Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2022 and has been updated. When you think of the country’s best wine regions, there is of course Napa Valley in California or Willamette Valley in Oregon. However, living in the Garden State has its perks, including a “terroir” unlike any other.
Terroir is French for “sense of place” and is used to describe the environmental factors that affect how a crop is grown and produced. Environmental factors include climate, soil and terrain, which in this case all affect the taste of wine. And in New Jersey, there’s great variance from the northern part of the state all the way to the south, with more than 50 wineries and vineyards in total.
Late summer is also prime time to truly enjoy a vineyard experience, as temperatures tend to cool down a bit and winemakers begin to harvest the grapes for processing as fall approaches. With this in mind we, Lauren Musni and Karim Shamsi-Basha, spent the last few weeks scouring the state’s wine scene, traveling to vineyards and wineries all over New Jersey in search of the best experiences for those ready to sip some red, white, rosé and beyond. Grab a glass of wine, relax and check out these 29 vineyards and wineries around the state, alphabetized by town name.
Four of the wineries are in the Delaware River towns of Columbia, Milford, Phillipsburg and Lambertville, which put them a short drive away from readers in the Lehigh Valley. Ursula Ormston serving a wine flight at A.