Looking for Something to Do in Cape May? Take a self guided Vineyard Tour of Cape May

Looking for Something to Do in Cape May? 

Take a self guided Vineyard Tour of Cape May and enjoy local Cape May grown wines.

Why the Cape May County region supports excellent Wine growing - The Cape May peninsula has a unique climate. For the tender European wine grapes (Vitis vinifera), the Mid-Atlantic region is hostile: too cold, too humid, and too rainy. But lower Cape May's climate is moderated by two large bodies of water, the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay. The configuration and climate parallels a famous French wine-growing region, the Bordeaux, which lies between the Atlantic and the lower Gironde River. Like the area known as the Medoc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc do very well in this climate

The Atlantic and Delaware Bay support the grape vines in a number of ways. First, the winters are not so cold. Temperatures rarely dip below zero Fahrenheit, the killing zone for Vitis vinifera. Second, we have an extended growing season, usually 200 frost free days, which allows many varieties to ripen into late October. Third, we have water-borne breezes that dry out the canopy, reducing fungal disease. Finally the loamy sand soil drains quickly, so vine roots are not standing in "wet feet" after the frequent and often severe thunderstorms.

Take a self-guided tour of Cape May County-   You can tour over six New Jersey local award winning wineries here in Cape May County, all within a 20 minute or less drive. Winemaking is serious business in NJ State. It has become not only an elegant solution for preserving Farmland acres, but has allowed New Jersey to become the sixth largest producer of US wines. You next time in Cape May visit and support a local vineyard, take a tasting tour and enjoy the best wines that Cape May County has to offer.

Cape May Winery & Vineyard

711 Townbank Road, Cape May NJ 08204

609 884 1169

Open 7 Days a week for Wine Tastings; Winey Tours Held Year round call for a reservation

For the past two decades, Cape May Winery has grown to produce some of South Jersey’s most distinguished wines. Cape May Wineries four different vineyards encompass more than 150 acres and product more than 16 different varieties of grapes.  We invite you to experience out winery; visit one of our three tasting room and sit on our charming deck, taking in the breathtaking views. Go on a winery tour, where a novice and experienced wine drinkers learn how our local wine is made. Get a behind the scenes look at our wine making operation. Walk through the vineyard and sample a soon to be released wine from the barrel. Come see why Cape May’s sand soil and moist climate make this an ideal grape growing region and why or winery is a tourist delight for all seasons.

Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery

600 South Railroad Avenue, Rio Grande, NJ 08242

609 846 7347

www.hawkhavenvineyard.com

Summer Hours 11am- 7PM   Winter Hours 12Pm -5PM

Nestled between the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, our vineyard is a natural born safe harbor of serenity and abundance. Cultivated by the determination loyalty and passion of three generations, an oasis has been preserved. Sandy soils, cool ocean summer breezes and tempering waters create the perfect growing conditions to product high quality viniferous wines.

There’s something for everyone at Hawk Haven. Memorial Day through Labor Day enjoy Sangria Sundays with your family and friends: a day filled with live mused and wine cocktails under our vineyard tent. For a romantic evening out or a fun night with friends, join us for Friday Nights at Hawk Haven: a three course dinner paired with our wines/and our happy hour at our wine bar, accompanied by live jazz. Our tasting room and wine gift shop are open daily, year round educational wine tastings.

Natali Vineyards

221 North Delsea Drive (North Route 47) 08210

Cape May Courthouse, NJ

(609) 465-0075

http://www.natalivineyards.com/main/index

Alfred Natali is the winemaker and founder of Natali Vineyards. Once a man of Wall Street, Al designed telephone circuits as a network engineer for the brokerage industry. A historian by training, Al was a professor at the City University of New York. His dissertation research in France and Italy introduced him to the dry red wines of the Mediterranean region. Born in Philadelphia of immigrant working class parents, Al moved to South Jersey as a youngster. He spent summers in Wildwood and Atlantic City with his retired grandparents. He noticed that coastal summers hailed cool breezes. Sandy soils drained quickly even after a thunderstorm. Autumn frost held off until November and winters were mild. When a Rutgers professor said, "You can grow vinifera in Cape May," Al was inspired. Vitis vinifera is the grapevine of French and Italian wines, the ones Al remembered from Europe.

