Sharrott Winery — Local services in Winslow Township

I have been here twice. This place is a hit or miss. Ambiance: 2/5, loud/echoes-cafeteria like Staff: 3/5, too many people at the front Food: 3/5, overpriced for quality Wine: 4/5 (better than William Heritage & White Horse, maybe comparable to Laurita)

1st time here was mid 2024 (3.5/5 stars). The wines were good (4/5 stars) so we bought a couple bottles and food was good (5/5)… but the staff/waitress (1/5) rushed us and emphasized the 1.5 hr table limit multiple times although we were doing both a wine tasting and having dinner (2hrs min should be the limit). Mind you there was only 2 of us so we weren’t a big party taking up too much room. We did end up finishing 10 minutes before the 1.5hr mark. Because of staff we didn’t rush back. 2nd time visiting Sharrott (mid 2025) I called to confirm they had food during our reservation time but they didnt answer. They called me back but hung up immediately, resulting in me calling a 2nd time. When we go there, there were at least 4 ladies up front. Why is it difficult getting someone on the phone while there’s more than enough people standing around. Other than that, This time staff were friendly and didn’t rush us. There were multiple large parties that were very loud and the acoustics made it echo louder. It made for a non-relaxed tasting. We tried different wines from the last time and liked at least half of them but a couple tasted low quality and syrupy. 3/5 I am not sure about the quality of their ingredients and additives because they seem sweetened with artificial syrups instead of real spices but i could be wrong. This time the food was disappointing and made me not want to eat there again. Maybe a new chef? Would NOT RECOMMEND the red snapper. I paid $29 for red snapper (entree size) so i expected it to be served like an entree and to come with reasonable portions of sides. I was shocked at how they served it on an appetizer plate with cornbread and a small side of slaw like it was a half rack of ribs from Applebee’s. Not only was it improperly plated and not respected for its delicacy, the fish was not fresh. It was extremely tough and seemed like it was frozen fish. I couldn’t cut into it with a fork!It was also very bland , like no salt or pepper just some butter and lemon juice, 0/5. The cornbread was immaculate, 5/5 but that should not be considered a side, especially for red snapper. The slaw was very good but served horribly and was small portioned, 4/5. Overall this plate was 2/5, due to the star of the show being horrible and not enough sides. Would recommend they offer fresh food and an additional side if people are paying...

We returned to Sharrott yesterday after many years' absence and found that the wine is still high quality and delicious, with some caveats that are helpful to know before going. We sat inside because of the heat, and enjoyed live music. After a few minutes, however, we regretted not sitting outside on the covered porch because we realized how loud the music really was. Conversation was impossible without shouting and lip-reading. The room has a built in audio system, but rather than use that for the live music, they had the performer onstage with a single speaker. This means they have to turn it up pretty loud for it to be heard throughout, whereas if they tied into the existing system, the volume could be at a conversational level while still being heard everywhere. With their wine, Sharrott is great and they know what they're doing. I was confused by wine flights vs. tastings. We realized after asking that tastings are held at the front, and flights are available at the tables, which makes sense. We would have liked to try a few wines at the table before purchasing, but I guess that is not done anymore. I believe the waitress said tastings are $20 per person, which I think is pricey unless you're getting a good amount of wine and education about it. Perhaps that is what is offered, but it was a little too steep for the three of us to try. I was surprised that my friend's flight of three 2 oz pours of wine was $15. That's 6 oz total, basically a $15 glass of wine. She said she enjoyed it, but I preferred to buy a bottle of something we knew we liked, which is much more cost-effective than flights or glasses. As we always have, we loved the unoaked Chardonnay and dry chambourcin. The food offerings were tasty, but surprisingly small portions left us feeling hungry for more. We got the pretzel bites, which were incredible and buttery with a cheese dip on the side, but there were only 8 tiny bites on the plate for $11. We will definitely forego the $22 cheese platter next time, which had a little pile of bleu cheese, a few thin slices of something resembling brie or Gouda, and lots of filler items like crostini, jam, apricots, and candied nuts, and a few olives for good measure. We really would have liked cheese with the cheese platter, not cheese as an afterthought. We had recently gotten a cheese platter from Auburn Road winery that left this one looking amateur. So, when we return sometime in the future, we've learned a few things: eat before you come or expect to get small, expensive portions that leave you wanting more, sit outside or on the porch, and buy wine...

Arriving 30 minutes before closing from more than an hour away we were greeted by the most unfriendly staff. We asked if we could do a tasting and was rudely told that the tasting was closed and the last call was 15 minutes ago. No signage stating that anywhere. My daughter asked if they still had a particular wine that we drove there for and the rude lady runs out from behind the counter and plunks down two bottles at the register that I said I wanted. She never gave my daughter the time of day and she had to ask for the same but certainly would have bought more had we not been scowled at and rushed. She didn't allow us time to scan the wine selections -just plucked the bottles off the shelf and placed them on the checkout counter in bags. Never said a one word at all. We have come here for many years and will never return. There are numerous posts on various social media sites about the rude staff and it's unfortunate because that is one thing I remember as being so special about this place when they weren't so big and now catering more as a restaurant than to a winery atmosphere. Way to turn people away!.We were so impressed when we found this awesome winery and a sweet woman who catered to the people who came for wine tasting. I believe she was the owner. Then the next trip, a tent was added overlooking the vineyard and you grabbed some cheese from the case or brought your own picnic and sat under the tent with no time restrictions and listened to the music. Then they grew... and lost all the friendliness and were no longer hospitable. I noticed on the way in all the signs telling you what you cannot do. Ugh. What a turnoff. The parking lot was still packed with cars and the musician was still playing when we left, it wasn't like they had closed the registers (another rude person) and mopped the floor! Never again. I'll give my business to Cape May County wineries. One more thing - this whole situation could have been rectified by the rude staff member #1 saying "I'm sorry, the wine tasting area is closed for the day. Please peruse the shelves or may I help you find anything? When you are done, your selections will be at the checkout counter. We will be closing at 5." I suggest you could rehearse some etiquette with your staff, they certainly...