Renault Winery Resort & Golf

Me and my girl decided to visit Atlantic City, but we didn’t want to spend all our time in casinos or bars, so we decided to do a search on Groupon and check what deals or options could we find an our way to AC.
Thanks God, we found Renault Winery, which is 20 miles away from Atlantic City and their deal was unbeatable-​$ 100 for a non smoking king suite per night. For this spent «millions» we received not only a room, but free wine tour with wine testing, 2 free mason jars (you can chose any drink you like), after you are done you can keep jars as souvenirs, moreover we had a discount for restaurant.
As for me, our stay worth every single dollar that we spent.
Their workers are friendly, food is delicious, wine is cheap and tastes good. I had no headache in the morning, which is very important!
I gave them 4 stars, because they didn’t give a dissent explanation why the pool was closed.
Overall, We had good experience and recommended this place to our friends.

I came here as my birthday gift since I am a huge wino. We got a package deal that included food vouchers, 2 free drinks per meal for 2 people, then $ 5 to refill the mason jar you get to keep. Food was delicious, check in was easy and informative. The place was very nice. On several occasions, couples sat in the back by the pool to enjoy the weather and the scenery. The pool could have been cleaner. Although it was cloudy for most of the weekend I would have went swimming if it was cleaner. This was the 2^nd weekend in September. Neither of the pools was heated (fyi). Rooms were very comfortable. Only thing is there were no refrigerators and we brought liquor and food on Friday night that we had no where to keep. There was a whole in the wall from the door knob also. But otherwise, we had free range of the property. The tour was a lot of fun and the tour guide was very entertaining. The wines were delicious and we purchased a couple of bottles. It was interesting to find out this place made most if its money during the prohibition selling tonic in the pharmacy with a warning label that if refrigerated, might turn to wine. Clever!

My review is long overdue, but here goes… LOL! I visited the winery with my mother a couple of months ago, after finding a great deal on Groupon! I can’t remember what I paid, but it wasn’t a lot for what was offered… brunch and a wine tasting/​tour! We drove about an hour to get to the winery… we did brunch first… the staff was very friendly… we were seated at a table not too far from the buffet and our table allowed us to chat without a lot of noise. First impression of the buffet selection… you get what you pay for… I always make the best out of any situation… I enjoyed the meats and the omelet station! They also had a couple of selections that were prepared in the back versus being available at the buffet — which was fine, I tried a couple of those… No complaints! Everything was very satisfying… My mother had no complaints! It was an outing! :) The wine tasting/​tour was great! We got to learn the history of the winery and we got to sample some of their top sellers! My mother and I purchased four bottles of wine… and the Noah was our fave! :)

We did lunch at Joseph’s (see separate review) first and then their wine tour. We started by looking in the glass museum which was nicely curated-​interesting. Our tour guide then proceeded to give us a very informative lesson on the history of the Renault family and a fantastic tour of their wine making process. We ended by tasting a good selection of Renault wines. I personally don’t like most NJ wines but did like their American Champagne. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and found it to be a very good value. The area around the hotel is lovely and worth a visit.

We have played golf at the Vineyards for several years and have never been disappointed, even recently where the lack of rain this summer (2015) coupled with high temperatures and cloudless skies, which has wreaked havoc on other public courses. The maintenance staff has kept the course very playable with the greens in excellent condition, so my hat’s off to them.
That brings us to lunch. We had an excellent experience here at Joseph’s with their $ 10 lunch special; it has to be the best thing this side of the Mississippi. I mean a draft beer and huge sandwich for $ 10 – how can you go wrong with that. I had a Tuna salad on such delicious bread and the amount of tuna, seasoned to perfection, was enough for two (but you might not want to share). Add a copious amount of fries to that, topped with pickles on the side and what a lunch this makes. My wife had the grilled chicken sandwich on a brioche bun and our friends had the signature burger and turkey breast sandwiches. All were so beautifully presented and more than enough for us to skip dinner. But… but! The fries! I do not know what they did differently to these, but normally you just get fries with something and that’s that… but these… these were so delicious… I wanted a meal of just fries. As an aside, our friends had dinner here on past occasions and said their dinners were equally as delicious.
What a hidden gem this place is. Take the back roads to get here, where the upper Mullica River meanders through picturesque hamlets and drawbridges and you drive through the gauntlets of Phragmites that tower above you. This is the real South Jersey. Then when you arrive at the Vineyards, for a stay and play, head up to your room after a great round of golf and delicious meal and pull up a copy of November Seed on your kindle app (fast read techno-​thriller that takes place in this area of South Jersey.). But be warned; you might want to find a different route back, knowing about what grows in the Phragmites. Enjoy.

