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===From the 19th Century to Prohibition===
===From the 19th Century to Prohibition===
In the mid-19th century, New Jersey was once again recognized for its suitability for growing grapes. [[Charles K. Landis]] purchased 20,000 acres (81 km2) of land in 1861 in [[Cumberland County, New Jersey|Cumberland County]] near [[Millville, New Jersey]] along an existing railroad line to Philadelphia, to create his own alcohol-free utopian society, a "[[Temperance Town]]" based on agriculture and progressive thinking. The population reached 5,500 by 1865.<ref name="LandisBioVineland">[http://www.co.cumberland.nj.us/content/163/237/651.aspx Our People of the Century: Charles K. Landis - Founder of a City, Creator of a Dream]. [[Cumberland County, New Jersey]]. Accessed July 13, 2008.</ref> Landis determined the potential in growing grapes and named the settlement "Vineland", and advertised to attract [[Italian-Americans|Italian]] grape growers to Vineland, offering 20 acres (81,000 m2) of land that had to be cleared and used to grow grapes. [[Thomas Bramwell Welch]] founded [[Welch's Grape Juice]] and purchased the locally grown grapes to make "unfermented wine" (or grape juice).<ref>[http://www.westjersey.org/vland.htm The Founding of Vineland and Its Growth as an Agricultural Center], West Jersey and South Jersey Heritage. Accessed August 28, 2007.</ref>


[[Renault Winery]], located in the [[Egg Harbor City, New Jersey|Egg Harbor City]] section of [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|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 (wine)|champagne]].<ref>Rignani, Jennifer Papale. ''[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=99G4B0Acbl4C&pg=PA42&dq=Renault+Winery&hl=en#v=onepage&q=Renault%20&f=false Images of America: New Jersey Wineries]''. (Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2008). ISBN 0-7385-5722-6</ref> This was New Jersey's first commercial winemaking operation and remains one of the oldest continuously-opearting wineries in the United States.<ref>Corcoran, Davis (17 July 2005). [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A14FA38540C748DDDAE0894DD404482&pagewanted=print "So Crisp, So Complex, So Unexpected"]. ''New York Times''.</ref>
[[Renault Winery]], located in the [[Egg Harbor City, New Jersey|Egg Harbor City]] section of [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|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 (wine)|champagne]].<ref>Rignani, Jennifer Papale. ''[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=99G4B0Acbl4C&pg=PA42&dq=Renault+Winery&hl=en#v=onepage&q=Renault%20&f=false Images of America: New Jersey Wineries]''. (Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2008). ISBN 0-7385-5722-6</ref> This was New Jersey's first commercial winemaking operation and remains one of the oldest continuously-opearting wineries in the United States.<ref>Corcoran, Davis (17 July 2005). [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A14FA38540C748DDDAE0894DD404482&pagewanted=print "So Crisp, So Complex, So Unexpected"]. ''New York Times''.</ref>


Revision as of 16:18, 26 January 2013

New Jersey
Wine region
Official nameState of New Jersey
TypeU.S. state
Year established1787
Years of wine industry1767-present
CountryUSA
Sub-regionsCentral Delaware Valley AVA, Outer Coastal Plain AVA, Warren Hills AVA
Total area8,729 square miles (22,608 km2)
Size of planted vineyards1,043 acres (422.1 hectares)
No. of vineyards192 (2007)
Grapes producedAurore, 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 wineries44 (2012)

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 first wines were produced during the colonial era in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War. The industry prospered during the 19th and early 20th centuries, especially as Italian immigrants settled in the state. However, the Prohibition era significantly damaged the state's wine industry and restrictive laws kept the industry from recovering. However, with the repeal of these restrictions starting in 1981, the industry was reestablished.

As of 2012, 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. There are currently 44 wineries licensed and operating in 13 of the state's 21 counties. The United States Department of Agriculture's 2007 Census of Agriculture reports that the state's wineries and vineyards dedicated 1,043 acres to the cultivation of grapes. These wineries produce approximately 1.72 million gallons of wine annually.

