The NJ Farmer

Russ Forman spends time pruning some grapevines.

Photo by Pegi Ballister-Howells

New Jersey growers have long been famous for their fabulous tomatoes and super sweet corn, but these great veggies are going to have to share the spotlight. Relatively new on the scene, but growing rapidly, is the New Jersey wine industry. Already the fifth largest wine-producing state in the country, (OK, so California takes the lion’s share) New Jersey currently has approximately 1,200 acres of grape vines and more getting planted every spring.

Currently, there are 27 licensed wineries in the state, with five more pending and five more expected by the end of the year. One of the newest wineries has a parent winery in Spain. This wine producer searched the entire mid-Atlantic region and chose the Cape May area to establish a 100 acre vineyard. That is where the climate and soils were the best suited for growing the grape varieties they wanted to make wine. The first vines are being planted this spring.

According to Gary Pavlis, county agricultural agent in Atlantic County, apple and peach ground is very suitable for growing grapes. Peaches are just a hair more frost sensitive than many grape varieties suitable for the southern part of the state and both plants share an intolerance for wet feet. The conversion of peach orchards to grape vines is already happening. Bill and Penny Heritage of Heritage Tree Fruit in Gloucester County, were financially strapped in 2000 when they began converting peach trees to grapes. After only five years, Bill is now farming full time, leaving an off-the-farm job of 20 years. Their 19-year-old son, Richard, a student at Cook College, is totally involved in the business and is planning a career as part of Heritage Vineyard. This was all in the nick of time, saving the family farm which had been producing peaches since 1851.

Jim Quarella, of Bellview Farms in Buena, planted his first three acres of grapes in 2000 and Belleview Winery was born. An outstanding vegetable farmer, Jim was always looking for ways to diversify. No longer growing vegetables, Bellview Winery is thriving with 24 acres of vines and son Lee working at his father’s side. Not far from Vineland, New Jersey, Bellview’s website points out that “Vineland” originated with the many grape vines thrived in the area during the 1800’s. The Welch’s company, famous for grape juice and jelly, started in the town of Landisville.

So the cultivation of grapes is not new to the Garden State, but the new wine industry may be a key factor in preserving agriculture for the future. A common catch phrase is “We can preserve the land, but we have to preserve the farmer.” The potential success of the wine industry will do just that. There are many reasons for this. Clearly, profitability is most important. If farmers are economically successful they will not sell their land. In addition, the diversity of the wine industry has tremendous appeal. It is a more balanced industry from the perspective that production of the crop and marketing of the value added product are spread out over the entire year. The science behind the winemaking is a critical component to the success of the venture, but requires a different set of skills than production. The marketing and promotion of the product requires yet another set of interpersonal and creative talents.

These needs for the success of a winery create multi-faceted opportunities that do not exist at more traditional New Jersey farms. These opportunities are enticing the younger generation, thus preserving the farms and the farmers.

In addition to wine made from grapes, fruit wines are a niche where New Jersey wineries are making a mark. Tomasello Winery, located in Hammonton, ships five different fruit wines to 19 states as well as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Singapore and in the near future, Hong Kong. The cranberry and blueberry varieties are made from all New Jersey fruits. Silver Decoy Winery in Robbinsville also makes a raspberry wine from fruit grown on their own farm. The berries are frozen at the peak of flavor and made into wine throughout the year. This takes a very perishable crop and creates a delicious and profitable value added product that is in demand year round.

Jack Tomasello, chairman of the New Jersey Wine Advisory Council, points out that the need for labor is primarily for the trimming and tying of the vines during the dormant season, when ag labor demands are low. He also indicates that harvesting of grapes for wine is done mechanically, also reducing labor needs. Planting of the vines is a big investment in time and money. The cost of the plants, the trellising, drip irrigation and the labor for planting can cost up to about $10,000 per acre, depending on variety. A significant harvest is not generally achieved until the third or fourth year.

Vegetable or fruit growers interested in growing grapes for the wine makers would benefit greatly from having an arrangement with an established winery prior to planting. There is a greater demand for New Jersey wines than can currently be met by the amount of grapes being grown in the state. Wineries in the northern part of the state may be particularly interested in those varieties that only thrive in the south. Even so there continues to be a shortage of those varieties better suited for the north. Mark Carduner of Silver Decoy agrees that there is an enormous shortage of New Jersey grapes for wine. He suggests Traminette, a white hybrid developed by Cornell, for northern farms and Cabernet Sauvignon for further south. Jim Quarella stresses that potential growers need to become involved in the “sensory” part of wine making. That will better enable the grower to produce the quality of grape the wine makers need. Jim holds monthly technical meetings for wine makers as well as grape growers to continually improve the quality of the wine produced in the state.

Choosing the right varieties of grape for any farm depends on the needs of the wine maker with whom the farmer chooses to work. It also depends on temperatures and soils. Some direction can be taken from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, however no specialist for the wine industry is currently on the faculty. There is cooperation between many of the wineries through the Wine Growers Association. President Tom Sharko of Alba Winery in Warren County suggests farmers just getting started may need some assistance. Although northern wineries have a need for southern varieties, it is a long distance to travel to offer daily support to new growers. Sharko is hoping the university can provide an Extension specialist in the near future to provide the necessary direction. Many wine makers suggest starting on a small scale to learn the peculiarities of the grape growing business and the specifics that pertain to each different variety.

Farm markets also have another opportunity to become part of the wine industry. Each winery is allowed to have six “additional retail outlets” where the winery can market their wine products. These can be farm markets, restaurants or stores. Additional outlets fall under the wineries license and do not need to have a license of their own. Finally, wineries may “buddy” with other wineries and then have one “buddy” outlet per county. Two or more wineries must cooperate in this type of retail outlet.

If you are interested in contacting a wine maker to learn what varieties may be both in demand and suitable for your farm, contact Donna Csolak, publicist for the Wine Growers Association at (609) 890-8188. For information regarding the technical meetings at Bellview Winery that are for both growers and winemakers, contact Jim Quarella at (856) 697-7172.