In 2011 I attended an event sponsored by the Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association, invited by grape grower Larry Coia. Barrel samples of the 2010 vintage from many wineries were on hand at lunch. It was a great vintage for New Jersey and the wines were a shock–almost uniformly delicious. Like any epiphany, action followed. First, comparisons of the weather in the New Jersey growing season to Bordeaux (hot summers, necessary to ripen most red vinifera grapes) showed clear similarities. Second, the sandy loam soil in both places (helpful for drainage when there is too much rainfall) was also similar. It was apparent that good vinifera grapes and wine could come from New Jersey, what I had tasted in 2011 at the OCPVA meeting was no accident. I started to look for property near Vineland and eventually found and purchased a parcel on Lincoln Avenue near the city of Vineland.
