Festivals

For more than 10 years, the Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA), a member organization of 28 wineries located across the state has ended its wine festival season at the historic Alba Vineyard (www.albavineyard.com) in the Village of Finesville, New Jersey. The "Grand Harvest Wine Festival" takes place on October 13 and 14 and is a celebration of the beauty and quality of New Jersey wines and winemaking. It's also a chance to experience a vineyard in its fall glory.

The "Grand Harvest Wine Festival", located at Alba Vineyard, will feature hundreds of award-winning New Jersey wines and an array of culinary delights. The aroma of fermenting and aging wine fills the air at Alba's winery and tasting room, housed in an historic barn built in 1805 as well as the Musconetcong Art Gallery. Artisan vendors will be on hand such as Golden Wheat, a maker of hand painted wine glasses, and wooden wine products by Elliot Klepner will be available in addition to many other wine related items and quality goods. There will be kids activities including arts & crafts, face painting and pony rides. Admission is $20 and includes tastings of as many as 200 varieties of top-quality wines. Admission is free for anyone under 21 years of age. Gates open at 11:30 and wine tasting will be available from Noon until 5:00 p.m. both days, rain or shine. The festival will also feature live music by The VooDudes, a New Orleans influenced rock band and Cairo classic rock band.

Discount advance sale tickets are available online (click here to purchase tickets) and group discounts are available by emailing Kathy Bullock, GSWGA Festival Manager at festivaldirector@newjerseywines.com.

New Jersey has been producing wine since 1864. While perhaps not as well-known as other wine-producing states, New Jersey is home to many premiere varieties. Award-winning Chardonnay, Syrah, Marechal Foch, Viognier, Traminette, Merlot, Cabernet and dozens of others are produced right here. And, particularly unique to New Jersey wineries are an array of fruit wines such as raspberry, cherry and blueberry, which are exported by some New Jersey wineries all over the world. Because of the climate and conditions of the state, New Jersey wines are most often compared by viticulturists and enologists to the wines of France and Italy.

From Cape May County up to the northern most tip of Sussex County, New Jersey wineries offer more than 200 varieties of wine.

The Garden State Wine Growers welcome consumers from New Jersey as well as tourists to attend the "Grand Harvest Wine Festival". It's a great way to sample and purchase the range of excellent New Jersey wine, enjoy great music and spend the weekend outdoors. For more information on New Jersey wines, visit www.newjerseywines.com.

-No pets are allowed
-Ticket sales end at 4:00 pm each day


Directions to Alba Vineyard
From the New York metropolitan area, and points west: Take I78 West to exit 7 (Bloomsbury.) Bear right off the ramp, onto 173 West. In 1.3 miles, road will fork- bear left, following the sign pointing towards Riegelsville, onto 639 West. Follow Rt. 639 2.8 miles to stop sign. Bear left at stop, onto 519 South. Continue straight: road will turn into 627 South, Alba Vineyard is 2 miles from that point, on the right.

From points in North Jersey: Take Rt. 287 South to I78 West, then follow directions from New York City.

From the Poconos: Take 33 South, to 22 East (near Bethlehem.) Follow 22 East into Phillipsburg, heading towards I78. Just past the Phillipsburg Mall (on the right) you will come to a light; turn right, onto 519 South. Turn Left at the blinking light, and then right at the next light. Continue straight for five miles. The road will turn into 627 South: continue straight. Alba Vineyard is two miles up, on the right.

From Philadelphia: Take the Blue Route to exit 27 (Willow Grove.) Take 611 North into Riegelsville. Turn right at the light (following sign pointing to Business District,) cross small one lane bridge over canal, then over the Baby Brooklyn into New Jersey. Bear right off of bridge, then over train tracks, and continue straight onto 627 North. Alba Vineyard is two miles up on the left.

From Trenton area: Take Rt. 29 North. Be sure to follow signs closely in Lambertville! Stay on Rt. 29 until Frenchtown (which is 30 min. north of Lambertville) where Rt. 29 ends. At the stop sign in downtown Frenchtown, turn left, then make your first right onto Harrison St. Follow that road into Milford, go straight at the light (only one in town) onto 519 North. Continue north until you reach a stop sign (about ten minutes) and bear left at stop, onto 627 South. We are two miles from stop sign, on the right.