Laurita Winery — Restaurant in Plumsted Township

EDIT: I take my reviews and feedback seriously. Upon the suggestion that this post was illegitimate and double-posted, I reviewed my post history (trust, but verify); My intention is never to flame a business.

My post was not duplicated in my post history. I have since forwarded my Tock reservation to the owner via DM to authenticate the legitimacy of my post. Visited Laurita for 80s dance party night with some friends who were repeat visitors. Taken as a whole, the experience was positive, but did have some distinct negatives that would dissuade me from returning.

Positives: Wine itself was solid for a fun night out with friends- easy drinking and inoffensive to most tastes. The food, particularly the cheese board, which may appear expensive on the menu, but is actually a good value for money when you factor in the quantities of what you get. For the dance party, the DJ and music selection was excellent.

Negatives: Cost differences in paying with cash vs. card. Advertised as an "instant discount" paying with cash vs. card. However, the 4% "discount" is you simply not having to pay the merchant transaction fees for the POS system. By using your card and paying the fee, you're paying the merchant transaction fee and saving them the costs.

Pushy staff (if you're seated outside in the pergola spaces). At least an hour before closing, and 30 minutes before last-call, we repeatedly had staff coming over and pushing (with increasing hectoring each time) that they had to turn the garbage cans over before closing time and that we needed to finish up. In the end, this meant that a staff member took our ice buckets (while we still had full/semi full bottles) and dumped them out, and insisted on taking what was left of our cheese plate- I was able to snag some crackers and cheese as they took/tossed the rest.

The stupid: For 80s night we paid $10 x4 cover charges, 6-7 bottles and 2 menu items and paid cash tips for each bar visit-not exactly being cheapskates. When the final staff person came by cleaning up, we asked if we might keep glasses as a souvenir- to which we were told that you could only keep glasses if it was a festival event, but not a theme night (despite paying a cover charge). Think about how cool it would've been if you paid cover and got a themed wineglass for that night!

Again, taken as a whole, it was a positive experience, but there were the intrusive, niggling issues that detracted from the entire experience. Would I return? Maybe- with friends for a theme night and festival, but probably not for...

I’m sad to say that my sister and I had a very negative experience at Laurita Winery’s pumpkin painting event. We were excited about the opportunity to paint pumpkins, especially since the description mentioned a wagon ride to pick them. However, the execution was far from what we expected.

First, we were unaware of the strict 6 PM deadline to board the wagon. We arrived about 10 minutes late and texted to let them know, but received no response. When we got there, the group had already left. The staff member we spoke to said they would get us pumpkins and gave us tickets for wine, but was hesitant to provide the cheese plate tickets we had already paid for. After some insistence, we finally received those, but then we had to wait over 30 minutes for the wagon to return.

The event description did not mention that the wagon ride would last an hour, which added to our frustration. When the wagon returned at 7 PM, we went upstairs for the “class.” There was no announcement to indicate that the event had started, and no one informed us about the painting supplies. We felt completely lost, and when we approached the staff for assistance, they seemed annoyed rather than helpful.

We expected guidance and instruction, but there was none. The woman at the paint station didn’t offer any recommendations, and we were left to figure everything out on our own. We paid $40 each for what we thought would be a structured class, but it felt more like an afterthought. The brushes were old and hard, and we received only a small tray of paint for both of us.

This decline in service has been apparent during our previous visits, including an incident last year when an event we signed up for was canceled without any notification. We drove 50 minutes only to be told at the venue that we should have known. All they offered was a glass of wine as a lackluster remedy.

It’s disheartening to see how much Laurita has changed. What used to be a fun experience has turned into a frustrating one, marked by poor customer service and a lack of effort to create a positive environment. We will not be returning, especially for events that are poorly organized and do not deliver what they promise. It’s a shame, as we used to enjoy our time there. If you’re considering this winery for an event, be cautious. It’s not the same Laurita...

Rita’s Winery is a lovely little spot with fantastic wines and a cozy, rustic setting. The vineyard itself is beautiful, and once you get into the tasting, you’ll find some real gems—full of flavor and personality.

When we first arrived, things felt a little brisk. The team was clear and firm about their policy of no wine samples at the table, which caught us off guard at first. But once we got the lay of the land, everything smoothed out and we really enjoyed the visit.

The wines speak for themselves, and they’re well worth the trip. I only tried two, the Cabernet franc and and the Cabernet Sauvignon. The franc was a little light But I really like the Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted like an older wine.

I ordered the bacon cheeseburger, and unfortunately even though I ordered it medium rare it was all done. It was still flavorful and juicy so I didn't complain. The charcuterie board is already made up to go, when we put it on a cardboard tray. Presentation in my opinion is definitely not worth the $24, but I didn't try it so I could be wrong with that.

I think this is the kind of place where they kind of recognize you after a while and you become part of the family, but as a newcomer I felt kind of like a new comer. It took a while to stroll around and get oriented and understand what was where, where to get the food, where was a safe place to eat it, etc. I guess it was an exception because the regular dining area was closed for a special event.

I think once you get the rhythm of the place, you feel at home. I know I'm definitely up for the return visit, and I would like to do a wine flight but I'm not sure I want to do it standing up. Maybe that's their strategy, if they make you stand up and you drink too much and fold down it sort of like a canary and a coal mine. Then they know not to overserve you 😉

Whatever the logic, I'm the kind of person who likes to sit down and relax and taking the view with my flight or glass or bottle or what have you. It was a little uncomfortable being told that it was not allowed to have my flight at a table that was 6 ft away from the bar. It's not my place, so I respect their boundaries, but I prefer my winery experiences with...