I joined some NJ bloggers for a tour of NJ vineyards. Now I know what your thinking, NJ isn’t known for our wineries, but I would like to tell you that you are mistaken, my friend. If you read one of my earlier posts on the winery I went to in Rhode Island, I swore off wineries in NJ/NY because they were crowded, loud and gross. I now realize I was wrong (yes, I can admit it), and I was just going to the wrong wineries in my home state. Read on for more about the three NJ wineries I attended.

The Working Dog Winery

I did not go to this vineyard with the group but I went on my own and loved it! The vineyard was immaculately kept and the areas to sit were not close and congested they were spread out and open along the grounds. The wine we tasted was delicious moderately priced.

I did the tasting which was only $7 for 5 tastings. I learned that all of the grapes are harvested, press, fermented, aged, blended and bottled right on site. The Working Dog specializes in their dry wines but is still appealing to those who love sweets. Additionally, every Saturday the winery hosts live music! If you prefer to sit indoors, they have a wonderful indoor space which looks out into the winery, that could accommodate small parties.

After the tasting, I bought a bottle of rose and hung out in the lawn as it was a beautiful summer day. The Working Dog is the perfect place to a bring blanket, some snacks and your well-behaved dogs! It makes for a beautiful afternoon of relaxing in the vineyards and sipping the amazing stock from Working Dog!

William Heritage Winery

This winery is in south jersey, but definitely worth the drive. We got there in the early afternoon and started in the tasting room. Unlike other tasting rooms which have a more rustic feel, William Heritage Winery’s tasting room has a very modern, bright feel which I appreciated. We started off with tastings, I chose one red, three whites and one rose in a can. As weird as rose in a can sounds, it was absolutely delicious! After our tasting, we went on a tour of the huge vineyards in their van. We made many pit stops along the way because we wanted to jump out and take photos and walk around. William Heritage is definitely an instagramable winery, not only is their vineyard amazing but they also have cool backdrops like a barn and old pickup truck to take photos in front of.

After our tour of the vineyard and learning about how the wine is made, we sat in their patio area and had delicious food like Stromboli, cheese and crackers, and artichoke dip. It is really quiet and relaxing at William Heritage, with just a great vibe which is what I liked most about the place. William Heritage Winery was awarded New Jersey’s “Winery of the Year” in 2011, 2014 & 2015 by Garden State Wine Growers Association – they truly deserved all of the recognition they have received!

Beneduce Winery

This winery is deep in west New Jersey, an area where I have not ventured before. It is extremely rural and us northerners would describe it as “in the middle of nowhere”.  After you make it down the long winding road, Beneduce Winery will be the hidden gem you were looking for.

We started our Sunday off at Beneduce winery in their tasting room. They have a nice private area upstairs which can be used for smaller parties or get together. We tasted a variety of wines along with a meat and cheese board which was delicious. My favorite wine was their signature white, named Gewürztraminer which I highly recommend – if you can pronounce it! After our tasting, it was time for a tour of the vineyard. We all got into the back of a red tractor with our bottles of wine and were taken around the vineyard, which was so much fun. It was the most perfect day, the sun was shining and wind blowing in our hair as we drove through the vineyards. We obviously made tons of pit stops for photos (duh, we’re bloggers). After our tour we hung out in their yard which was packed but not too loud. There was a local artist singing and playing his guitar. There were groups of people drinking and playing corn hole. Beneduce Winery is such a chill yet fun environment!

These three wineries have proved me wrong about NJ Wineries! There are some really beautiful vineyards which have chill vibes right in our back yard. Who said you need to go all the way to Napa for a good winery?!

Xoxo,

Finding Francesca