In March 2000, Al purchased 22 acres of horse pasture on Route 47 in Goshen, just one half mile to the Delaware Bay. The first year, cover crops of fescue and mustard rejuvenated the compacted soils. He studied rootstocks, grape varieties and clones for the site's microclimate and soil conditions. To focus the vine's energy on high-sugar fruits rather than high vigor, Al selected the 101-14 rootstock. In Spring 2001, the Natali family planted 2400 vines on the first three acres. Over the years the vineyard expanded to seven acres with 5500 vines, yielding 15 tons of high quality fruit. The grand experiment is discovering which varieties will grow well in Cape May. To that end, Al has planted 14 different varieties of French, Italian and Spanish grapes. The great excitement is tasting which varieties and blends represent the best wine that Cape May can bear. 

Al started the legal-regulatory process of becoming a winery in 2003. After acquiring a federal winery permit, a state license, constructing the winery, and gathering equipment, winery operations began in September 2004, just in time for the harvest. Family and friends rallied for the first crush. Our first bottling took 9 people all day to produce 120 cases. With vineyard and winery, Al realized his dream of becoming a "vigneron", a simple French term for someone who tends the vines and makes the wine. Our modern world's hectic pace and division of labor rarely allows one person to oversee an entire production process. The vigneron concept harkens back to a slower, more integrated wine-making practice, where the combination of skill, creativity, knowledge and labor in the vineyard produce unique artisan blends in the winery. Al's desire and passion to make wine was more than just nostalgia. Could Natali Vineyard's wine express the local climate and culture by growing Cape May's best possible grapes?

In the spring of 2006, Al was introduced to Ray Pensari, a local builder interested in winemaking on a commercial scale. Ray and his partner Tony Antonelli purchased a half interest in the property and business. By the end of 2007 the new Tasting Room opened and additional equipment increased production. In the first year, sales doubled. The following year sales almost doubled again. By 2010 Natali Vineyards produced over 1500 cases with 20 different labels and won 22 medals in competition.

Following business demand, Al has expanded his wine making craft to the production of fruit wines. As early as 2002 he enrolled in wine chemistry courses at University of California, Davis and at Cornell's Research Station in Geneva, NY. He attended winery workshops sponsored by Virginia Tech, Rutgers University and Penn State. By learning new strategies and techniques, he aims to develop wine styles that best express the fruits of the vineyard and please the local pallet. He enjoys experimenting with new fruit, especially if they're grown by local farmers. His most recent endeavor: Cranberry Wine. Those of us who know Al can't wait to taste it.

 

Turdo Vineyards & Winery

3911 Bayshore Rd., North Cape May, NJ 08204

609 884 5591

www.turdovineyards.com

Open: 7 days a week    Wine Tasting/free tours

In 1988, Sal Turdo set out with a vision, that vision turned 5 acres of woods into one of NJ’s most successful vineyard and winery. Most of our Sangiovese,Nebbiolo,Barbera and Dolcetto varieties are sold before the wine are even bottled. Our signature wine, Nero D’Avola, disappears fastest since Turdo is one of only a foe growers and producers of this varietal in North America. Family owned, Sal’s wife Sara and son Luca are also integral to the winery’s operation and success. Come taste award-winning Turdo wines at select restaurants or at our winery.

Willow Creek Winery

168 Stevens Street, West Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-7171
http://www.willowcreekwinerycapemay.com/

Willow Creek is open to the public for daily tours and picnicking. Our winery and vineyard are the perfect places to enjoy our winemaker dinners and wine tasting events. From the moment you drive up to our Villa, you know you are about to enter some place very special. Surrounded by the ocean and bay, the 50 acre vineyard enjoys a unique microclimate reminiscent of Bordeaux, which leads to exceptional grape harvests. Willow Creek produces fine wines from our unique varietals of vitus vininfera (grape vines) that are now hitting the mature age of 7 years old and producing wines of award winning quality.

