I will announce the correct number and the lucky winner on May 22nd.  
Good luck and happy guessing!

Container is 19 in. tall with a 5 in. diameter opening.

Please note:  Travel arrangements are not included.

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A few weeks ago, my wife and I had the pleasure of visiting New Jersey’s first commercial winery and were fortunate enough to receive a tour of the facility with head winemaker, Mr. Marco Bucchi.

Renault Winery was opened in 1864 and is the second oldest continuously-operated winery in the United States.  The founder and original owner of this Egg Harbor Township landmark was French immigrant, Louis Nicholas Renault.  Mr. Renault was the son and grandson of French barrel makers for the Champagne trade.  With his in-depth knowledge of the French Champagne trade, he quickly earned success for making, distributing and selling “American Champagne”, as he called it, in the United States.  While touring the facility with Marco Bucchi, it was interesting to get a glimpse at the hand-driven wine presses, massive wine barrels and other equipment that were once used.  As you might imagine, nearly all of the work years ago was done manually.  A lot of hard labor even went into the packaging, including hand–illustrated and hand-applied labels that once read, “Blueberry Duck”, “Cold Duck” or even “Gourmet American Champagne.”  All of which, by the way, were naturally fermented, bulk processed, and bottled in the state of New Jersey.

Another interesting thing that caught our attention during the tour was one of the safety precautions once used by the workers who rotated the sparkling wine bottles.  Bottle handlers wore a special mask made out of steel mesh that looks a lot like a “fencing” helmet to protect their face when “racking” wine.  Before seeing that, it had never really crossed my mind that you’re actually dealing with a liquid that could decide to blow at anytime.  Another interesting fact that we learned while touring the facility with Marco, was that the winery continued to operate even during Prohibition.  Renault Winery was one of only a few wineries that remained open.  They were marketing geniuses of their time, labeling the contents of their bottles as a “health tonic” rather than wine.  The winery actually repositioned itself during this period as a producer of a “potion” that could make you feel better and live longer.  Distribution of the winery’s “heath tonic” (wine) soon showed up on pharmacy shelves everywhere, touting its many health benefits.

In 1977, the winery was purchased by the Milza family.  Since acquiring the historical site, they’ve added an 18–hole golf course, two gourmet restaurants, banquet / ballroom facilities and a hotel called the Tuscany House.  In addition to this, one of the things that my wife and I absolutely loved seeing during our tour was Renault’s “Glassware Exhibit” room.  It houses one of the most amazing collections of wine related glass pieces that you’ll ever have the opportunity of seeing outside of a museum.

These wine glasses were created for the Dedication of the Eiffel Tower during the Paris Exposition of 1898.

Finally, our tour ended with a private tasting with Mr. Marco Bucchi.  There was a lot to like and many different wines to fit each individual palate from dry to sweet, to sparkling, and even dessert wines.  However, there were a few in this line-up that crushed it for their uniqueness, “localness”, and downright tasty goodness.

The first wine that perked our interest was the “Fleur De Blanc” – think the fullness of a Chardonnay without the wood.  The element that really makes this white wine so interesting is the 8% splash of cream sherry that Marco decided to put in it.  You can actually taste the nutty-sweet flavors in the wine.  Overall, just a really unique white wine.

Our other favorites, were two fantastic red wines.

The first was the 2007 Merlot.  If you’re of the mindset that a great Merlot for less than $20 is a complete oxymoron, then you, my friend, need to make contact with a glass of this New Jersey produced and bottled Merlot.  It’s an outstanding effort and I still can’t believe that it came from my backyard.

The second was a 2007 Cynthiana.  Prior to this visit, I had never heard, seen or tasted a grape called Cynthiana, which is also referred to as Norton.  Marco shared with us that it’s a grape that grows very well along the east coast in states like New Jersey and also in the Midwest.  All I can tell you about Marco’s 2007 Cynthiana creation is that it’s local and lip-smacking good!  If you wanna try something that will dispel any preconceived notions that you might have about wines made in New Jersey; this red wine will lay those thoughts to rest – I promise you that!  This red has the “Wow” factor!

If you’d like to learn more about the Renault Winery or plan to visit, checkout their website.

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The annual Cape May Wine Festival will be taking place on October 10^th and 11^th, from 12-5 p.m. at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal, overlooking the Cape May Canal and Delaware Bay.

More than 20 New Jersey wineries will be on hand to offer guests some of the finest locally produced Chardonnay, Chambourcin, Syrah, Marechal Foch, Viognier, Traminette, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. There will also be a large array of fruit wines such as raspberry, cherry, and blueberry to satisfy sweet wine lovers.

