New Jersey Wineries Look Back at the Inaugural NJ Wine Expo

It’s been a couple of weeks since the inaugural NJ Wine Expo where the largest gathering of Garden State wineries ever took place at Bell Works in Holmdel. The day was a rousing success. More than 1,500 attendees sampled well over 100 local wines. By the number of wine totes full of purchases we spied as wine lovers left the expo, it’s safe to say they loved the wines they tasted.

We here at GSWGA weren’t the only ones walking around noticing how well things were going. The industry insiders who came out to support the wineries and speak on panels were impressed, too, and shared their thoughts with us in a previous blog post. 

Right now, we want to turn our attention to the wineries that packed up boxes and boxes of wine, hauled those heavy boxes into the Expo center, poured thousands of samples, and introduced their wines to over a thousand people, many of them for the first time. Guests at the Expo tasted everything from award-winning wines made from wineries that scored big in the 2024 Governor’s Cup like Hopewell Valley Vineyards and White Horse Winery to the apple wines from one of our newest wineries, Rebel Sheep Wine Co.

Wineries from each of New Jersey’s four AVAs poured at the event, as well as wineries in the state’s other regions. We asked a few of them to share their thoughts with us.

Introducing Attendees to New Jersey’s Excellent Fruit Wines

Natali Vineyards’ winemaker Tim Jobe has been to numerous festivals and expos over his 33 years as a commercial winemaker. Jobe says he “loved the venue” for the NJ Wine Expo and was impressed with how well it was attended.

“Everyone loved the wine, but the majority of our buyers were sweet wine drinkers,” he says. “I only brought three cases of cranberry, which was the only sweet I brought, and it sold out before the second session.” 

With the Thanksgiving holiday falling just weeks after the Expo, it’s no surprise the Cranberry wine—made with fruit grown in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens—was a hit. (By the way, the wine sold out at the Fest, but it’s still available at the Rio Grande winery which is in the process of changing its name to Briganti by the Bay.)

“The attendees loved the Fest,” Jobe says. He estimates they poured samples for about 1,000 people and sees the winery’s participation as a way to gain some good exposure. 

Lisa DeEugenio from Summit City Winery in Glassboro was impressed with how beautifully run, organized, and fun the Expo turned out to be.

“Our fruit wines were a huge hit,” she says. “We received many positive comments regarding the freshness and crispness of them due to being made strictly from fresh, tree ripe fruit.” The fruit, of course, is grown in the Garden State.

“It was great to see so many New Jersey wineries in one place,” DeEugenio said.“Summit City Winery looks forward to festivals and expos in the future to share our wines and to meet the community members.”

Bringing New Guests Through Tasting Room Doors

Federal Twist Vineyard discovered soon after the Expo one of the biggest benefits of pouring at the event—bringing more people through their tasting room doors. 

“It was good exposure,” says the winery’s Jessica Horne. We already had three couples visit the tasting room because they met us at the Expo.”

With over 1,000 people in attendance at the Expo, Federal Twist is bound to see more people visit the winery who attended the event. They’ll come for the wines they tasted and loved such as Hey Bett, a white field blend, Fed Red made with Chambourcin, and BFK, the newest wine in its lineup made from Blaüfrankisch.

“We received many compliments,” says Horne, “and we’re looking forward to next year!”

“We’re already talking about doing this again next year,” says Devon Perry, Executive Director of the Garden State Wine Growers Association. “We had an amazing team who worked for months behind the scenes to pull the first NJ Wine Expo off. Our reward was seeing how many people fell in love with New Jersey wines and the wineries that produce them. We are a community of farmers and families ready to set the table year after year for the Garden State.”