The romance of the vineyard is universal and Willow Creek Winery offers vineyard vistas and gardens for strolling and picnicking that will surprise delight and you. A half mile back, beyond the architecturally stunning Villa lies the impressive hand carved post and beam Winery with its beautiful outside brick patio with fireplace where you can enjoy a wine tasting, take a guided tour or attend one of our larger, varied Wine Tasting Events or Farm Festivals.

Groups can also arrange for Private Vineyard Tours, Wine Tastings, as well as Private Wine Dinners/Luncheons. Make your day a special one by pairing our farm fresh foods with our hand crafted bottles of wine- mix in our serene vineyard setting and enjoy a spectacular day on our farm

Jessie Creek Winery

1 North Delsea Drive
Cape May Court House, N.J. 08210
609 536-2092

http://www.jessiecreekwinery.com/index.html

Jessie Creek Winery is the perfect setting that provides a taste of Italy at the South Jersey Shore. Our winery is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay, which creates the perfect sandy soil that cultivates a feeling that you in the mountains of Abruzzio.

This unique area of New Jersey creates a “Micro Mini Climate” that extends the grape growing season allowing a flavorful bouquet for our five variety wine tasting experience which includes Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio with new additions coming soon.

The vineyard at Jessie Creek is harvested and processed on site by hand. This results in a flavor and quality that can be captured in a boutique facility. Our land has produced high quality grapes that have made into an award-winning Merlot that won the bronze medal in the state competition as well as a Cabernet Sauvignon that won the silver medal.

When you visit our tasting room, you not only experience the essence of the wine industry as a whole but also the intimate side of it’s production. Our facility allows you to truly capture the process and spirit of the wonderful wine making process.

About Cape May and Cape May Resort.com

Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. With a rich history, award-winning beaches & boating, designation as a top birding location, and many Victorian structures, Cape May is a seaside resort drawing visitors from around the world. Cape May was recognized as one of America's top 10 beaches by the Travel Channel and its beach was ranked fifth in New Jersey in the 2008 Top 10 Beaches.

CapeMayResort.com is a site that's totally dedicated to the historic Cape May Resort vacation area. We have two goals - to promote our beautiful town's local businesses and to assist potential visitors in finding anything they could want or need in and around Cape May.

This site is home to custom pages and video of easy to navigate information about Cape May- from restaurant choices to weather reports to local events in Cape May We also host a local Cape May Blog featuring  local events, Things to Do in Cape May, shopping and beach information and much more.   You can check out Blog at http://capemayresort.blogspot.com/

http://capemayvictorian.com CapeMayVictorian.com is a custom photo sharing site in which you can explore local Cape May images, download your favorite vacation spot or order a custom framed picture or a one of kind gift of your vacation memory.

http://capemayresort.com Cape May Resort.com is a local Cape May Web Site featuring Things to Do in Cape May, along with Cape May Digital Coupons for savings. If you’re looking for information and reviews for your next trip to Cape may, you’ve come to the right place. At Cape May Resort.com we’ll give you the most current information from Yelp and real time local You Tube Videos to preview your next vacation or week-end trip.  We offer the best in recent reviews from Real People with Real Reviews from Yelp.

http://capemayresort.blogspot.com/  Looking for Something to Do in Cape May New Jersey ? Spend a day at the beach, or go Dolphin and Whale Watching. Visit a local winery or check out the lighthouse and sunken ship at Cape May State Park. Cape May offers beach lovers Victorian architecture, fine dining, bird watching, boating and fishing in addition to world class resort and vacation accommodations.  If you’re looking for information and reviews for your next trip to Cape may, you’ve come to the right place.Cape May Resort.com has been part of the South Jersey Cape May area since 1988. Let us put our local experience to work for you.