While I was doing some extra research on Cape Cod for a colleague who was going to visit for the first time, I found a hidden gem for myself as well. I always enjoyed visiting wineries and vineyards, and trying some of their wines. I found a lovely winery in Upper Cape, called Cape Cod Winery. They have moved to the current location only a few years ago, where it used to be a farm with a farmhouse.

With the size of the land, they have parking space on the side of the house, and outdoor seating as well. We followed a cute “Tasting” sign on the barrel, and passed by an old, antique looking wine press, and went inside.

 

We arrived shortly after they opened, but the small winery was already almost full. Inside the farmhouse was really lovely and cozy. It was a real “house” rather than a winery or a shop or anything commercial. They were using the kitchen space with cute box window.

 

With the open floor design, we could see the living space area, which was really interesting. I have never been to a winery that had personal space attached to it, or rather, winery space placed inside a home. A friendly husband & wife team (Mr. & Mrs. Orlandella) gave the tasting to two separate groups, one at the kitchen island, and the other at the breakfast counter. Mr. Orlandella gave us the tasting, and he was really nice, made us feel right at home. I also heard that this is not going to be the “official tasting room” – it is still under construction? Which makes sense, it didn’t seem like a proper tasting room.

We got to taste 5 different wines for the tasting ($10), and at the end, each one of us got a wine glass with Cape Cod Winery on it!!! I thought that is a pretty great deal.

We started with Cranberry Blush. One of the best thing about this winery for me is that they have sweet fruity wines!  This one is a luscious Seyval grape white wine, fermented with organic cranberries from Cape Cod. I have seen cranberry bogs in Cape Cod, and I hear there are thousands of acres of cranberry bogs in the Cape alone. It is a great way to incorporate the local cranberries into the wine. It was smooth and fruity, just the way I liked it, with the beautiful rosy color, and lingering cranberry finish.

I was looking forward to taste their blueberry wine, but of course, they were all sold out! Until the new batches can be made, I have to wait to taste it… So, instead, we moved onto Regatta. This is their “uniquely wonderful new dessert wine.” It is made with Seyval with a splash of Concord, Peaches and Strawberries. I love dessert wines, so this was a delight. It was delicious and fruity, it would be a perfect way to end a meal, in pace of a dessert, or pair it with fresh fruit and sorbet desserts. I heard that it will also be good for making sangria or mulled wine. The possibilities…

Next up was a Nobska Light White. There is a Nobska Lighthouse nearby, and they have it depicted on the label as well. I LOVE their labels by the way, they are soooo cute, adorable, modern, and unique. I heard that the wife designed them all except for one. So, this white wine is a Blanc de Blanc blend of Seyval and Vidal grapes. This one was a big hit to my in-laws, it has tropical fruit highlights, citrus flavor, and honey aroma. They were sweet but not overly sweet, clean and easy to drink. It would be a great wine for seafood dish, or actually, any kind of dish since it is really nice, smooth wine.

Then we moved onto their reds. First one was Merlot/Cabernet Franc. It is a blend of Merlot (50%) and Cabernet Franc (50%) grapes. They said that they “leave these grapes hanging on the vines as long as possible, which gives them soft and delectable red wine flavor notes of cherry and blueberry and a fabulously fruity bouquet.” That alons sounds wonderful. It has been aged in oak barrels, so it has bold oak flavor to compliment the fruity character of the grapes. It was heavier than all the others we tasted, but I liked its smooth, velvety texture and finish.

The last but not least, Reel Red. This is the only label that the husband designed (or in his words, his wife “allowed” him to design). It was one of my favorite design, it is really cute and very energetic. This wine is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes, and aged in oak barrels for about 1 year to give a hint of complexity while retaining the strong fruity character of the grapes.

At the end, we liked them all, but decided to 4 bottles for us, while my in-laws picked up 2 bottles. We bought two Nobska Light White ($13.99), one Cranberry Blush ($14.99), and one Regatta ($13.99). The pricing was very good for the quality I thought, and then, we got 5% off for purchasing total of 6 bottles, which made it even better! I really enjoyed the tasting here, great wines, friendly owners, at cozy, warm setting. I of course recommended this place to others, and already gave one of the Nobska Light White as a gift, which received high rating. I would definitely go back again for more wonderful wines!!!

Cape Cod Winery – 4 Ox Bow Road, East Falmouth, MA 02536