For those unfamiliar with MeetUp, it is the world’s largest network of local groups. MeetUp makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face.
A popular local MeetUp group is the Northern New Jersey Wine MeetUp Group where both singles and couples gather to learn about, and enjoy wines from around the world. How fun is that!?
This past Saturday, the group met for its annual pig roast, appropriately dubbed Swine and Wine. As with most events for the group, this one was held at the beautiful Tree Tavern, a private event destination in Wanaque.
The affaire was catered by Frank Hewitt and Augie Viviani, the owners of Party Chefs of Haskell, NJ (973-492-8182), who specialize in pig roasts, clam bakes and lobster bakes. The two gentlemen are personable and passionate about their business and prepared a delicious meal for the group. Beyond the perfectly-seasoned and roasted pork with dreamy lacquered skin, the chefs served a buffet of tangy bean salad, corn on the cob with melted butter, salads, roasted vegetables and yellow rice. For the non-pig eaters, there were even hamburgers and hot dogs. For those thinking of a fun and hands-off way to entertain, a catered pig roast is a fabulous idea.
Another enjoyable part of the event was the selection of wines by one of the group organizers, Wino Bob, who always surprises and delights attendees with his picks. The lineup for Saturday’s outdoor event were the 2006 Oriel Femme Fatale Bordeaux Rose ($20), a luscious wine with bright strawberry flavors and nice acidity, the 2010 Hogwash ($15), a light rosé, perfect for summer fun and the 2008 Tamas Double Decker Red ($10), a Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Barbera blend which pairs nicely with grilled meats.
There are over 500 members of the Northern New Jersey Wine MeetUp Group but 30-50 are loyal event attendees. The gatherings are casual, friendly, informative and perfectly-suited to both casual wine drinkers and those with a more sophisticated palate. Come join us for the next celebration, and if you do, come say hello!
To learn more about MeetUp groups in your area, access www.meetup.com.
Cheers,
Veronique Deblois, Food & Wine Chickie Veronique is a food and wine blogger based in Morris County, NJ. As the author of the popular blog, Food & Wine Chickie Insider, Veronique shares recipes, wine and restaurant reviews and insight into the travel industry of which she’s a 15-year veteran. Follow Veronique on Twitter or like her Facebook page.
The Party Bluprint Girls are at it again. It just goes to show these ladies find party potential in everything. Today they are offering up some Emmy award winning party planning tips and recipes including special drink recipes like The Prohibition in honor of Boardwalk Empire and its nominees, Steve Buscemi and Kelly Macdonald.
The Shannon Rose Irish Pub in Clifton and Woodbridge is ‘calling all Arthurs’ and Guinness fans to join in the global Arthur’s Day celebration on Thursday, September 22. Anyone in the community named Arthur or whose name starts with “Art,” with proper identification, will receive a free Shannon Rose Burger (value of $7.99), voted “Best Burger” in Clifton. 
Mary’s Place by the Sea is Celebrating their New Home with Paella and Entertainment after a tour. September 24, 2011 Time: 6:30pm-10:00pm Location: 25 Ocean Avenue Ocean Grove, NJ 07756 Featuring an authentic taste of Spain: tapas, paella, sangria and beer Steve Reilly Band and Flamenco Dancing. Rain or Shine, Tickets are Limited, Purchase Today! Tickets: $100 per person. 
Red Bank Guinness Oyster Fest: Sunday, September 25, 2011 Noon – 7PM. White Street Parking Lot. The event will also be a culinary feast! There will be tons of GUINNESS and fresh OYSTERS plusm25 of Red Bank’s favorite restaurants will be serving a variety of specialty menu items including everything from Mini-Ruebens to Lobster Rolls. Wine and lighter beers will also be available for purchase. The after-party begins at 7PM at THE DUBLIN HOUSE 30 Monmouth Street, adjacent to the festival site. The Guinness Oyster Festival is a fundraiser for the Jane H. Booker Cancer Center at Riverview Medical Center, The Cancer Institute of NJ Foundation and Red Bank River Center.
