Give New Jersey Wines a Chance

Wine lovers in the Chathams can stop by Unionville Vineyards booth at the Farmers Market to try some homegrown New Jersey wine. Unionville Vineyards, a new vendor at this year’s market, has something for everyone with its wide selection of red, white and rose wines.

Everything about Unionville Vineyard says “New Jersey,” from its wine grapes to the picture of New Jersey on the label of each bottle. The vineyard, located in Ringoes, New Jersey, grows its own grapes and makes all of its wines right on its farm. “We hand harvest and hand make our wines,” Jennifer Tanner, director of Marketing and Sales for the vineyard, said.

Tanner brought a sample of the vineyard’s dry, semi-sweet and dessert wines to Saturday’s Farmers’ Market. Their selection includes chardonnay, pinot grigio and a port that is “beautiful, smooth as silk,” Tanner described.

Unionville Vineyards also has a semi-sweet rose wine named Fields of Fire. Tanner brought this with her to last Saturday’s Farmers’ Market and said that it is perfect for making sangria. Her secret recipe? Just mix the wine with half a cup of brandy, half a cup of triple sec, 12 ounces of lemon lime soda and tropical fruit.

The vineyard is open to the public, but Tanner also wanted to get involved in local Farmers’ Markets. “I think it is important to have residents in New Jersey know that there are wineries in New Jersey. I love the idea of being part of a Farmers’ Market,” Tanner said, “we are grape farmers we grow wine grapes.”

Unionville Vineyard is open daily from noon to five p.m. and has complimentary winery tours Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. According to the Farmers’ Market website, the vineyard will be at the market every month. For more information about Unionville Vineyard, click here.