A Visit to Cape May Wine Country

Cape May is not just a summer destination anymore thanks to its fledgling wine industry that has made it a year-round destination.  As you enjoy the beach and a dip in the Atlantic Ocean, go bird watching or dine in one of the many great restaurants on Cape May, you are minutes away from seven wineries that are making hand-crafted wines from grapes grown right on the Cape May Peninsula.

With the longest growing season of any region in the state, Cape May offers some of the best wines and widest selection of varietals available in the Garden State.

In May 2018, the Cape May Peninsula became New Jersey’s fourth American Viticultural Area (AVA), joining The Central Delaware Valley AVA, which is shared with portions of eastern Pennsylvania, Outer Coastal Plain AVA covering 9 southern counties and the Warren Hills AVA.

American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) are the officially-designated United States wine grape growing regions. They are based on the French AOC system and designated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. When an AVA designation appears on a wine label at least 85% of that wine must come from within an AVA boundary.

In order for a region to be approved as an AVA, it must be able to prove its identity as a region that is beneficial to grape growing. Some of the criteria used by the Federal government to determine whether an area meets this standard include distinct climate, soil type, elevation and other physical features as well as a history or wine grape growing.

The seven Cape May wineries are: Cape May Winery, G&W Winery, Hawk Haven Vineyard, Jessie Creek Winery, Natali Vineyards, Turdo Vineyards and Willow Creek Winery.