In addition to wine sampling, festival goers will be treated to live music, various types of vendors, and a “Kids Zone” for those who are bringing the whole family.  Festival attendees can also take advantage of “Victorian Week” which will be running through the end of Sunday.

  
Anyone interested in learning more about this particular festival can call The Garden State Wine Growers Association at 609-588-0085 or visit their website. 

With the weather in the Northeast being nearly perfect, this should be a truly relaxing and enjoyable event.  

Cheers!

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“More than two hundred years ago, London’s Royal Society of the Arts recognized two New Jersey vintners for their success in producing the first bottles of quality wine derived from colonial agriculture. Today New Jersey’s wineries continue the tradition of producing high quality wines”.

Having attended several New Jersey wine festivals so far this year, I can honestly say that the spirit and tradition of making quality wines is alive and kickin’ in the Garden State!

On Saturday, September 26^th and Sunday, September 27^th from Noon to 5 pm, the Garden State Wine Growers Association will be showcasing Jersey’s finest at the first annual SIPtember Wine Festival that will be held at Essex County Brookdale Park in Bloomfield, New Jersey.   

Guests attending this event will have an opportunity to sample more than 250 New Jersey produced wines from more than 25 New Jersey wineries. This two-day festival will not only include New Jersey state award-winning wines, but shall also include live entertainment, gourmet food vendors, crafters, and kids’ activities on both days as well.

Admission for this event is $25 a person.  Five dollars from each admission will be donated to the Essex County Parks Foundation of the Essex County Department of Parks, a key sponsor of this festival. 

For more information about this particular wine festival or other upcoming New Jersey wine events, check out the Garden State Wine Growers Association website.

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Once finally inside the historic Village at Allaire, I could see why this is New Jersey’s largest wine festival.  The grounds within the Village at Allaire is a beautiful venue for hosting this event; with it’s mature trees, historical buildings, iron works shop, general store, bakery, and a locomotive train that guests can ride.

As we made our way up to the wine, food and music area; it was amazing to watch the large crowds of people hustling with their wine glasses from one tent to the next.  One gentleman that was working at this event told us that over 8,000 people attended the festival the day before.

Even with the large crowds, there were several New Jersey wineries that were up for the challenge of keeping glasses full and purple-inked smiles on the sea of faces that lined up at their tasting tables.  One particular New Jersey winery that nearly accomplished this single handedly was Auburn Road Vineyard & Winery.  Ms. Julianne Donnini was absolutely incredible as she poured and kept perfect track of what everyone was drinking, while still being able to talk about the wines that she was pouring.  One of the wines that Ms. Donnini poured for us was called Classico.  As you might have guessed by its name, this red wine is a New Jersey inspired Super Tuscan and it was absolutely delicious for $18.99 a bottle.

As my wife and I made our way around to the other wineries’ tasting tents, we had an equally good experience with the folks at Heritage Vineyards.  Our pourer from Heritage effortlessly filled glasses with some really great wines while engaging wine lovers in conversation.  In the course of tasting the Heritage Vineyards line-up, there were several wines that we felt delivered exceptional value and great taste.  First, was the Steel Rails Red.  This wine was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.  It had rich flavors, and for $12.99 was a great value.  We also enjoyed their wine called “Red Caboose” which they were selling for $18.00.  This wine sported the same Bordeaux blend as the Steel Rails Red, but had a touch of Chambourcin grape in it to give it a little more oomph.

Finally, our two favorite wines from Heritage Vineyards were the 2006 Estate Syrah priced at $18.00 and the 2006 limited production Chambourcin which was priced at $22.50 a bottle.  Both of these wines were big, ripe, and peppery.  The long and skinny on both of these wines would be like Forrest Gump saying, “I like these two wines a lot”.  Trust me, they’re both outstanding wines that are certainly worth contacting Heritage Vineyards to get some.

I would also like to give a shout out to a new (for me) dry white wine called Traminette that I discovered at the festival.  Traminette is a hybrid cross of Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.  My wife and I enjoyed trying several of them.

Last but not least, if sweet is your thing then you would have been in sweet tooth heaven.  No Jersey wine fest would be complete without a spectrum of sweet wines. There were plenty of Jersey wineries serving up some very tasty dessert wines and a few that brought me back to my early Boone’s years.

Special thanks to the Garden State Wine Growers Association for putting together such a terrific festival.  We look forward to attending next year!  To see all of the pictures that were taken at the festival, visit the WineLife365 Fan Page.

If you’re interested in learning more about New Jersey made wines visit The Garden State Wine Grower’s Association website.

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