Warm and Inviting, Terhune Hosts Wine Tastings

The first thing most people will notice when they step into the wine tasting room at Terhune Orchards is the smell. Permeated by the scent of spices and fruit and wine, the former farmhouse immediately smells, and feels, warm and inviting. The experience even comes complete with Harley, a cat who has shown an affinity for lounging in the barn and observing the wine tasting.         

Terhune Orchards, located at 330 Cold Soil Rd., has risen through the ranks during its short time as a winery. The farm began 35 years ago after Pam and Gary Mount returned from serving in the Peace Corps. Only a few months ago, the Mounts took the next step and added a winery to the farm.

“We started out in September with seven varieties (of wine) and we’re down to three,” Gary said. The other four have already sold out.

The wine tastings, which were extremely popular during the busy fall season, are still drawing people in out of the cold.

“We’ve been here many times before,” Julie Cornelius, who was at the farm with Adam Mumford, said. “We didn’t know they had wine tasting.”

“Yeah, it was kind of a really nice surprise,” Mumford added.

Cornelius and Mumford got to sample the three remaining varieties of wine - Vidal Blanc, Chambourcin and Barn Red.

“The cat and the homey atmosphere was a nice touch,” Cornelius said.

That homey touch has been the hallmark of Terhune Orchards even before it incorporated the winery.

“The thing of sharing the farm with the public … it was very much my wife’s lead on that,” Gary said. “She was hoping it would be a commune … but I couldn’t quite do that so the next step was to have people come anyhow.”

And come they do. Not only does the farm have wine tasting, it also has a variety of pick your owns, including apples. Gary Mount said the farm offers hot cider, has 36 different crops and even has activities for children.

“As soon as the car door opens they’re out at a dead run for the farm store,” Gary said. The store offers children free apples. There are also animals for them to see and tractors set up for them to play on.

For now, though, the focus is wine. From Jan. 14 to 17 Terhune participated in the Delaware Valley Wine Trail Weekend, a wine tasting event involving Terhune and three other local wineries - Unionville, Old York Cellars and Hopewell Valley. Those who went to all four received discount and a free gift.

Terhune will participate in another wine tasting event, the Wine and Chocolate Weekend from noon to 5 p.m. on Feb. 12 and 13.

“It’s a nice thing about wineries,” Gary said. “They all cooperate with each other.”

Since opening the winery, Gary has become more and more involved with the wine-making process. He said the idea was sparked by his daughter, Tannwen, who spent time in wineries in California after college. When she returned to New Jersey, she was eager to start a winery here.

Her parents helped her do just that, and now they are getting more involved in the process themselves.

Gary said he is learning how to make new wines, including planned wines like apple, blueberry and peach.            

“It’s kind of tricky,” he admitted, “but that’s the fun of it - to do it.”

He said his children and his sons-in-law have been instrumental in helping him get the winery going. He and his wife also brought in Maggie Keegan, who now works the wine tasting room, to help.

Keegan came over from Hopewell Valley Vineyards to add her experience and knowledge to the mix. She praised the orchard, where she’s been working since the rush at the end of September, for being not only a quality winery but also a valuable member of the local community.

“They’re dedicated to providing healthy food for people who maybe ordinarily wouldn’t be able to provide for themselves,” she said. She noted that she regularly sees donations of food going out to local charities like the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.

“It’s so wonderful that it’s taken off like it has,” Keegan said. “It’s been even a bigger hit than they thought.”

But even as it grows, Terhune Orchards has remained faithful to its roots as a welcoming, down-to-earth simple farm that is open to all. The sentiment is reciprocated as guests seem to become immediately enamored of the farm - and all of its residents.

“In the beginning, I was told ‘keep the cat out, keep the cat out,’ but the cat’s become part of the whole deal,” Keegan said of Harley, the wine tasting room’s most permanent resident.

Tomorrow, Jan. 23, from 1 to 4 p.m. Terhune Orchards will host its annual Wassailing event, which is free and open to the public.