Food was great, amenities are great. We stayed in the Tuscany House for my sister’s bachelorette party. We were given vouchers for each room but staff was not all on the same page with these which caused some confusion and embarrassment. Staff talked down to us when we asked for clarification with the vouchers and got hunted down after brunch to pay a portion of the bill that was all meant to be covered by vouchers. Staff at the hotel was great and Taylor even decorated the room with decorations I sent over in advance.

Review of Sunday brunch and wine tasting.
New to the area, I have purchased lots of Groupons to experience the sights of the area. Had one for Reault Winery Sunday Brunch and Tour /​Tasting. I had let the Groupon expire so using the value decided to just do the brunch and wine tasting.
Brunch:
The restaurant is a bit cheezy, but that itself lent it character. Staff very friendly. Plenty of food– but I dare to say not one item was really good. I got the impression that this is the place to come to «feed on” — lots of high carb, low quality and poor tasting food. Omelette station was probably the only good thing there. There was a carving station as well, but I am not sure of the meat. The server was struggling to cut the meat to serve with his professional knife, and after receiving a piece, I know why.
Wine tasting:
I am not going to even rate the wine, just the wine tasting experience. Not an expert at this, but having come from California, we have done our share of wine tasting. Also have had great experience wine tasting in PA– Lancaster County and Bucks County. We bought our tickets and were told that we have to wait to taste when the current tour was over and they were in the tasting room. So even though we purchased wine tasting for us, we have to be part of the end of a tour. So we wait and when the tour is over, we line up and are «told» to move forward around the bar in the tasting room so that we are single file and have filled up the slots. Then comes 5 wines– one after another, quick speech about the wine, and gulp down for the next. Once the 5^th one was poured, they quickly passed out paper bags for the lovely souvenir glasses and told us to get out so that they next tour can come through. I feel that I can stop my review now– Some people will completely understand what I wrote and some (based on some high reviews given) will not.

Regarding the hotel.. . it’s fine as long as you don’t have very high expectations. The hotel is dated and needs lots of remodeling. Everything is warn down and a bit cheap. I guess it was clean, though, and the people were nice enough.

GOLF:
Not worth the price ($ 95)
the course is nice enough, not overly difficult, with many wide and flat fairways and large greens. This could be a really nice place if they fixed these problems:
The bunkers are full of rocks with little to no sand. (why, it’s near the beach)
The course and bunkers do not drain well
The people are not unfriendly, but they clearly have better things to do then deal with customers.
The food is awful. precooked hot dog on a hard bun wrapped in foil for hours.
They do not fix the divots very often, there were a lot of them. Tee boxes needed work.
There are far better places to go in the area
This is more a $ 60 place, not $ 95.