History

Viticulture in the New Jersey colony

In 1758, the Royal Society of Arts (formally, the "Society instituted at London for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce") sought to incentivize agricultural innovation and cultivation in the North American colonies by offering a "premium"—or cash award—of 100 British pounds (£100) for the planting of vineyards and the production of "five tuns of red or white wine of acceptable quality."[2] The initial award was unclaimed by 1762, and the Society augmented the bounty to £200 if the goal were reached by a colonial farmer by 1770 adding that at least five hundred vines should be planted and the wine produced equal "those Sorts of Wines now consumed in Great Britain."[2]

In 1767, two men had been recognized by the society for their undertakings.[1][2] William Alexander (1726-1783), the self-styled "Earl of Stirling" informed the society in 1767 that he had planted 2,100 vines at his estate in Basking Ridge, in central New Jersey's Somerset County.[2] Edward Antill (1701-1770) who inherited his father's estate and operated a large brewery at Raritan Landing across the Raritan River in Piscataway Township from the city of New Brunswick, advised the society that he had a vineyard of 800 vines of Madeira, Burgundy and Frontenac grapes as well as a few "Sweet-water Grape vines, and of the best sort of the Native Vines of America by way of tryal."[2]

The society had discussed offering the £200 to both men for their achievements.[2] However, the Society raised concerns about the legitimacy of Alexander's claim to a title of nobility. On 2 December 1767, the Society offered the cash award to Antill, and three weeks later offered Lord Stirling a gold medal "for having planted 2100 vines in North America in pursuance of the Views of the Society."[2] Shortly after his death, Antill published an 80-page tract entitled An Essay on the cultivation of the Vine, and the making and preserving of Wine, suited to the different Climates in North-America (1771) and this account influenced scholarship well into the nineteenth century.[2]

From the 19th Century to Prohibition

In the mid-19th century, New Jersey was once again recognized for its suitability for growing grapes. Charles K. Landis purchased 20,000 acres (81 km2) of land in 1861 in Cumberland County near Millville, New Jersey along an existing railroad line to Philadelphia, to create his own alcohol-free utopian society, a "Temperance Town" based on agriculture and progressive thinking. The population reached 5,500 by 1865.[3] Landis determined the potential in growing grapes and named the settlement "Vineland", and advertised to attract Italian grape growers to Vineland, offering 20 acres (81,000 m2) of land that had to be cleared and used to grow grapes. Thomas Bramwell Welch founded Welch's Grape Juice and purchased the locally grown grapes to make "unfermented wine" (or grape juice).[4]


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.[5] This was New Jersey's first commercial winemaking operation and remains one of the oldest continuously-opearting wineries in the United States.[6]

During Prohibition, several wineries survived by adopting clever strategies for skirting the law and preserving their businesses. Renault Winery continued producing wine but cleverly marketed it in drugstores and pharmacies as a medicinal "tonic" that doctor's prescribed "liberally for maladies ranging from pregnancy pains to insomnia."[7] The Krumm family's "Seaview Winery" in Linwood chose to sell wine jellies, tonics, cooking wine and sherry which were permitted under Prohibition's Volstead Act (1920).[8]

After Prohibition

Wine production within the state remained small until 1980s when New Jersey began to relax 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. In 1981, the New Jersey Farm Winery Act exempted low-volume family-owned wineries from the restrictions, and allowed wineries to create outlet stores.[9]

In 1999, New Jersey implemented its Quality Wine Alliance (QWA) program modelled after similar rigourous standards in Italy and France.[10][11] According to this process, a wine "must undergo a review by an independent review board of certified wine judges, wine editors, wine distributors, liquor store owners, and experienced wine reviewers."[12]

Judgment of Princeton (2012)

See also: Judgment of Princeton

On 8 June 2012, a blind tasting comparing red and white wines from New Jersey and Bordeaux and Burgundy wines from France was held at Princeton University during a four-day conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE). It was modelled after the Judgment of Paris event in 1976, a famous blind tasting in which California wines beat French wines. It was organized by George M. Taber, a former journalist from TIME Magazine who attended the Judgment of Paris event and later wrote a book about it,[13] and Princeton University economics professors Orley Ashenfelter and Richard E. Quandt, New York University economics professor and Journal of Wine Economics managing editor Karl Storchmann, and wine shop owner Mark Censits.

Of the nine judges in Princeton, five were American, three French, and one Belgian and represented vineyard owners, international wine critics and journalists. Each tasted ten wines, of which six were from New Jersey. New Jersey wines took three out of the top four spots in the white wine category and ranked third highest in the reds, and event organizers stated that the results were a "statistical tie."[14]

Several critics have publicly pointed out flaws in the competition including the comparison of weaker vintage French wines, and that that the results are statistically meaningless.[15][16] Indeed, event organizers Ashenfelter and Quandt have published papers criticising the methods of the 1976 Judgment of Paris and undermining the effectiveness of wine tastings.[17][18] According to the AAWE, "A statistical evaluation of the tasting...further shows that the rank order of the wines was mostly insignificant. That is, if the wine judges repeated the tasting, the results would most likely be different. From a statistically viewpoint, most wines were undistinguishable."[19]

Climate and geography

New Jersey is a very geologically diverse region with contrasting sandy soils and maritime climates affected by the Atlantic Ocean in the southern section of the state, and cooler climates in the mountainous and rocky terrain of the state's northwestern counties that are part of the Appalachian Mountains and the protected New York-New Jersey Highlands region. Because of this variety, the state offers a range of climates and terroirs for vineyard cultivation.

