New Jersey wine
| Wine region | |
 | |
| Official name | State of New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Type | U.S. state |
| Year established | 1787 |
| Years of wine industry | 1767-present |
| Country | USA |
| Sub-regions | Central Delaware Valley AVA, Outer Coastal Plain AVA, Warren Hills AVA |
| Total area | 8,729 square miles (22,608 km2) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 1,043 acres ([convert: unknown unit]) |
| No. of vineyards | 192 (2007) |
| Grapes produced | Aurore, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Catawba, Cayuga, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Chardonnay, Concord, Fredonia, Gewürztraminer, Horizon, Ives Noir, Landot, Lemberger, Marechal Foch, Merlot, Muscat Ottonel, Niagara, Norton, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Rayon d'Or, Riesling, Rkatziteli, Rumenika, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Vignoles, Villard Blanc, Villard Noir, Viognier[1] |
| No. of wineries | 43 (2007) |
The production of New Jersey wines has increased significantly in the last thirty years with opening of new wineries crafting wines that have earned recognition for their quality from critics, industry leaders, and in national and international competitions. The state of New Jersey is ranked seventh in the United States in terms of total wine production—behind California, New York, Washington, Oregon, Kentucky and Florida. As of the United States Department of Agriculture's 2007 Census of Agriculture, New Jersey had 43 wineries, and 192 vineyards with over 1,043 acres in cultivation. These wineries produce approximately 1.72 million gallons of wine annually.
In 1767, two New Jersey winemakers were recognized by the Royal Society in London for producing quality wines derived from colonial agriculture.[1] This wine production was a small portion of output from local plantations. Renault Winery, located in the Egg Harbor City section of Atlantic County in the southern region of the state, was established in 1864 by French immigrant Louis Nicolas Renault. In its early years, Renault Winery was known for its American version of champagne.[2] This was New Jersey's first commercial winemaking operation and remains one of the oldest continuously-opearting wineries in the United States.[3]
Wine production within the state remained small until 1981 when New Jersey has relaxed its laws and regulations regarding the licensing and operation of alcoholic beverage production facilities (breweries, wineries, and distilleries). Laws that remained unrepealed after the end of the Prohibition era (1919-1933), prevented the creation of new wineries and limited licensing to one winery for every one million state residents. Today, 43 wineries are currently in operation in thirteen of the state's 21 counties. Several other wineries are planning to open and are either awaiting the approval of licenses, or in some form of development. Because of favorable sandy soils and warmer cimate, a majority of these wineries are located in South Jersey's Outer Coastal Plain Viticultural Area.[4] Most of the remaining wineries are in western New Jersey's Warren Hills and Central Delaware Valley viticultural areas.
See also
References
- ^ a b Appellation America (2007). "New Jersey: Appellation Description". Retrieved Nov. 14, 2007.
- ^ Rignani, Jennifer Papale (2008). Arcadia Publishing, 2008. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-5722-6
- ^ Corcoran, Davis (17 July 2005). "So Crisp, So Complex, So Unexpected". New York Times.
- ^ Tara Nurin and Elizabeth A. McDonald (October 2009). "Napa Valley, New Jersey?". South Jersey Magazine.
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