Why the Delaware River Railroad Excursions Wine Train Is a Must-Do
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Delaware River Railroad Excursions Review: New Jersey Scenic Wine Train
Are you a wine lover and want to try out a new wine tasting experience?
Then check out the Delaware River Railroad Excursions Wine Train. Located in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, less than 2 hours from New York City, the Delaware River Railroad Excursions offers a train ride to a family-owned and operated local winery.
My experience on the Delaware River Railroad Excursions Wine Train and at the winery, Villa Milagro, was perfect; not only did I get amazing views of the Delaware River, but I was able to sit back, relax, and sip local wine while experiencing the local landscape. The wine is great, and you also learn about the vineyards, the history of the wine, and walk through the fields.
Included in your $45 tickets are the railroad, wine, and food tasting. Keep in mind, when I say food, I mean small bites. This experience, Warren County Wine Train, is only open on weekends from May 3rd to October 26th, this year 2025. Make sure to buy your tickets in advance so that your time and date do not sell out.
The train departs the Phillipsburg Station at 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 2:00 pm. I would recommend arriving about 10-15 minutes early, as when I drove, there was stop-and-go traffic right before arriving, causing me to be slightly delayed. There is free parking at the station.
The Delaware River Railroad Excursions Review
The New Jersey wine train has its own train cart to ensure that kids who may be on the train for other excursions are not exposed to alcohol. The train cart has multiple seats, and I would sit on the left side so that you can see the river views as you head to the winery. The other side of the train sees more of the town and houses that are located alongside the railroad.
The railroad leaves about 2 minutes after the listed time, and there is a conductor in your cart who shares information about the train and the various experiences you can have. As you pull off, they check your tickets and hand you stickers for the winery. The train takes about 35 minutes to get to the Winery Stop. It does make other stops along the way.
Once you arrive at the winery stop, there is a restaurant that you can stop at afterward in case you want to eat. If you take the 2 pm wine train, you will not have time to eat at the restaurant. They also let you know that you can’t drink the wine you bought at the winery while dining at the restaurant.
For those heading straight to the winery, you are picked up by a yellow school bus with the owner, who provides information on the winery as you make your way to the vineyards. He told us about how the winery came about, including how they built the vineyards that you see today. They point out the different crops and vines that are throughout the land before dropping you off at the top of the vineyards to learn about the vines.
The Winery: Villa Milagro Vineyards
Upon arrival at the vineyards, you learn about the vines and can see the actual grapes. The owner-guided tour talks about how the vines grow and how the lines need to be moved up. In addition, you learn about their process. It was so interesting to hear about how they do the entire process, from growing to picking, fermenting, and bottling. They do everything in-house with a team of fewer than six people!
After seeing the vineyards up close, you head to the tasting area. The tasting includes 4 wines in addition to food that is paired perfectly to bring out the taste in the wines. Altogether, I would say it added up to about a glass and a half, but it was the perfect amount for a tasting.
After the tasting, you are able to purchase bottles of wine, sangria cups, charcuterie trays, and more. If you enjoy the food, they also have a tapas recipe book that you can purchase. If you just want a glass of wine, you can purchase that in the tasting room.
They do not serve food at the venue, but you are able to bring your own food to accompany your tasting. I would recommend this if you are planning to be there for a few hours. For the wine train, I wish I had brought some snacks because I was a little hungry afterward. I purchased the charcuterie board, which had crackers, cheese, and some chocolates to hold me over until I got back to my car.
After purchasing two bottles of the wine, I headed to the vineyards to take pictures with friends. The vineyards serve as the perfect photo opportunity.
Since we took the 2 pm train, we left the winery at 4:25 pm to make the 4:30 pm railroad train back to the station. If you take the last train out, you will not have time to stop at the restaurant for food or be able to stop at the mine. So if those are things that are important to you I would make sure to take another train.
Other Events at Villa Milagro Vineyards
You can do a tasting at the winery without going on the New Jersey Wine Train, but you should reach out to the Vineyard, Villa Milagro, to make a reservation.
On Saturdays, there is live music at the vineyards. During our tasting, we were able to hear the guitarist, and it was perfectly paired with the wine tasting for our afternoon. In addition, if you sign up for their listserv, you will get an invite to a few of their other events, such as Dine in the Vines. I am considering attending one because I love the idea of a themed dinner.
Other Excursions on the Delaware River Railroad Excursions
The Warren County Wine Train is not the only excursion that is offered via the Delaware River Railroad Excursions or NJ Wine Train.
If you attend an early train ride, the 10 am or 12 pm, you can add on a mine stop. Or at the Mine train stop, you can have a picnic; you would need to supply the food.
If you are looking for a family-friendly alternative to the New Jersey Wine Train, there are family-friendly train rides that kids would love.
They have a Polar Express Train, Dino Days, A Day out with Thomas Train, and more that would make be exciting for children. The Polar Express Train is seasonal, so make sure to get tickets for that as soon as they come out, cause it does sell out.
You can also do the Great Pumpkin Train in the fall if you want to continue to explore the area. I might need to head there this fall to check it out.
My Recommendation: Delaware River Railroad Excursions Review
I would highly recommend this Delaware River Railroad Excursion in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, if you are looking for something unique and love both wine and trains. From the breathtaking views as you head towards the winery to the tapas included during the tasting, this was a great experience, and I would add it to a list of things to do.
Other Wine Experiences
Benmarl Winery in New York State
Other Things to Do Near New York
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This sounds absolutely wonderful! Villa Milagro Vineyards looks right up my alley 🙂
I didn’t even know this New Jersey Wine Train existed. Definitely something I want to try when in the area.
This looks so scenic and awesome! I didn’t know that in New Jersey there was an important winery tradition! And it is so easy to reach from New York! Thanks for the recommendation and the guide!
This sounds like a great activity, and the price is pretty good too. Thanks for the tip about bringing some extra snacks!
Yes! it was such a fun activity!
This sounds like a really unique was to do a wine tasting!