Festivals

The Garden State Wine Growers Association will hold its annual “Walk In the Vineyards” Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12 from noon to 5 p.m. at participating wineries throughout the state.

Most of the association's 34 wineries will be participating in the wine trail, inviting visitors to tour vineyards now in full bloom and the opportunity to try newly released wines made from grapes harvested in previous years.

More than 40 wineries dot the Garden State from Cape May in southern New Jersey to its upper most tip at High Point in Sussex County. New Jerseyans who take to the wine trail July 11 and 12 will have the opportunity to try more than 300 locally made wines—many of them award winners. New Jersey is the fifth largest producer of wine in the United States. Winemaking is the fastest growing segment of the state's agricultural economy. To learn which wineries are participating, go to the Garden State Wine Growers website at www.newjerseywines.com and contact the winery.

Winery visitors will also be able to pick up the Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA) passport and the opportunity to win a free trip an enchanting River Cruise for Two through the French Wine Country.

Wine aficionados who have the passport stamped at each winery they visit and return the completed passport to the GSWGA will receive a distinctive complimentary gift ($50 value) and be eligible to enter a drawing for the River Cruise in France.

The winners will enjoy an eight-day journey up France's scenic Saône and Rhône Rivers past some of the most beautiful vineyards and vistas in the French countryside. It includes a visit to the famed region of Burgundy, the lavender fields of Provence and the Gallo-Roman ruins in both Vienne and Arles. The trip also includes a walk on the cobbled streets of Arles and a visit to the historic Papal Palace in Avignon, “City of the Popes.