I’ve had two very different experiences at Renault so I feel it only fair to meet in the middle with 3 stars.
About a year ago I purchased a groupon deal for a tour and tasting. I was enchanted by the beauty and old world charm of the exterior of the estate. Though dated the inside also held a medieval charm. Our tour guide Suzanne was very theatrical and seemed personally connected to the rich history of the winery and it was easy for the audience to feed into her energy. We discovered that Renault is the oldest running NJ winery. During prohibition we learned they packaged wine as medicine to be chilled with a recommended dosage size of one wine glass. We also heard tales about the ties to the true Nucky of Boardwalk Empire.
The finale of the tour was the tasting. Suzanne went around w/​multiple wines and listening to the feedback of the room to guide the tasting. After most guests trickled out she let us stragglers make requests. We learned linger, linger, linger that day. Favorite wines included Pink Lady and Burgandy.
The one sour note of the tour was that a couple brought a toddler but you can’t blame a winery for other people’s ignorance. I do think they should have and reinforce a no children on wine tours policy though.
This week I went back to Renault for a Murder Mystery Who Dunnit Show. before the show there was a nice hors d oeurves spread in addition to several hot apps circulating on trays. There was a nice variety which was great because we had a vegetarian in our group. What bothered me was the large number of crass patrons grabbing up handfuls off the platters while the waitstaff stood frozen in horror with serving tongs mid-​air. Again can’t hold a winery accountable for a few folks with poor manners and lack of social etiquette.
The winery did fail however in the marketing and sales dept. The gift shop was closed and you were unable to buy bottles of wine for your table. Initially the bartenders told my friends it was cash only and they could hit up the ATM in the hotel. I’m guessing a dozen complaints or so later things changed because out popped a smart phone with one of those nifty lil credit card swipe cubes. The cash bar had limited Renault wine offerings by the glass at $ 6 in addition to beer and complimentary soda. No wine is included in ticket price.
For $ 45 the dinner itself consisted of a Caesar salad with a funky bitter spoiled tasting mayo based dressing, a poppy seed roll, salty ham and cheese stuffed chicken w/​potato and veg, and a tiny square piece of cheesecake. Let’s just say I’ve had better food on an airplane. On the other hand my vegetarian friend had an amazing looking piece of salmon which she devoured.
The actual banquet room had the worst musky smell. Whilst waiting at the bar I kept expecting a giant wet St Bernard to come strolling around the corner. It was a smell that just kept wafting all through the night. On the upside tables were well spaced out and not overcrowded as is usually the case w winery events.
The one saving grace of the night was the acting troupe that utilized a good amount of audience participation. Not only were the the actors hilarious but the volunteers they picked were spot on. I also like that all tables were given a chance to earn clues and solve the crime. This was my third murder mystery dinner (2^nd at a winery) and I think it was the best in terms of the acting & interaction.
I think the history & wines are worth the trip to Renault. I would only recommend the murder mystery event if you go on a full stomach.

It’s a nice place. It’s outdated by a decade or two but it is kept clean. The rooms look like something out of the early 80’s but they are well kept. Our room was oddly shaped, and it had 3 sprinklers right over our bed which I found weird.
The surrounding area is awesome for people who like to be out of an urban area. The golf course is nice looking and you are surrounded by pine barrens and vineyards.
Didn’t have time for the winery tour but picked up some really good local wine. The Burgundy was amazing.
Attached restaurant is ok, a bit pricey, but ok.
Have Fun

We went for Easter brunch and were disappointed. When we first arrived they did not have our names down for reservations (that should of been the first sign). Upon getting seated we were welcomed by our waitress and she was great! She deserved 5 STARS!!! Now the food was not good at all. The center salad area had pieces of other dishes in them and seemed to have sit for a while. For example a handful of black olives in the hummus dish, obviously a patron did it but it was left there quite a while amongst several other similar items.
Entrees were limited. The carnivores were not impressed. Two out of the 5 of us are vegetarian and we called ahead and were told many items available we also walked in and checked out the buffet. With that said dome of the items we thought we could eat but the description did not include all main ingredients, for example at the pasta station the description states pasta w/​cream sauce. It did not state shrimp yet had shrimp in it. This was found to be with several dishes as well.
Desserts were not good at all (what was even left of them).
Servers at food stations had no hats on, nor did they where gloves for serving. That was a tad of a concern as well.
Very upset but now we know.
Again server was Great, she worked her tail off with a smile the entire time so we were thankful for her.

We tried the tour and stayed one night at the Tuscany House. This place is disgusting, antiquated, old and dirty. Furniture is worn and outdated and the rooms are dirty. The carpet is coming up and the lights had ½″ of dust on them. The wine left much to be desired. Josephs should be on Restaurant Impossible with the mismatched décor and dirty napkins and chairs. The tables have old coffee cup stains on them and the silverware was filthy and menus had sticky food residue on them. Once the waiter told us that Renault is in bankruptcy it all made sense!
The wine tour dragged on way too long only to be able to taste 5 pre selected wines which were garbage. It’s a joke that they charge $ 100.00 a room for that place on weekends.
On a good note the staff is very nice and professional and they do the best the can with that place. I feel bad for them!

