After a post-prohibition slump New Jersey wine growers are making a comeback
Gwen McNamara, Assistant Editor
As the Garden State, it comes as no surprise that New Jersey is known for its tomatoes, blueberries and other produce — but its wine?
After a post-prohibition slump, it appears New Jersey’s wine growing industry is making a comeback.
In the last twenty years, the number of New Jersey wineries has more than doubled — from seven to 26 — and the state is now the fifth-largest wine producer in the nation, surpassing Virginia this year.
In the greater Princeton area alone there are six wineries or vineyards.
"The industry has really taken off," said Kris Nielsen, who owns Unionville Vineyards in Ringoes with his wife Patricia Galloway. "Prohibition knocked a lot of the wind out of our sails, but New Jersey’s always had a wine growing tradition."
According to the Garden State Wine Growers Association, wine making has been a New Jersey tradition for well over 200 years. With New Jersey wines winning awards as far back as 1767 — when London’s Royal Society of the Arts recognized two New Jersey vintners for their success in producing the first bottles of quality wine derived from colonial agriculture.
But the industry hit a snag after prohibition, when a state law was initiated restricting the number of wineries to one per one million residents.
"Before prohibition there were 147 wineries in the state and in 1900 only California produced more grapes and wine," Mr. Neilsen said. "After prohibition, only a handful of wineries survived by making sacramental wines or tonics."
It wasn’t until 1981 and the passage of the New Jersey Farm Wine Act that the industry began to recover. The law removed the population restriction and made it possible for wineries to sell their wines through tasting rooms on the farm or at five off-site sales outlets with a "farmery license."
Amwell Valley Vineyard, a 13-acre vineyard in Ringoes, was one of the first to get the new farmery license.
"We started our grapes in 1978 and were one of the first to get a license in 1982," said Jeffrey Fisher, who owns the vineyard with his wife Debra. "A lot more people are definitely getting into the industry. I always hear ‘so-and-so planted so many acres, or so-and-so is starting this plan.’"
"It’s just a good way to use the land in New Jersey," added Sergio Neri, a native of Italy who runs Hopewell Valley Vineyards in Hopewell with his wife Barbara. "Traditional forms of agriculture are getting difficult to sustain with the value of land. A lot of farmers are being pressured to sell to developers.
"Wineries and vineyards have a high added value of sustainability, with the tourist, destination aspect of the business," he continued.
Mimi Summerskill, who started the Montgomery-based LaFollette Winery in 1979, agrees. "The industry is really improving," she said.
So how do New Jersey wines measure up?
Keith Bader, southern New Jersey manager for Lauber Imports, an importer of wines from around the world based in Somerville, says they aren’t half bad.
"New Jersey wines have a slightly different flavor profile, mainly because they tend to use different grapes than out west," he said.
Of the two main types of grapes, vitis lambrusca and vitis vinifera, New Jersey wineries tend to grow vitis lambrusca because it does better in the region’s climate, he said.
"The West Coast uses vitis vinifera, which needs more time and care and is more susceptible to mold and mildew," he said. "Technology is improving though to combat those problems and you’re seeing more people on the East Coast try it out.
"New Jersey wineries have the ability to make good wine, but does that mean everything is going to be terrific — no," he continued. "And ultimately, are New Jersey wines as good as California wines? Well, they may not win an award from Robert Parker or Wine Spectator, but the wineries must be doing something right because they certainly are selling a whole lot of wine."
Production at Unionville Vineyards, for example, is now at 9,000 cases a year, according to Ms. Galloway.
"Our business has grown quite dramatically and is still increasing," she said. "But even with 100 acres, 40 of which are in grapes, the focus will always be on quality, not quantity."
Hopewell Valley Vineyards, which opened in the summer of last year, has even sold out of some of its first vintages, Mr. Neri said.
"We produced 15,000 bottles our first year and have more than doubled production since," he said.
One area where New Jersey has really made a name for itself is with its fruit-based wines, Mr. Bader said.
