The 13 Best Wineries In New Jersey
When you think of New Jersey, you may think of many of the attractions it's known for, like the Jersey Shore, lots of blueberry farms and cranberry bogs, and being near both Philly and NYC. However, something you should absolutely add to that list is that New Jersey is a world-class wine region with some excellent wineries and vineyards.
From the very bottom tip of the state all the way to the top, we've scoped out the best wineries across New Jersey for you, so you can go on a statewide taste test or find a hidden gem in your area. We're New Jersey natives, so we are familiar with quite a few of the wineries on this list (more on our methodology at the end), and we hope you enjoy these spots as much as we did. Visitability, wine quality, and accessibility were all factors in our decision-making process, so if there's a Jersey wine you love that's not on here, it's probably because we're looking at the wineries you can visit today, not just the ones that produce bottles and ship them out for distribution.
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Willow Creek Winery - Cape May
At the very bottom of the state on the Jersey Shore is a gorgeous, sprawling winery and vineyard called Willow Creek Winery. When you first turn into the property, you might be wondering whether you've reached a winery or a resort, because there are signs on the property directing you to the main area, and you have to drive a bit through it to get to the parking lot. All of the directions are clear and straightforward, though, and when you drive up to the main building and see that view (especially in the spring and summertime), you'll be wondering why you didn't make it down to Cape May sooner.
And it's not just the aesthetics that amaze us here. There is a massive amount of seating, both indoor and outdoor, though it's very popular so we would recommend making a reservation just in case. There are many types of wine here to please anyone's palate, though if you're a sweet wine lover like we are, you cannot miss out on the white sangria. The fun doesn't stop with the drinks, either. The food here is absolutely incredible, and we've heard of folks coming here mainly for that. The grilled cheese and tomato bisque are next level, as is the Caesar salad and the crab dip. Willow Creek Winery also hosts plenty of weddings and bridal events, so definitely add it to your list of potential venues, as it's gorgeous and accommodating.
(609) 770-8782
168 Stevens Street, West Cape May, NJ 08204
Autumn Lake Winery - Williamstown
Tucked away in Williamstown, New Jersey is a charming winery called Autumn Lake Winery. Don't let the name fool you, though, as this is a great spot to check out during any season of the year. It's titled as such because the winery sits directly next to a beautiful lake (like, the vineyard is literally a few feet away from the water), so it's a great spot to go if you're looking for a view.
The bottle prices won't break the bank, either, and you're getting some pretty good quality wine, as well. Some fan favorites include the Lakeside Blanc, the Per Diem Rose, and the Down Home Red. Not sure when to take a trip to this winery? You could always base it on when the winery hosts live entertainment. You can check out the events calendar on its site to find something that interests you, whether it's a charcuterie-making class or a singer-songwriter strumming their guitar on the porch while you sip on some pinot. What's better than that?
(856) 516-4594
870 W Malaga Rd, Williamstown, NJ 08094
White Horse Winery - Hammonton
Taking it to the blueberry capital of the world, Hammonton, New Jersey, this area has obviously incredible farming land. If the blueberries are thriving, then so are the grapes. White Horse Winery is located a bit off the main downtown stretch, but it feels like you've escaped hundreds of miles away. It's so peaceful, staring out into the vineyards while sitting on the deck with a glass of the rose blend.
White Horse Winery also puts on a lot of events and activities to keep people coming back. In the past, we've been there for a "Friends" trivia night (that was actually pretty hard), and lots of times to watch acoustic singers perform hits you all know and love. White Horse's wines, though, are so tasty, and you can go up to the bar inside and try any of them before purchasing a glass or a bottle. They're also fairly priced, which is great.
(609) 270-1411
106 Hall Street, Hammonton, NJ 08037
Valenzano Family Winery - Shamong
Nestled deep in the Pine Barrens is the Valenzano Family Winery, which has grown from being a local treasure to something becoming more well-known statewide. There are lots of nods to the winery's roots, from some of the bottle names (Shamong Blush, anyone?), to the sustainability efforts made by the family winery.
There are a few things that keep people coming back to the winery, though, as well as purchasing bottles of its wine from local liquor stores. First, this winery is scenic, with many weddings taking place on the property. Second, the winery puts on many events to keep you coming back. You can book a wine-tasting experience (which not every winery offers, surprisingly) where the experts will guide you through your selections, you can book private parties, weddings, and, of course, who could forget the Bari Wine Pub at Valenzano Winery? Tasty bites to pair with your glasses include a Bavarian pretzel and entrees like pumpkin gnocchi and filet mignon.
