, violets, leather, or cigar box and its typically tannic edge may soften and smooth considerably.

Typically, Cabernet Sauvignon wines smell like black currants with a degree of bell pepper or weediness, varying in intensity with climatic conditions, viticulture practices, and vinification techniques

In the mouth, Cabernet can have liveliness and even a degree of richness, yet usually finishes with firm astringency.

Merlot

Medium bodied red with moderate acidity and low tannins. These thin-skinned grapes produce a sweet and smoothly fruity palate of black currants and, at its most opulent, will have hints of chocolate. Merlot tends to be more herbaceous in both flavor and aroma than Cabernet Sauvignon, while being lighter and warmer to the palette (due to its slightly higher levels of alcohol).

Merlot is the perfect accompaniment for either white meat (chicken or turkey) or "red meat fish" like salmon and tuna.

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is considered one of the great wine varieties. Bigger, darker and more tannic, even bitter, than most types, but consequently long-lived and prized by collectors. Jealously guarded in its native Italian home and most famous appellation of Piedmont, very few nebbiolo cuttings and clones have been exported to other countries.

The name nebbiolo has two probable origins. Ripe nebbiolo grapes have a very prominent "bloom" that gives them a "foggy" or "frosted" look, so the name could come from from "nebbia", Italian for "fog".

Although there are dozens of nebbiolo clones and nebbiolo is prominent in and famous for producing wines like Barolo, Barbaresco and Gattinara.

Wines made from nebbiolo are typically dark, tart, tannic and alcoholic. The best smell of cherries, violets and black licorice or truffles and have rich, chewy, deep and long-lasting flavors. Good Nebbiolo can harmonize with the richest, strongest-flavored meats and stews, as well as dry, aged cheeses that may be too strong or distinctive for other wines.

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is one of the oldest grape varieties to be cultivated for the purpose of making wine. Great Pinot Noir creates a lasting impression on the palate and in the memory. Its aroma is often one of the most complex of all varietals and can be intense with a ripe-grape or black cherry aroma, frequently accented by a pronounced spiciness that suggests cinnamon, sassafras, or mint. Ripe tomato, mushroom, and barnyard are also common descriptors for identifying Pinot Noir.

It is full-bodied and rich but not heavy, high in alcohol, yet neither acidic nor tannic, with substantial flavor despite its delicacy. The most appealing quality of Pinot Noir may be its soft, velvety texture. When right, it is like liquid silk, gently caressing the palate. Pinot does not have the longevity in the bottle of the darker red wines and tends to reach its peak at five to eight years past the vintage.

Although Pinot Noir harmonizes well with a wide variety of foods, the best matches to show off the delicacy and texture of Pinot Noir are roasted and braised preparations of lamb, pheasant, and duck, as well as grilled meaty fish, such as salmon, shark, and swordfish. Best are foods that are simple and rich. Go easy on the spices, some of which may mask the delicate flavors of pinot noir and generally tend to accentuate the hot taste of alcohol.

Sangiovese

Sanguis Jovis, the Latin origin for the varietals name, literally means "blood of Jove". It is  indigenous to Tuscany, whose most famous wine is Chianti Sangiovese is a wine that is rarely very dark in color.

These thin-skinned grapes yield wines with bright aromas and flavors of black cherries, red plums and blueberries with nuances of violets and cinnamon. Over time, the aroma fades though the depth and range of the taste on the palate will increase. The fruit is slow to mature and late ripening. With relatively thin skins

Sangiovese is fruity, with moderate to high natural acidity a medium-body ranging from firm and elegant to assertive and robust and a finish The aroma  not as assertive and easily identifiable as Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, but can have a strawberry, blueberry, faintly floral, violet or plummy character.

A bottle of Chianti with a plate of spaghetti may be a well-recognized icon, but it does not quite represent the best match-up, as the acidities of the wine and the tomato can often clash. More traditionally, Sangiovese wines are best matched to red meats, wild game and vegetables that are roasted or grilled with olive oil, herbs and garlic.

Syrah requires heat to get fully ripe. The berry is thick-skinned and dark, almost black. Syrah forms intense wines, with deep violet, nearly black color, chewy texture and richness, and often alcoholic strength, with aromas that tend to be more spicy than fruity.

