Working Dog Winery || Mercer County, NJ

Working Dog Winery is a cute winery located in central New Jersey.  They are open year-round and offer a variety of estate-bottled wines.  Originally known as “Silver Decoy Wines”, they changed their name to Working Dog Winery in 2013.  

We stopped by on a sunny Saturday afternoon in early June, and as expected, the place was super busy.  They had live music and a food truck on site, which was a nice surprise.  They frequently have events that they post on their website, so be sure to check that out if you are planning a visit.  There was plenty of parking in the field in front of the winery.  

There are a variety of seating options to choose from, including a covered patio, uncovered patio, small indoor area, and lawn seats.  A bunch of larger groups brought their own blankets and folding chairs to enjoy the lawn area.  They had some small lawn games on the lawn area as well (cornhole and giant cup pong).  We were able to snag a table (actually a wine barrel with an umbrella and bar stools) outside on the uncovered patio.  Since it was late afternoon we lucked out and our table was completely in the shade.  

The wine can be purchased inside the winery building.  They had about 15 kinds that were sold by the glass as well as by the bottle.  We opted to each start with a glass of white wine.  I went for the Riesling (my favorite) and my boyfriend tried the Stainless Chardonnay.  They came in branded wine glasses that we were able to take home with us.  We also split a glass of the Rosé after we finished our first glasses of wine.  

We each had a glass of white wine and then split a glass of dry rosé. 

The Riesling was super crisp and fruity, but definitely on the dry side.  The Stainless Chardonnay had mineral and citrus notes.  Since it was aged in stainless steel barrels instead of oak there were no oak favors.  I’m not a fan of oaky wines, so I thought this chardonnay was nice.  The Rosé was my boyfriend’s favorite of the three wines. It was a dry, fruity Rosé and the perfect drink on a hot spring afternoon.  

A bunch of people brought their own food and snacks to enjoy with their wine.  I would definitely recommend bringing some snacks if you decide to stop in.  They did have a food truck on site as well, but we didn't try it out.  

The winery is located in a quiet area, but it is a great place to stop if you are visiting other sites in the Robbinsville/Hightstown area.  Some of my recommendations in the area are: Holland Ridge Farm (spring and fall flower festivals), Clayton Park (walking and biking paths), and BAPS Temple.