(609) 268-6731
1090 Route 206, Shamong, NJ 08088
Laurita Winery - New Egypt
Taking things up north to a very well-known and loved winery is Laurita Winery. If you're a wine lover in the state of New Jersey, you've most likely at least heard of this destination. And it really is a destination. This winery exceeds the definition of charming and goes into magnificent territory, truly. Beautiful landscaping, a touching family origin story, spacious indoor and outdoor seating, over 40,000 Instagram followers, and seemingly a new event every week make this spot stand out from the crowd. Seriously — pick a holiday, and Laurita's probably hosting a well-planned and entertaining event for it.
This is a great winery to visit any time of year, too. Whether you want to cozy up by a fire with your glass of wine and great conversation in the winter, or tilt your head back and bask in the sun in the summer, Laurita Winery is an enjoyable visit year-round. New Egypt, we'll see you soon.
(609) 752-0200
85 Archertown Rd, New Eqypt, NJ 08533
Alba Vineyard - Milford
Milford, New Jersey is home to none other than Alba Vineyard. Even if you haven't been there in person yet, one glance at the website tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the place. First off, it just might take your breath away, being a gigantic vineyard that rolls over the hills it's planted on. Located equidistance from Philly and NYC, it's an ideal "let's meet in the middle" spot for North New Jerseyans and South New Jerseyans to get together for a fun afternoon. Do note that it is an all-adult venue, meaning, unlike some other wineries, you can't bring your underage posse.
Any vineyard that's been around since the '80s knows a thing or two about wine. You'll always get high-quality glasses here, and what's nice is that everyone really knows their stuff. Each bottle is so lovingly crafted, and there are paragraphs of explanation on each of them on the vineyards' site, but if you want to hear it from the horses' mouth, talk to one of the sommeliers on site, and you'll see the passion right away. Alba Vineyard loves wine and wants you to love it that much, too.
(908) 995-7800
269 Riegelsville Warren Glen Road, Milford, NJ 08848
Renault Winery & Resort - Egg Harbor City
The total height of luxury winery experiences in the state, Renault Winery & Resort lives up to every expectation you might have of it in your mind. Regal and anything but understated, the winery and resort are massive, with tons to explore and discover. Anyone looking for an elevated wine excursion in New Jersey should take a trip over to Egg Harbor City to visit this winery – we don't care how far you have to drive, it'll be worth it.
Any type of wine (and non-wine) experience you've wanted to try will probably be available here. The resort has a hotel you can stay at, multiple dining options (including a happy hour and a wine and beer garden), a wine-tasting room, tours of the vineyards and property, an entire golf course, and experiences depending on the season (currently there's an ice skating rink, fire pits, and more winter-related festivities). But even through all of the hullabaloo, good quality wine remains at the center of this winery, as we wouldn't just choose it based on the extras. Aside from your expected wine offerings, there's also Champagne made on the property. Renault got special permission to call its sparkling wine "Champagne" specifically, making it one of the few wineries in the U.S. with that special permission.
(609) 965-2111
72 North Bremen Avenue, Egg Harbor City, NJ 08215
Salem Oak Vineyards - Pedricktown
Hopping over to Pedricktown is Salem Oak Vineyards, a charming family-owned and operated winery made for picturesque weddings, visiting on a quiet Sunday afternoon, and joining one of the many wine clubs that the vineyard runs. The large wine-tasting room with vaulted ceilings and table-clothed tables makes a big space cozy and inviting, so we had to include it on this list.
The bottles of wine themselves are available for purchase at many local liquor stores, but we always love going right to the source to get our vino and support the vineyard more directly. If you're sitting down, we recommend trying a wine flight for $10, or the sangria flight for $17 to get a well-rounded experience of the wines. Many of the wines have fun names (literally) like Julia-Marie, Jessica Rose, and Sweet Caroline. Pop by this spot to try them out for yourself.
(856) 889-2121
60 N Railroad Ave, Pedricktown, NJ, 08067
Bellview Winery - Landisville
We really love it when you can feel the passion at a winery. You can absolutely feel it at Bellview Winery in Landisville, New Jersey, and that's part of what keeps folks coming back. This winery always encourages people to try new wines, but also to make sure they're trying something suited to their palate. And with over two dozen original bottles grown and made on-site, there's a wine type for everyone, here.
If you aren't able to make it out to the actual winery (which is such a shame), you can always order a few bottles online from the winery's site. And as a perk, orders over $100 get free shipping if you're ordering to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, and Washington D.C. We think this is a great option even if you've visited the pretty winery before but don't have time in your schedule to make it back soon. Just order a couple of bottles online and get that free shipping.
(856) 697-7172
150 Atlantic Street, Landisville, NJ 08326
William Heritage Winery - Mullica Hill
If you're from the Mullica Hill area, or you went to Rowan University, you've probably driven past this winery a hundred times and thought to yourself, "I should stop by here soon." Well, make that thought a reality and actually make plans to go there, because you won't regret it. Our favorite time here is in the spring (on a warm day), when you've taken that allergy medication to fight off the pollen in the air and you can enjoy a nice warm breeze while sitting outside on the patio at William Heritage Winery in Mullica Hill. You can even gaze out at the vineyards that are working hard to produce the wine you're sipping on.
