Grape expectations Rutgers plays a role in the Garden State’s wine renaissance Archived article from Dec 15, 2003 By Richard Gorman   French wines are legendary, California wines are extremely popular and New Jersey wines are…uh…New Jersey makes wine? Actually, New Jersey makes some excellent wines. The Tomasello 2001 Chambourcin from Tomasello Winery in Hammonton not only won the Governor’s Cup this year as the best wine produced in New Jersey, it went on to earn a gold medal in the San Diego National Wine Competition, the largest national wine competition in America. Gary C. Pavlis, left, an associate professor at Cook College and the Atlantic County agricultural agent for Rutgers Cooperative Extension, works closely to improve grape varieties with vintners like Jack Tomasello, vice president of Tomasello Winery, Hammonton. Photo by Nick Romanenko “Our wineries are the best kept secret in New Jersey, but we’re working hard to change that,” said Tom Sharko, president of the Garden State Wine Growers Association and president of Alba Vineyard in Milford. New Jersey’s wine industry is undergoing a renaissance, Sharko said, thanks to tougher drinking and driving laws and a decided shift from hard liquor to softer alcoholic beverages consumed in moderation. And thanks also to Rutgers, which is evaluating new grape varieties, experimenting with fungicides and advising the industry. The state university is working on two fronts to support New Jersey’s wine industry. Gary C. Pavlis, an associate professor at Cook College, is the Atlantic County agricultural agent for the Rutgers Cooperative Extension. As a blueberry and grape specialist, he has been helping the state wine growers association to improve grape varieties since 1984. Pavlis earned his bachelor’s degree and his Ph.D. in plant physiology at Rutgers. He is a longtime wine enthusiast with a 2,000-bottle wine cellar. Lena Brattsten, an entomology professor at Cook College, teaches a wine-appreciation course that might arguably be called the most popular academic offering on campus. Of the 400 students who attempt to register in the course, 55 are admitted. Pavlis conducts one of three wine tastings during the course. He pours the classic red varieties — a Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. “I’ll end it with a tasting of the students’ birth-year wine,” he added. “For me, pouring wines from my cellar is as special as it gets.” Lucrative crop New Jersey ranks fifth nationally in wine-production with 2,000 acres of land occupied by wineries or vineyards and an industry valued at $36 million. Successful wineries can be very profitable. An acre of apples will generate $1,800 in revenue and an acre of tomatoes will earn $8,000, but a winery will generate between $18,000 and $75,000 an acre, depending on the variety of grapes grown. With potential revenue like that, it’s no wonder new wineries in the Garden State are opening at a record pace. Sharko predicts New Jersey’s two-dozen wineries will grow to 40 or more within the next couple of years. Wine making isn’t just New Jersey’s newest fad. It dates back 200 years to 1767, when London’s Royal Society of the Arts recognized two local vintners for producing the first bottles of quality wine derived from colonial agriculture. Today, New Jersey wineries produce more than 40 varieties, from dry table wines to sweet dessert wines. (See sidebar on wines for the holidays.) Three grape categories Three major grape categories fare well in New Jersey: Vinifera or “old world” European grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio); French-American hybrids (the lesser-known Seyval, Vidal and Chambourcin grapes); and Native American grapes (Concord, Niagara and Delaware). Many of New Jersey’s wines are blends of these grapes. Because of its climate and soil, New Jersey’s two main wine-growing regions are in the Musconetcong Valley near the Pennsylvania border and in southern New Jersey not far from Delaware Bay. Sharko has been operating Alba Vineyard since 1997, although the first grapevines were planted there in 1982. Alba will produce 15,000 cases of wine this year, a respectable quantity for an East Coast winery. Alba is located in a limestone valley, land ideally suited for producing the grapes for full-bodied red and white wines. Its grape varieties include: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Barbera, Cayuga, Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and two French-American hybrids, Marechal Foch and Chambourcin. Some of the wines it produces are: Heritage, a full-bodied red; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and a Vidal Blanc that’s earned a place on Smith & Wollensky’s wine list of America. It also makes a raspberry dessert wine, an ice wine and a port. Alba’s wines are sold in 22 states. Tomasello Winery in Atlantic County, the state’s largest, has been producing wine for 70 years. Three generations have labored in its vineyards, tending to the grapes that produce 45 distinct wines on the 70-acre property. This year, it