One of the best things about the Garden State Wine Growers Association Wine and Chocolate Trail Weekend is that you can attend with your special someone, your whole family, your friends, your parents, your favorite aunts, your neighborhood book club… the event isn’t exclusive to couples. (Many of the events are family-friendly, but not all, so double-check before bringing the kids.)
And, the weekend is not exclusive to just drinking wine and eating chocolate. Each winery plans what else it wants to offer that weekend—special wine cocktails, music, food trucks, and much more.
This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday (and Galentine’s Day falls on a Friday), meaning the Wine and Chocolate Trail, which runs from February 12-15, overlaps with the dates of the holidays. If your ideal way to spend these celebrate-the-ones-you-love days is at a New Jersey winery, you’re in luck. The wineries are busy preparing to welcome you with open arms and open bottles.
Our most important suggestion: If reservations are required for an event, get them in ASAP. Many events will sell out.
Wineries Planning Something Special for the Wine and Chocolate Trail
The basics of each winery’s Wine and Chocolate pairing are here. Click through for additional details, including cost, dates, and times.
Stokelan Winery: Enjoy a 6-wine pairing flight with 6 chocolates from the local chocolatiers at Reily’s Candy in Medford.
Terhune Orchards: Enjoy a special pairing of Terhune wines paired with chocolate from Pierre’s Chocolates of New Hope, PA.
Saddlehill Winery: A knowledgeable wine ambassador will guide you through a curated wine & chocolate pairing experience of Saddlehill’s wines and four gourmet chocolates from Mecha in Haddonfield.
Rebel Sheep Wine Co.: Indulge in free chocolate with every wine flight over the weekend.
Old York Cellars: Choose a guided pairing of sparkling wines with handcrafted chocolates, available as a standalone guided tasting or as an add-on to your Valentine’s visit.
Bellview Winery: Enjoy special chocolate flights, cheese and chocolate boards, special wine cocktails, red wine hot chocolate, live music, a food truck, and more.
Cape May Winery: Winemaker Jackson leads pairings of four red wines paired with locally crafted chocolate.
William Heritage Winery: Choose from a dry wine pairing or a sweet wine pairing with chocolates chosen for each from Mecha Chocolates at both Heritage’s Mullica Hill location and its tasting room in Haddonfield.
Valenzano Winery: Enjoy a curated flight of decadent desserts, each thoughtfully paired with a complementary wine to enhance every flavor.
Wineries Planning Additional Valentine’s Experiences
You didn’t expect New Jersey’s wineries to stop at just wine and chocolate pairings, did you? Many of our wineries are hosting additional experiences—workshops, dinners, and brunches on Valentine’s weekend and the week leading up to it. Why not hit up more than one winery during this season of love!
Workshops
- Saddlehill hosts a Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board Workshop on February 12 from 6-7pm and also a happy hour and vendors for Galentine’s Day on the same evening.
- Terhune Orchards invites you to gather your Galentines for Wine and Design: Valentine’s Flower Arrangements on February 13 at 5:30pm.
- Bellview Winery celebrates Galentine’s and Valentine’s with a Candle Class on February 13 from 6-8pm.
- Rebel Sheep Wine Co. hosts a Galentine’s Bead Bar with Smooth as Glass Designs on February 13 from 6:30-8pm. Create wine charms, wine stoppers, cheese knives, and glam pens with your besties.
- Laurita Winery hosts Sip and Wick Heart Shaped Candle Class on February 5 from 7-9pm.
- Tomasello Winery celebrates Galentine’s with Sip, Sup and Paint on February 13 from 6-8:30pm. It includes dinner, a complimentary sparkling wine toast, and all supplies needed to paint your own illuminated wine bottle.
Brunches and Dinners
- Hopewell Valley Vineyards cooks up a Valentine’s Brunch on February 14 from 11am-1pm with traditional brunch dishes along with wines, mimosas, bellinis, plus wine and chocolate pairings available for purchase.
- Tomasello Winery invites you to put on your dancing shoes for a Valentine’s Dinner Dance. They’ll be serving up a four-course dinner and a cash bar of wine and specialty wine cocktails on February 14 from 7-11pm, and also hosting Sip, Sup and Paint on February 13 from 6-8:30pm that includes dinner, a complimentary sparkling wine toast, and all supplies needed to paint your own illuminated wine bottle.
- Old York Cellars hosts a Valentine’s Wine Pairing Dinner on February 13 & 14 with timed seatings from 4pm-9pm.
- Beneduce Vineyards offers its annual Sweetheart Tastings featuring seven wines paired with locally crafted cheese, salumi, and artisanal truffles from February 11-15.
- White Horse Winery Valentine’s Wine Pairing Dinner on February 14 from 5-9pm, which includes two courses, plus an assortment of decadent, romantic desserts.
- Unionville Vineyard’s Valentine’s Dinner in the Farmhouse starts at 6:30pm on February 14. Dinner in the winery’s 1858 Farmhouse will be catered by Blawenburg Bistro.
This is the full list of events as of publication. If you don’t see your familiar New Jersey wineries listed here, check our events calendar or the events section of the winery’s website—maybe they have something going on that was announced at a later time. Cheers!