We've sampled a few of the wine varieties from William Heritage Winery ourselves, and we have to say there's some good variety here. Especially when you think about the fact that it's sustainably farmed, the price points are not bad at all, either. Can't make it all the way out to the winery home base in Mullica Hill? Drop by the tasting room in downtown Haddonfield to sample the wines (and maybe buy a bottle or two).
Multiple locations
Auburn Road Vineyards - Pilesgrove
The approach that makes Auburn Road Vineyards stand out from the New Jersey crowd is its focus on beauty and art within wine and winemaking. Yes, every bottle here is quality wine (we wouldn't include it otherwise), but what charms us about this spot is its dedication to aesthetics. The first point of aesthetics we want to point out is the bottle label designs. Each one is a little bit different (making it easy to tell which bottle you're grabbing for), but they all have a painted watercolor vibe going for them. Who doesn't love a bottle that's both tasty and pretty to look at?
We think the optimal time to visit this winery is in the summer (early June, we'd say) so that you can sit in the outside section. Every part of this winery surrounded by the vineyard is gorgeous and unforgettable, but the spacious outdoor space is especially nice since all of the tables are fairly spread apart and you don't have to be right on top of the party next to you.
info@auburnroadvineyards.com
117 Sharptown Auburn Road, Pilesgrove, NJ 08098
Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery - Rio Grande
Another very well-known winery and vineyard among wine enthusiasts in New Jersey (and the tri-state area, for that matter), is Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery, located down south in Rio Grande. Only beaten by Willow Creek Winery for being the most southern outh winery on this list, Hawk Haven is a force to be reckoned with. Even a quick glance at its Instagram page will tell you everything you need to know about this winery. It cares about producing excellent wine, curating a beautiful outdoor and indoor space, and making sure the guest experience is unparalleled.
There's always an event going on here, but not in an overwhelming way. Everything feels curated and intentional, down to the ice buckets. You only need a reservation if your party is over six people, and this winery and vineyard are open every day of the week (open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Friday and Saturday, when it stays open an extra hour later). Even though this is more of an afternoon spot, we're not mad about it, as you probably want to see the gorgeous property in the daylight anyway. Stop by here for a fun pre-dinner drink, then head on to your dinner reservation.
(609) 846-7347
600 South Railroad Avenue, Rio Grande, NJ 08242
Tomasello Winery - Multiple Locations
A legacy winery in New Jersey, Tomasello Winery has so many vineyards and tasting rooms throughout the state that it'd be almost impossible to do a state-wide wine tour without hitting one (or multiple) of them. Originally from Hammonton, New Jersey, Tomasello Winery currently has nine locations you can choose to visit, some being tasting rooms and others being vineyards.
Another big perk of Tomasello Winery is that it offers different wines on sale each week, so if you're looking to save a few bucks, it can't hurt to check the winery's website to see what's currently discounted. And if budgeting isn't your thing, there are over 50 original wines from the winery that you can choose to sample. That large scale of choices just means you'll have to stop by a few of its locations, though we recommend visiting the original winery in Hammonton at least once to see where it all began.
Multiple locations
Beneduce Vineyards - Pittstown
Pittstown totally leveled up when Beneduce Vineyards moved in 2009, and the vineyard and winery has been a favored destination for locals, wine lovers, and folks across the country ever since. We even included it in our best wineries in the U.S. list, which is saying a lot when you think about all of the amazing vineyards across the country. Classically done, this vineyard may not seem showy, but it's all about quality. From the bottles to the heavenly views, this vineyard is a complete must-visit.
Get a tour of the vineyard, come to a Sunday picnic, book a thorough wine tasting, and, heck, even have the wedding of your dreams here. Beneduce Vineyards in Pittstown really has it all, and it's not forgetting any detail. You'll be sure to enjoy your experience (and wine) here, so you can't miss it.
(908) 996-3823
1 Jeremiah Lane, Pittstown, NJ 08867
How We Selected Wineries
When curating this list, we chose wineries based on a number of factors. First, I am a New Jersey native and have been to many of these wineries myself (and for a few that I haven't been to personally, I've tried some of their wines). I also consulted with several friends about their favorite in-state wineries, and to fill in any gaps, I did extensive research to make sure I was really hitting the best of the best in the state, and not just picking places I know of.
Criteria included having quality wine (no off-putting bottles here), beautiful and spacious wineries (no point including ones that don't have any seating, as this was about visiting the wineries and vineyards, not just buying the bottles), and what extras the winery put on, like events, weddings, food trucks on-site, and more. We also made sure to cover the entire state, not just one county or region.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