will turn out 43,000 cases of wine. Unlike the limestone base in western New Jersey, the soil here is a sandy loam with a clay bottom and the same level of acidity that gives the Jersey tomato its distinctive flavor. White wines produced at Tomasello include three Chardonnay wines, a Traminette, a Vidal Blanc, a Riesling, a Niagara and a Rkatsiteli. Reds include a Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Burgundy and Villard Noir. The winery also makes rosé, dessert and sparkling wines. Pavlis works closely with the state’s wine growers to continually improve their fruit. “What I do really is a transfer of knowledge,” he said. “Grape Expectations,” the viticulture oenological symposium Pavlis conducts in March with the Garden State Wine Growers Association, features presentations by experts on diseases, insects, grape varieties, root stocks and more. He also monitors the wine industry, advising the growers on significant trends. And he conducts the statewide competition to select the best wine and fruit wine produced in New Jersey. Pavlis and his colleagues conduct research at the Rutgers Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center at Cream Ridge in the Freehold area. “We do fungicide efficacy,” Pavlis said. “We’re looking at organic materials to control fungal problems.” Pavlis and Sridhar Polavarapu, an associate extension specialist at Cook College, are investigating ways to control insect problems that plague grapes. They also run workshops throughout the year. Another task involves evaluating grape varieties. One of the most recent varieties evaluated at the Cream Ridge center is the Traminette. “One of its parents was Gewürztraminer, a Vinifera that couldn’t take our winters,” he said. “But Traminette has some Labrusca in it and its grapes are wonderful. It produces a beautiful wine, and now that we have evaluated it, the wineries have picked it up.” Labrusca is a hardy, Concord-type grape strong enough to withstand New Jersey winters. And what does the future hold? “I think we’re going to be in a great position in the next few years,” said Jack Tomasello, vice president of his family’s winery. “Our soils are ideal for growing Bordeaux varieties. It’s too cold in New York and too warm in Virginia. Southern New Jersey down to Maryland is one of the best spots for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the key, big, red varieties.” “Grapes for making wine are one of the few clear-cut, easily defined crops that can save farming in New Jersey,” Tom Sharko said. “The profit margins are there. The demand is there. We’re really just scratching the surface of where we can go with this thing.” Wines for the holidays No matter what kind of food you plan on serving during the holidays, chances are there is a great wine from New Jersey that will make a wonderful accompaniment. Lena Brattsten, an entomology professor at Cook College who teaches a wine appreciation course, has some spirited suggestions for Garden State wines to serve this holiday season and throughout the year. And these wines won’t break your holiday budget – prices range from $8 to $20 a bottle. Tomasello 2001 Chambourcin – This red wine is made from an old French hybrid variety and is medium-bodied, well-balanced and fruity. Good with pork tenderloin. Bellview NV Cranberry – For lighter meals featuring ham, turkey or salads, try this wine made entirely from New Jersey cranberries. It is slightly sweet, very lively and crisp. Alba NV Mains’l White – A light and lively, crisp, clean white made from Vidal Blanc, Cayuga White and Riesling grapes. Unionville 2001 Hunter’s Red Reserve – A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes, this full-bodied red is excellent with lamb, pork or game. It is made in the Bordeaux style and has well-integrated oak flavors from barrel fermentation and aging. Cream Ridge NV A Perfect Blend – Made with Chambourcin, a very aromatic grape, and Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc grapes, this red wine is full-bodied and fruity. Alba NV Raspberry – Made from raspberries, this is a very fruity and sweet dessert wine. Great for sipping while you nibble those Christmas chocolates by the fire. Bellview 2001 Ives – A very full-bodied red wine with a very high tannin content that should get even better with time in the cellar. It is made with Ives grapes, a variety native to North America, and is good with meat. Unionville NV Fields of Fire – If you like white Zinfandel, you’ll enjoy this decidedly sweet blush wine made from Cayuga and Chambourcin grapes. Wonderful as an aperitif wine. Alba 1999 Heritage – This red wine was made with Marechal Foch (a French hybrid), Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It was aged in new American oak barrels for 12 months and features pronounced aromas of black cherry, earth and spice, and hints of mocha and licorice.

For questions or comments about this site, contact Greg Trevor Last Updated: May 30, 2006 © 2012 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. All rights reserved.