The Connection Warren-Watchung Edition June/July/August 2018

New Jersey has been a wine producing state ever since Colonial days. In 1758, Great Britain’s Royal So- ciety of the Arts offered 100 pounds to any colonist who could produce red or white wine of “accept- able quality,” the same caliber as that being purchased from France. When no candidate accepted the challenge the prize was raised to 200 pounds if the goal could be reached by 1770. In 1767 two prominent New Jersey residents and landowners, William Alexander of Basking Ridge, known as the Earl of Stirling, and Edward Antill of Piscataway both succeeded in their efforts and the history of the New Jersey Wine industry began. New Jersey’s wine industry flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Master Vintner Louis Nicholas Renault, a representative of the ancient champagne house of the Duke of Montebello in Rheims, France decided to settle and establish his own vineyard in New Jersey. In 1864 he purchased land in the Egg Harbor area, and by 1870 he had introduced his New Jersey Champagne. Renault Win- ery quickly gained notoriety, winning prizes for its wines and becoming the largest distributor of cham- pagne in the United States. This winery’s success even earned Egg Harbor the moniker of “Wine City.” In 1859 an agricultural society was created in the state and 40 types of grapes were tested to find those most suitable for the climate and soil. Those selected included Concord, Catawba, Martha, Norton and Ives. Prohibition (1919-1933) and a restrictive New Jersey law that only allowed one winery license for every million state residents, kept the industry from growing. This changed in 1981 with the passage of the New Jersey Farm Winery Act which allowed small growers to open new wineries. The act helped small wineries to open by cutting license fees and allowing retail sales at them. Now there are 50 wineries currently open in the state. The new wineries opened over the past two decades have changed the image of New Jersey wine from the sweeter wines of native American varieties like Catawba to the drier, more complex wines produced by French- American hybrids like Vidal blanc and European vinifera wines such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The quality wines being produced here in the Garden State have earned the state great recognition. New Jersey wines consistently score double gold and gold medals in leading domestic and international wine competi- tions, such as the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest domestic competition, Finger Lakes International Competition and Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition among others. While New Jersey’s wine history may date back to Colonial days, its great- est era is yet to come. Discover New Jersey wines and be at the forefront of its future. Vintage. New Jersey. NewJerseyWines.com Savor our award-winning wines at more than 50 wineries nestled amid rolling hills and breathtaking scenery from Sussex County to Cape May. Sample the wines and taste the quality for yourself. Tour the vineyards and wineries to see where the grapes are grown and how the wine is made. New Jersey Wine History Barrel Trail Weekend in New Jersey, July 14-15 The process of creating wine involves more than just the type of grape, the soil and the weather. All of these are key fac- tors in producing good wine, but its character is also deter- mined during the aging process, while stored in barrels. On the weekend of July 14th and 15th, New Jersey wine enthusiasts will get a chance to sample future award-winning vintages direct from the barrel of their favorite winery when the Garden State Wine Growers Association sponsors its an- nual Barrel Trail and Wine Tasting Weekend at participating wineries across the state. On this special weekend wineries all over New Jersey will open their barrel rooms so that patrons can get a sense of what future wines will taste like. Some wineries will even allow visitors to compare what's in the barrel with bottle samples of the same wines from different vintages. From noon to 5 p.m. visitors will get the opportunity to see how the winemakers test their wines as they age and what they must do to bring a wine to maturity. Many wineries will be debuting new releases. Those visiting the Warren County region can visit four wineries: Alba Vineyard (Finesville), Brook Hollow Winery (Columbia), Four Sisters Winery (Belvidere) and Villa Milagro Vineyard (Finesville). The Warren Hills area is recognized as one of four American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in New Jersey, which are official United States wine grape growing regions. The War- ren Hills AVA covers 226 square miles. AVAs are based on the French AOC system and designated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. New Jersey has four AVA regions: The Warren Hills AVA; The Central Delaware Valley AVA, which is shared with portions of eastern Pennsylvania; the Outer Coastal Plain AVA covering nine southern counties, and the newest Cape May Peninsula. In order for a region to be approved as an AVA, it must be able to prove its identity as a region that is beneficial to grape growing. Some of the criteria used by the federal government to deter- mine whether an area meets this standard include distinct climate, soil type, elevation and other physical features as well as a history of wine grape growing. When an AVA designation appears on a wine label at least 85% of that wine must come from within an AVA boundary. Other wineries of Northern New Jer- sey include Ventimiglia Vineyards in Wantage in Sussex County; Hunter- don County’s Unionville Vineyards and Old York Cellars in Ringoes; Beneduce Vineyards and Mount Salem Vineyards in Pittstown in Hunterdon County and Terhune Orchards Vineyard and Winery and Hopewell Valley Vineyards in Mercer County. Wine fans planning to attend the barrel tasting wine trail should contact individual wineries about admission fees. Visit www.newjerseywines.com for updated information. Edward Antill (Top) & William Alexander Matty Matarazzo Owner & Winemaker at Four Sisters Winery Four Sisters Winery in Belvidere