These thick-skinned grapes produce wines with blackberry and raspberry sensations but with black pepper and mint overtones.  Syrah will typically have hints of licorice and anise when grown in warmer climates and peppery roasts in cooler regions.

Syrah goes well with any hearty red meat dish like beef and venison.

Sauvignon Blanc

The varietals identity of Sauvignon Blanc is typically similar to grass, bell-pepper, or grapefruit in nature

Sauvignon Blanc is usually quite distinctive and one of the easier varietals wines to recognize by its often sharp, aggressive smell. The most common (but not exclusive) smell and/or flavor elements found in sauvignon blanc-based wines include:

With naturally high acidity, Sauvignon Blanc is always tangy, tart, nervy, racy, or zesty, and this character pervades even sweet and dessert versions, keeping them from being cloying and sticky-tasting.

Dry-style Sauvignon or Fumé Blancs are very versatile in accompanying foods and can handle components such as tomatoes, bell peppers, cilantro, raw garlic, smoked cheeses or other pungent flavors that would clash with or overpower many Chardonnays and almost all other dry whites. In fact, Sauvignon Blanc is probably the best dry white wine to accompany the greatest variety of foods.

Chardonnay

This thin-skinned grape produce wines with a nose that is low-key with hints of green apples, melons and hazelnuts. Tastes of butter, green apples, pears, and to a lesser extent, minerals on the palate are quite common.Chardonnay is a very versatile wine and can be consumed with a wide variety of meals ranging from white meat (chicken or turkey) to “red meat fish” like salmon and tuna.

Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio is usually delicately fragrant and mildly floral with lightly lemon-citrus flavors. Depending upon ripeness at harvest and vinification technique, Pinot Gris can be tangy and light, or quite rich, round and full bodied. Made in an appropriate style, it is one dry white wine that may even age well.

These thin-skinned grapes produce wines that are marked by their dryness, crispness and acidity. This combination gives the grape tremendous mouth-watering appeal. On the nose the sensations are of flowers and the palate is honey, pear and lemon.

A perfect aperitivo, Pinot Grigio's crispness primes the palate for food. It pairs well with all seafood, whether raw, lightly sautéed, grilled or lightly sauced with cream or butter. It is best to avoid the acid clashes of citrus fruit and tomatoes.

Dolcetto

Dolcetto roughly translates from Italian as the "little sweet one." It is the principal grape grown in the Piedmont region of Italy and is considered the lunchtime or everyday wine of Northern Italy..

Dolcetto is a wine that is bright reddish-purple in color that tends to fade over time to ruby red.

These thinned-skinned grapes deliver a fruit driven wine with aromas of ripe blackberries

One of the few Italian red wines that are drinkable upon release. Dolcetto can develop further with a year or two of cellaring but it is best drunk immediately as is the case with Beaujolais Nouveau from Burgundy. While often compared to Beaujolais Nouveau, Dolcetto tends to have a fuller body with more complex taste.

Dolcetto is the preferred mate to spaghetti with any red (tomato) sauce, grilled Portobello mushrooms and tomato and mozzarella salads. It goes well with foods that are naturally high in acidity.

Moscato

Light-bodied white with low acidity and low tannins

Moscato wines are either a pale yellow or a light gold color the wine is almost always sweet

Amazingly fragrant (rose petals and lichee fruit come to mind), Moscato’s fresh grapey character is easy to recognize, even when distilled as grappa. The best examples combine creaminess, a bright, refreshing fruitiness and a crisp, lingering finish

Enjoy with fresh fruit, pistachios or light pastries that are not too sweet.

Rosato

Made from our estate grown merlot grapes, this rose’ is a real treat!

Unlike most roses which have a lot of sweetness, ours is dry like a fine red or white wine.

It has the structure, balance and acidity that are necessary to make it a great food wine.

Fine and delicate aromas of rose petal, a light touch of raspberry and pretty almond tones make this a generous wine with high appeal among rosé enthusiasts The wine has crisp acidity and refined nuances in the mouth.

Pair this wine with more structured foods like oven roasted chicken, potatoes au gratin or pasta with red sauce.

It’s floral and fresh in the mouth, clean, informal and easy to drink.