I’m reviewing the Sunday brunch and winery tour/​tasting.
The Sunday Brunch
I can say it was nothing less than amazing. Seating was very fast and the staff was very inviting and professional. They have a cold and hot buffet as well as cheese and dessert buffet. There is a fresh egg and meat section as well as a few items you can order from the kitchen. They also have a hot cider wine and champaign wine on tap. All of the food and drink was amazing and it is all included for the buffet pricing. The pricing is extremely reasonable ($ 24/​person) and the brunch goes until 2pm! I would certainly attend the brunch again.
Winery tour/​tasting
The tour was very informative and interesting, with the guide being very knowledgeable about winery. Many of the employees are apart of the family, giving the winery a very homely feel. The grounds are gorgeous and they have many wines to choose from. The tour is about 20minutes and the tasting is saved for last.
For the tasting you are given a complementary wine glass to keep and you get to try 5 wines ranging from heaver red to sweet white. They pick a great selection and I purchased two of the wines I tasted because they were delicious. To make it even better the tour/​tasting including the glass was only $ 5 a person!

I honestly don’t know where to begin?
— I felt like I was in an episode of Hotel Impossible. I’m not kidding, Anthony Melchiorri if you check Unilocal please contact this place. They need extreme help and I learned a lot from watching your show.
I think the infamous Stanley Hotel has more life than this place!

Renault, despite my very best efforts, I just could not get swept up in your ‘magic’. The grounds are very impressive and the scenery beautiful, but I wonder if there’s now too much reliance on a history and reputation at the expense of good customer experience and substance.
We visited a total of three times before I settled on writing this review. Renault is conveniently located near the Smithville shops and can also be included on the trip home from a number of shore spots, so we gave it a few tries. However, the experience remained largely the same.
Let me first say that I do not enjoy visiting wineries where my selection is chosen for me. In large groups, I can understand how this helps manage the crowd — but on two visits, we were a fairly small lot. I also did not enjoy the dim overhead lighting of the tasting room, with its dusky feel and straight from the box wine glasses. Our attendants were all nice, but our final one seemed far too enthusiastic about sharing her relationship with the winemaker. On the fourth declaration of «I’m the winemaker’s daughter», we shut down. There’s also the business of openly criticizing the other wineries in the area too– we heard numerous statements like «unlike a lot of places around here that claim to use local» and «we actually age our wines for that period unlike what other wineries around will claim» — it was somewhat senseless.
The wines are diverse and their gift shop does offer a nice variety, but the overall customer service, from the young woman who took our money to join the tour, throughout the tasting itself and finally the gentleman at the gift shop register — we all felt ushered like tourists rather than local visitors to a monument of NJ wine history.

My girlfriends and I came by the Renault winery for a tour, tasting, and lunch with a Groupon deal. It was really a steal for about $ 15 a person after tax/​tip for lunch. The tours run on the hour and are all indoors. A member of the staff explains a brief history of the winery, how wine is made, and shows you around both ancient and modern winemaking machinery. The tour lasts about 20 minutes and then the tasting takes another 20 minutes. Every guest gets a souvenir wine glass and we sampled 2 whites (Fleur de Blanc and Pinot Grigio), 1 rose (Pink Lady Rose), 2 reds (Burgundy and Merlot), and the blueberry champagne. We got a cracker to cleanse our palette in between the red and white wines.
Wines are available for purchase in the gift shop and ONLY on the Renault property. Wines are priced reasonably from $ 9.99-$ 19.99. Overall the grounds of the property seem to be kept up, but slightly dated. I do wish our tour would’ve included walking through the vineyard. There are benches and tables outside the building where guests can sit and drink. Another guest mentioned having a picnic which I thought was an adorable idea. The giftshop should offer prepackaged snacks and silverware for those wanting a picnic, or even those wicker basket picnic sets would be a lovely souvenir.
NOTE: There are 2 restaurants on the property, The Gourmet Restaurant is in the main building and Joseph’s Restaurant is located across the street inside the hotel. BOTH restaurants sell the wine from the winery and DO NOT allow you to BYOB or buy a bottle in the giftshop and try to drink it in the restaurant. However the wine in the restaurants only seems to be priced slightly higher than the giftshop so you won’t feel like you are getting ripped off.