Production

Today, New Jersey is the ranked seventh in the nation in total wine production behind California, New York, Washington, Oregon, Kentucky and Florida. However, New Jersey's production is miniscule compared to California's wine industry which produces 89.5% of the country's total production.[20] In 2010, 1.72 million gallons (approximately 716,000 cases)[21] of wine were produced in the “Garden State”—the most popular red wine varietals grown being Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin and most popular white wine varietals being Chardonnay and Vidal Blanc.[20] A considerable portion of New Jersey wine sales are non-grape fruit wines—particularly apple, blueberry, raspberry and Cranberry wines—from fruit that readily identified with New Jersey and can be purchased from many nearby farms throughout the Garden State.[20] In 2007, vineyard crop production was valued at $4.7 million in 2007.[22] Jersey’s 44 wineries generate over US$30,000,000 of revenue annually.

According to Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture, in 2002, 551 acres of New Jersey farmland were dedicated to the cultivation of grapes.[23] By 2007 (the last census), this had nearly doubled to 1,043 acres.[24] Current estimates indicate that total acreage may increase by 50%-100% when updated statistics for the next USDA Census of Agriculture are released in 2013. As of 2012, New Jersey currently has 44 licensed and operating wineries and several others in development. In 2007, 192 farms in the state were growing grapes to be sold as table grapes and converted into wine and juice production—this is up from 182 in 2002.[24]

New Jersey laws and regulation regarding farm wineries require that a farm cultivate a minimum 3 acres of vineyards. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has expressed concern that wines made here are increasingly less dependent on grapes grown in the state and that business models are focused on sourcing grapes or juices for winemaking from out-of-state. Their concerns are centered on the credibility and authenticity of a “New Jersey” wine. As a response, they have recommended expanding the number of acres of vineyard production from 3 acres to 5 acres in order to obtain a plenary winery license. Further, the state is looking to certify wineries and permit the marketing of certain wines under its “Jersey Fresh” agriculture program based on their being produced with New Jersey grown grapes.

Wine regions

Today, 44 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.[25] Most of the remaining wineries are in western New Jersey's Warren Hills and Central Delaware Valley viticultural areas. These three AVA regions comprise nearly 4 million of the state's 5.6 million acres—over 70% of its area. A few wineries operate in areas of the state that are not within a designated AVA.

Outer Coastal Plain AVA

The Outer Coastal Plain American Viticultural Area was established by federal regulation in 2007. It consist of most of the southern half of New Jersey spanning 2,250,000 acres (911,000 ha) across all of Cumberland, Cape May, Atlantic, and Ocean counties and portions of Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, and Monmouth counties.[26]

This region is known for its high production yields for all crops and is the center of New Jersey's blueberry, cranberry and tomato production. It is characterized by a combination of factors conducive to cultivating grapes, including a climate modereated by the influence of Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, a growing season extending 190-220 days, and fertile sand and sandy loam soils. This longer growing season and warmer climate allows the region to grow vinifera varieties that are too cold sensitive to be cultivated in the Northeastern United States. Around twenty of New Jersey's 43 wineries are located within this viticultural area.[27]

Central Delaware Valley AVA

The Central Delaware Valley American Viticultural Area was created by federal regulation in 1984 and includes 96,000 acres (38,850 ha) surrounding the Delaware River in both southeastern Pennsylvania and central New Jersey north of Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey.[28]Its southern boundary is near Titusville, New Jersey, just north of Trenton, and its northern border is near Musconetcong Mountain. A variety of Vitis vinifera and Vitis labrusca grape Varieties are grown in the area, most notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and hybrids Chambourcin, Chancellor, Leon Millot, Seyval Blanc, and Vidal Blanc.[29][30]

