The New Jersey Turnpike’s purpose is to shuffle people and goods back and forth from New York City to Philadelphia as well as other points north and south. Vehicles barrel up and down the infamous highway at a fast clip; travelers can take in some industrial sights (and smells), from the many factories in North Jersey to the shipping ports of Newark. But the Turnpike can also deliver people to rolling fields and vast farmland worthy of the region’s Garden State moniker. One need only take an exit.
On a recent hot and humid late summer day, I was part of a group of travelers driving down the Turnpike. We left Manhattan around 10 a.m., and after a couple of hours, exited onto a county road and finally a country road. The area was rural and the topography flat. We were headed for White Horse Winery. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel disoriented. Wine? In New Jersey?
In fact, there are more than 50 licensed wineries in the state, with more on the horizon. The Garden State Wine Grower’s Association, a non-profit and advocacy membership group that works closely with the state’s tourism arm, is working to advance the wines here.
“We’re wonderful at what we do,” says Devon Perry, executive director of the Grower’s Association. “Our wines are intertwined with beaches and history—New Jersey has the perfect combination of agro-tourism that allows families, friends and individuals to get lost in the vines.”
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This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
