December 10, 2012
NJ Wineries
Shipping This Holiday Season
New Jersey
Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H.
Fisher recently visited Auburn Road
Vineyards in Pilesgrove to showcase
New Jersey wines that can now be
mailed as gifts this holiday season
directly from the winery.
Governor Christie
signed a law in January permitting
direct shipping by New Jersey
wineries, joining 38 other states in
the nation that allow small wineries
to mail their products to customers.
“New Jersey’s
wineries produce some of the best
wines in the world that have placed
well in international competitions,”
said Secretary Fisher. “The
wine shipping law makes these
wonderful wines more readily
available to those already familiar
with their high quality and taste,
as well as those wanting to
experience great New Jersey products
across the country.”
New Jersey has 45
licensed wineries and many have
begun shipping within New Jersey and
into other states. Sixteen
wineries currently sell their wine
through their websites.
Another nine allow customers to view
their wines online, but orders are
taken over the phone or through
e-mail. Many others are
gearing up for direct shipping in
the New Year.
Auburn Road
Vineyards has already shipped more
than 100 bottles of wine to New
Jersey customers and uses a
retailer, Hops and Grapes in
Glassboro, to ship orders outside of
the state.
“The ability to
ship our wine has been a huge help
in several ways,” said Scott Donnini,
owner of Auburn Road Vineyards.
“First, it has allowed us another
avenue through which we can make our
product available to the public, but
secondly, it has given the New
Jersey wine industry almost instant
credibility.”
The idea for the
winery began in 2000 at a gathering
of friends Donnini, his wife,
Julianne, David Davis, sisters
Shannon and Jennifer Kilpatrick and
Joe Reilly, who eventually opened
Auburn Road Vineyards in 2007.
The winery now includes 19 acres of
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Sangiovese, Chambourcin, Pinot
Grigio, Cabernet Franc and Petite
Verdot grapes, as well as The
Enoteca wine bar. They make 15
different wine varieties.
Donnini said they
have received a lot of positive
feedback on shipping from their
customers.
“They appreciate
the convenience of being able to get
their favorite wine delivered right
to their homes,” he said. “In the
case of customers who live far away,
it really is the only way to get
some of these wines.”
Auburn Road
Vineyards is located in the Outer
Coastal Plain American Viticultural
Area, recognized for its
micro-climate, with sandy,
well-drained deep soils, milder
winters and a good deal of sunshine,
comparable to Bordeaux and Burgundy
in France.
|