Warren Hills AVA

The Warren Hills American Viticultural Area was established by federal regulation in 1988. [31] It consists of 1,446,400 acres (585,337 ha) or roughly one-half of Warren County, New Jersey.[32] This is an area largely know for dairy farming, in the rolling hills and valleyes of the Highlands physiographic province and drained by the watersheds of the Musconetcong River and Delaware River. Roughly 100 acres are planted with grapes in this AVA. This region is primarily planted with French hybrid grapes.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Appellation America (2007). "New Jersey: Appellation Description". Retrieved 14 November 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h McCormick, Richard P. "The Royal Society, The Grape and New Jersey" in Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society, Volume LXXXI, Number 2, (April 1953); and later in Journal of the Royal Society of Arts (January 1962).
  3. ^ Our People of the Century: Charles K. Landis - Founder of a City, Creator of a Dream. Cumberland County, New Jersey. Accessed July 13, 2008.
  4. ^ The Founding of Vineland and Its Growth as an Agricultural Center, West Jersey and South Jersey Heritage. Accessed August 28, 2007.
  5. ^ Rignani, Jennifer Papale. Images of America: New Jersey Wineries. (Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2008). ISBN 0-7385-5722-6
  6. ^ Corcoran, Davis (17 July 2005). "So Crisp, So Complex, So Unexpected". New York Times.
  7. ^ Rignani, 51, 54.
  8. ^ Rignani, 53.
  9. ^ Janson, Donald. "Wine makers are reporting a good crop". The New York Times 18 September 1988. (Retrieved 15 July 2012).
  10. ^ Garden State Wine Grower's Association. The Quality Wine Alliance Program. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  11. ^ Goldberg, Howard G. "N.J. VINES: Reds and Whites That Win the Gold" in The New York Times (20 May 2001). Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  12. ^ Sitton, Lea. "Cultivating N.J.'s wine industry As winemakers strive to improve quality and gain recognition, a change appears to be on the horizon" in The Philadelphia Inquirer. (23 July 2006). Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  13. ^ Taber, George M. Judgment of Paris: California vs France and the Historic Paris Tasting that Revolutionized Wine. (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005).
  14. ^ NJTODAY.net (CMD Media). "Blind Test Finds NJ Wines Hold Their Own With French Competitors". (12 June 2012).
  15. ^ Goldstein, Robin. Blind Taste: "The Judgment of Princeton" (13 June 2012). Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  16. ^ Murphy, Linda. "The Judgment of...Princeton?" in Wine Review Online (19 June 2012). Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  17. ^ Ashenfelter, Orley and Quandt, Richard E. "Analyzing a Wine Tasting Statistically" from Chance 12 (1999). Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  18. ^ Quandt, Richard E. "On Wine Bullshit." Journal of Wine Economics 2:2 (2007).
  19. ^ Storchmann, Karl. "The Judgment of Princeton" on the American Association of Wine Economists blog (11 June 2012). Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  20. ^ a b c Hodgen, Donald A. (U.S. Department of Commerce). "U.S. Wine Industry 2011". Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  21. ^ A case being defined as a standard twelve 750 millilitre bottles (2.4 gallons)
  22. ^ Haddon, Heather. "Years of Growth at Risk for N.J. Wine" in The Wall Street Journal (4 January 2012). Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  23. ^ National Agricultural Statistics Service. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2002 Census of Agriculture, State Level Data: New Jersey Table 36. Specified Fruits and Nuts by Acres: 2002 and 1997. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  24. ^ a b National Agricultural Statistics Service. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2007 Census of Agriculture, State Level Data: New Jersey Table 35. Specified Fruits and Nuts by Acres: 2007 and 2002. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  25. ^ Tara Nurin and Elizabeth A. McDonald (October 2009). "Napa Valley, New Jersey?". South Jersey Magazine.
  26. ^ 27 CFR §9.207 Outer Coastal Plain." Code of Federal Regulations Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas. (Retrieved 14 July 2012).
  27. ^ Appellation America (2007). "Outer Coastal Plain (AVA): Appellation Description". (Retrieved 14 July 2012).
  28. ^ This regulation was amended in 1987. 27 CFR "§9.49 Central Delaware Valley." Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas. (Retrieved 14 July 2012).
  29. ^ Appellation America (2007). "Central Delaware Valley (AVA): Appellation Description". (Retrieved 14 July 2012).
  30. ^ Barron's Educational Services, Inc. (1995). "Central Delaware Valley AVA". Retrieved 5 February 2008.
  31. ^ 27 CFR §9.121 Warren Hills." Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas. Retrieved 5 February 2008
  32. ^ Wine Institute, The (2008). "American Viticultural Areas by State". Retrieved 5 February 2008.
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