Ok, so everyone reading this knows New Jersey makes some great wines. I thought it might be interesting to highlight a few of the fun things you can do besides taste great wines at our wineries. In addition to listening to an increasing and impressive array of talented musicians, they offer a plethora of entertainment options for you. Pictured above: Chris Smither at Hawk Haven Vineyard and Winery’s wonderful Rootstock Concert (left) and a fabulous Pasta Friday Dinner at Auburn Road Vineyards (right).
Below is a very incomplete list of some of the fun things you can do:
- Yoga-Loosen up with a little wine and then loosen up your joints and muscles with some healthy stretching and exercise (Sharrott Winery, Bellview Winery, Fox Hollow Vineyards among others). Perhaps yoga first and then a little wine is the more prudent order…
- Country line dance lessons (Summit City Farms & Winery)
- Painting-from wine bottles to canvasses and beyond (many periodically)
- Book Clubs(Southwind Vineyard-last I heard, this one was active; I believe there are others, but could not easily confirm them, but why not start your own: call a winery near you and inquire about the size of your group and meeting times, etc. and see if they are open to this)
- Talent Shows (Laurita Winery-a la Laurita Idol)
- Open Mic Night-One of these nights I just may get up the nerve… (Auburn Road Vineyards)
- Arts and Crafts (many, especially around the holidays)
- Psychics (White Horse Winery, Summit City Farms & Winery)
- Hikes on trails – Many including Southwind Vineyard & Winery, where you can check out their Lipizzaner Stallion
- Opera (Tomasello Winery)
- Golf (Renault Winery)
- Murder Mystery Dinners (Four Sisters Winery)
- 3k and 5k and other runs: These may be starting or finish points or self-contained on the property (Bellview Winery, Autumn Lake Winery, William Heritage Winery and a number of others)
- Cooking Lessons (Mount Salem Vineyards)
- Sit-down and wine-paired dinners (Valenzano Winery, Tomasello Winery, Auburn Road Vineyards, Mount Salem Winery, Cape May Winery, Renault Winery)
- Spa services (Laurita Winery)
- Stay at the winery overnight (Laurita Winery, Jessie Creek Winery, Renault Winery)
- Get married-Just don’t propose after doing an extensive wine trail tasting and expect to be married the same day…it’s not recommended and they are booked long in advance (too numerous to name here)
- A beautiful outdoor walk with your dog (A number of wineries, including, of course, Working Dog Winery)
- Comedy Night (Willow Creek Winery, Old York Cellars)
- Trivia Night (Sharrott Winery and, I believe, one or two others)
Check out some of these fun activities. My examples of wineries above, barely scratched the surface. The list is, at best incomplete, but hopefully will spur you to check out what is offered near you. Some are offered regularly (weekly or monthly) and others are offered periodically or even “one offs.” The best way to stay up-to-date on the offerings: subscribe to the newsletters of those wineries nearby. The Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA) website is another great resource. It is located at NewJerseyWines.com. You should also consider subscribing to The Juice via their website at LocalWineEvents.com. They offer a fairly comprehensive list of wine events (and brewery and distillery events). Cheers!
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Coming Attractions
- New Jersey Chardonnay
- A Few Lesser Known NJ Wines
- A Few Premium NJ Wines
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