I am by no means a wine expert, but I like to think that I drink enough of it to know a thing or two about it. People travel the world in search of great wines, crossing the globe and touching down in France, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and here in the United States. But you don’t have to trek around the world or across the country to savor the perfect glass of wine.
Four JG’s Winery is a family-owned and operated vineyard located on over 60 acres of prime farming land amidst bucolic horse farms. Founded in 1999, the winery is named after its owners, John and Janet Giunco and their children John (known to most as “Bert”) and Jill. With a focus on good farming practices and a careful selection of rootstock suitable for the soils of Monmouth County, Four JG’s produces award-winning wines that are bold in character and rich in fruit. All the wines are grown, produced, and bottled at their Colts Neck location. Four JG’s prides itself on being a family business with 3 generations participating in every aspect of the growing and producing of the wines.
While at Four JG’s, I had the opportunity to sample some of their award-winning wines. I was not disappointed. I sampled the Cayuga White, a semi-dry, light and fruity wine. This wine is produced using the Cayuga grape, which is popular in the eastern United States primarily for its productivity and resistance to disease. I also tasted the Chambourcin, a rich wine with intense purple color and spicy, herbal flavors. It is produced using the Chambourcin grape, a late-rippening French grape that is suitable for Eastern growing seasons. Lastly, I sampled a favorite of visitors to Four JG’s, the Frappé Vino, a frozen wine prepared using Four JG’s Monmouth Blush varietal and a prepared Frappé Vino mix (available for purchase at Four JG’s). It’s simple to prepare. Combine the Monmouth Blush and the powdered mix. Stir well until the powdered mix completely dissolves. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours or until slush consistency is achieved.
Four JG’s is open to the public throughout the year for special events. Consult their Web site for specific dates and times. Since fall is the harvesting season, Four JG’s has several events planned in the coming weeks. Wine can be purchased on site or from several retailers throughout the state. If you plan to purchase directly from the winery, call ahead for hours of operation as strict town ordinances in Colts Neck limit the hours during which the winery can sell to the public.
John Howard Fusco, Mud City Crab House in Manahawkin is pretty much a given on anyone’s To Do List when they plan to spend any time in or around Long Beach Island during the summer. Don’t believe me? Fine – just try and get table. You’re going to have a bit of a wait. Is it worth it? Once you’ve tasted their baked garlic clams or their award-winning jumbo crab cakes, you’d be thrilled with a wait as long as it was that time you camped out for Genesis tickets in the bitter cold back in 1987. Well, OK – maybe not all of you would have done that back in ’87, but trust me on this one: the food will more than make up for the time it takes to get a seat. And if you can’t hold out, you can always order some crab claws along with some wonderfully pristine scallops while you sit outside and admire the view.”
From Red’s you loop back around to Channel Drive and visit Jack Baker’s Wharfside Restaurant or the very casual Patio Bar next door. The restaurant is not a place many of the locals will go to stand in line, but for that big vacation night out, its probably one of the most popular destinations. Next door at the Patio Bar, you’ll find many a local sipping on cocktails (or chugging them) and listening to live music while the boats go by. I personally prefer a quieter setting. One of my favorite places to enjoy excellent fish is at The Shipwreck Grill right across the bridge in Brielle. The Shipwreck was the
Originally published in the Princeton Packet on September 9, 2011
The next stop was the two reflecting pools and the bronze planks with the names of all the victims engraved into them. What really stands out to me, besides the size and the amount of names, is the care given to the construction of this section of the memorial.
Asbury Park Oyster Fest, September 9th – 11th. Stretching over three days and turning water-lined Lake Avenue into one long funway of oysters, restaurant samplings and non-stop music. With children’s rides and amusements, over 100 crafters and gift vendors, cold beer and wine stops, Oysterfest connects Asbury’s two exciting shopping & dining districts; the downtown and beautiful oceanfront boardwalk. 
Morris County was hit pretty hard by last week’s devastating storms and ongoing aftermath. This week, Arthur’s Tavern in Morris Plains is holding an impromptu fundraiser to benefit the Red Cross and, hopefully, some of its own friends and neighbors.
