🌧 NJ's extreme drought has been detrimental for most of the state 🌧 But there is a silver lining to the drought 🌧 One crop is flourishing because of the lack of rain While the extreme drought has been detrimental to New Jersey, its reservoirs, forests, crop farmers, and the hundreds of wildfires that have broken as a result, there is one silver lining. The drought has led to the best grape harvest in history for New Jersey wineries. Lack of rain means better grapes The state’s grape harvest started in mid-August and just wrapped up in the beginning of November.
That’s what Devon Perry, executive director of The Garden State Wine Growers Association has heard from many grape growers in the state. New Jersey has beautiful growing conditions similar to California, so the state has a wonderful harvest and a great vintage to come in 2025, Perry said. If you think about the climate in California, it’s typically dry, which is prime grape growing conditions.
In New Jersey, the dry heat without the humidity is something the state experienced a little bit more this harvest season than the state is used to, Perry added, and that lack of rainfall has led to a higher quality of fruit. New Jersey experienced a lot more dry heat, even in the fall, when it was unseasonably warm. This was very helpful since the harvest was from August through the beginning of November, she said.
Graper growers in Warren Hills and Central Delaware Valley, the state’s two northern AVAs (America.