I visited the Renault Winery Resort & Golf after I purchased a package which included a dining credit to Joesph’s, a one night stay at the hotel, and a wine tour/​tasting. Over all the experience was great– and Renault provided a great location for an easy weekend getaway
HOTEL: 2 Stars
The lobby was beautiful, the grounds were beautiful, the pool was beautiful, the hotel room… not so much. The room was very outdated. I may have been expecting too much here– but the room seemed more like a motel room then a room at a winery. I would not stay here again. (P.S. The wifi password is 1 234 567 891)
JOSEPHS: 5+ Stars
The food here was AMAZING. The menu was small– but the options varied. I went with a risotto pasta dish which came topped with sausage, mussels, chicken and half a lobster tail. The dish was huge, I didn’t even come close to finishing it. My boyfriend had the twin steak dish which was served with potatoes and grilled carrots. The meat was very tender and seasoned perfectly. Everything was fairly priced as well. My dish was about $ 24, and my boyfriend’s $ 30 something. Dinner was so good– I will be going back!
TASTING: 4 Stars
For $ 10 guests will receive a pretty nice tour, tasting, and take home glass. The tour starts off in the oldest room of the winery– where the tour guide gives you the history of the Renault winery– it was quick and interesting. You then are toured through the main ground and are shown antique equipment and current equipment. After the tour you go into the tasting. The tasting was great– you get to try about 7 wines, my personal favorite was the Fressco– only $ 9.99 a bottle!
I would suggest coming during the wine harvest so you can see some of the equipment in action.
There is a gift shop which sells all their wines– and this is the only place you can buy Renault wine.
OVERVIEW:
This is a great place for a day trip– tour/​tasting and a nice dinner, skip the hotel.

I just went here as part of a wine tour for my friend’s bachelorette party and I also had a surprise birthday party for my mom here. The wine tasting and tour was really interesting and fun. If you’re a fan of Boardwalk Empire, you’ll definitely enjoy the history of the winery. I would’ve liked to choose the wines I wanted to taste, but the ones they did serve us were very good.
I did the champagne brunch for my mom’s birthday, which was incredible. WARNING: the ramp to the restaurant for brunch is not very handicap accessible, but the staff will help you get up there. Their blueberry champagne is my absolute favorite and I would highly recommend that.

Visited the Renault winery for my husband’s 35^th bday. I bought groupon for the wine tasting and lunch at Joseph’s Restaurant. We had a group of 6 but had to bring our kids since we couldn’t find a sitter. (3 kids ages 1,7, and 9) which was a total of 9. Plan was to have one of the adult stay behind for the wine tasting and have a picnic with the kids right on the grounds of the winery. it was perfect since they brought kites, Easter basket making kit (since it was around Easter). Luckily my friend tried the tasting the last time so she didn’t mind.
The grounds of the winery were beautiful with chairs, gazebo, benches and flowers.
Forgot to mention we were 30 mins late for the tour, missed tour and went straight to wine tasting. they were nice enough to sign us up for the next tour 1 hour later but we decline since we didn’t want to miss our lunch reservation.
Tasting was great and the hostess was pretty funny and witty. We even stayed after to try few other wines after everyone else left. We had a great experience and each couple bought 4 – 5 wines each at the shop.
Lastly, Joseph restaurant was pretty good. We ordered a bunch of appetizers (2 each) that was on the menu. our waitress was nice enough to let us use 2 groupon for the 1 table which was a huge deal.
Would like to go for the tour the next time and plan a nice picnic instead with wine bought from the shop and pack fruits and cheese from home… just to save some money.