"Alba Vineyard, in Milford, has a great raspberry wine," he said. "Tomasello Winery, in Hammonton, does blueberry, raspberry, blackberry and cherry wines. You pour a glass and swear you’ve rubbed your nose in a patch of raspberries, etc."
Local wineries have had competitive success on the more traditional front as well.
This year Unionville Vineyards, which started laying out its vineyards in 1986 and had its first commercial harvest in 1992, won a gold medal for its Chambourcin 2002 in the L.A. County Fair Wines of the World 2004. Its Hunter’s Red Reserve 2002 won both gold in the 2004 San Francisco Wine Competition and double gold in the International Eastern Wine Competition 2004.
And in this year’s New Jersey State Wine Competition, Unionville won a gold medal for its Chambourcin 2002, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2002 and Hunter’s White 2003.
Amwell Valley Vineyard, which makes 25 different wines, was recently rated by USA Today as a top producer in New Jersey and its 1999 port was rated "most notable wine in New Jersey." The vineyard also won a gold medal in 2000 in the New Jersey Wine Competition for its 1995 Ruby Port.
In addition, Hopewell Valley Vineyards, won a gold medal at this year’s International Eastern Wine Competition with its Rosso Della Valle 2002 and all nine of its wines hold the state’s QWA designation.
The QWA program, which stands for quality wine alliance, was started in 1999 and is based on quality programs found in Italy and France. To receive QWA designation, New Jersey wines must pass a rigorous quality review process to ensure all wines sold to consumers meet set standards.
But despite such accolades, the biggest stumbling block for New Jersey wine makers seems to be getting wine drinkers to look past their New Jersey prejudice.
"New Jersey ranks highest in per capita consumption of wine, but New Jersey wines only account for about 1 percent of wines consumed," Mr. Neilsen said. "One of our main goals is to demonstrate to the people of New Jersey that they can be proud of something made in New Jersey.
"All too often people think, ‘Oh, it’s from New Jersey — it can’t be good,’" he continued. "But that’s simply not true."
"Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, California, Washington, Oregon — these areas are so strong and supportive of their local wine growers," added Ms. Galloway. "The same support has not yet been achieved in New Jersey, I think in part because the industry here is so young. If people are unfamiliar with a product, it’s natural for them to be skeptical, but we’re making progress."
For instance, in blind tastings people are often shocked to learn a wine is from New Jersey, said Mr. Bader.
"I had a lot of fun last year during some blind tastings, where I featured some Tomasello wines," he said. "Many people were swearing the wine was from California and had to cost more than $20 a bottle. Their eyes practically popped out of their heads when I said it was made from Atlantic County grapes and was just $12 a bottle."
What will help New Jersey’s wine industry to grow in the future?
Continued exposure at competitions and events, and developing partnerships with local restaurants and wine merchants, according to Mr. Neri.
"The industry in New Jersey really works together. We’re not cut-throat competitors," he said. "The more we can do to help each other, with festivals, events and programs, the better."
"New Jersey does make some very fine wines," added Carlo Momo, co-owner of Mediterra, Teresa Café and Witherspoon Bread Company in Princeton. "And even though I’m not convinced New Jersey will ever be a major player, like California, we believe it’s more important to support local agriculture. We have three different New Jersey wines at Mediterra, for instance."
The wines are from Alba Vineyard, Tomasello Winery and Bellview Winery, in Landisville, he said.
Jim Weaver, executive chef at Tre Piani in Plainsboro and founder of the grassroots Central Jersey Slow Foods chapter, has two local wines on his list right now.
"I’ve got Unionville’s Field of Fire, it’s a blush, white zinfindel replacement that’s much better than what’s coming out of California, and an Alba Vineyard dessert wine, it’s a raspberry wine," he said. "I’m a big advocate of using as many local things as possible. Many New Jersey wines are quite good, some are quite excellent — a lot has changed even in the last ten years."

