An Interesting Talk with Larry Coia & Orley Ashenfelter

Before I share my post about this wonderful and informative get together, I want to share my condolences for Larry Coia, his son, Steve, and the entire family for the passing of Larry’s mother on August 22. 

Pictured above in the photo, from left to right are: Steve Coia (Larry’s son); Larry Coia, Tracey Ashenfelter (Orley’s daughter), and Orley Ashenfelter (seated). We lunched under Orley’s pergola (he calls it his oasis). The pergola is almost covered, except for a small entrance, by grapes vines (Marquette grapes to be more precise).

Larry Coia is a retired radiation oncologist. A year ago I wrote a post about my phone interview with Larry Coia, one of the state’s largest and best grape growers in New Jersey. You can read about that post here: https://wp.me/p74VSa-dfg  Since that time, Larry has suggested to me that I should interview Orley Ashenfelter. Orley is also a key grape grower for New Jersey and I knew about him from social media in the wine circles and from seeing OA (his initials) or Ashenfelter Vineyards on numerous bottles at some of my favorite wineries (like Hawk Haven Vineyards and Cedar Rose Vineyards). I didn’t know he reads my blog and was interested in talking with me. A couple of months ago, we started to see if we could set up an opportunity to do just that with Orley, Larry, and myself. Orley graciously arranged to have sandwiches (and cannolis) from Bagliani’s in Hammonton. Larry brought along a couple of bottles of wine. These included the white blend pictured below, and a red blend that Larry made that was also very good. We also enjoyed a terrific bottle of the 2017 Cedar Rose Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon stating Ashenfelter Vineyards on the label.

Larry Coia’s Vineyards

Larry has a huge parcel of land in Vineland. He also has a huge family, who share the farming background. They grow fruits and vegetables, selling them in bulk and from a local garden market. But it is the 15 acres of vineyards that most interest him (and me). It is hard to grasp the enormity of Larry’s business from chatting on the phone, so when he offered to give me a tour, I enthusiastically accepted. We did this on what Larry calls a “gator.” It’s a little like a golf cart, a two-seater with lots of room for tools and other paraphernalia in the back. As we drove around the vineyard, Larry would occasionally stop to point out some things of special interest. The photo below of one row in his vineyard is a still from a video I took, which, unfortunately, I am unable to insert in this post. It would give you a better sense of the scope and the beauty of the vineyards.

One of the other stops was to show me some of the key pieces of equipment, like his huge, but remarkably nimble grape picking machine, pulled by a John Deere tractor (both pictured below).

                   

The picture on the left below is a framed extraction of Larry’s soil, which is labeled “Sassafras Sandy Loam.” Obviously the soil is one of the keys to growing great grapes.

                               

We ended our tour of Larry’s vineyards out near the road, where their stone sign is displayed. The date reads 1903, the year the family farm was started. Just behind the stone is Larry’s very first planting (1976). This is their Block One, consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Most recently, Larry has become a business partner at Bellview Winery, a short drive from his vineyards. Larry sources many New Jersey wineries with some of their grapes. You may not see his name or initials on many of these wines. I recently had a wonderful Blaufrankisch at Sharrott Winery, but only recently learned the grapes were sourced from Larry’s vineyards. Pictured below is a very good white blend that was a collaboration of 50% of the grapes coming from Larry’s vineyards and 50% coming from Autumn Lake Winery, where the final product was made and named Autumn Lake 2022 Halcyon. It is delicious!

Orley shared that he and Larry first met when Larry invited Orley and Karl Storchmann (editor of the Journal of Wine Economics) to speak at an OCPVA meeting in Pittstown. He described that experience as his “epiphany about NJ wines.”

Orley Ashenfelter

Orley Ashenfelter’s day job is Professor of Economics at Princeton University. He is acknowledged as “The Father of Wine Economics” (a term that may be new to many of you). Wine economics is the study of the production, distribution, and consumption of wine. Orley is also AAWE (American Association of Wine Economics) President. His interests marry the study of economics, with a specialization in the wine industry. His own first hand experience in growing grapes, selling grapes, and expertise in economics are further enhanced by his passion for wine. Orley has won numerous awards for his expertise and publications. He recently was honored in Bordeaux, France for his contributions to the field of wine economics. He was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Bordeaux.

One of his most notable contributions is a predictive equation for determining whether or not a vintage year will be a good one, or not with better than 90% accuracy. Without getting too deep into the weeds, the keys are rainy winters, hot and sunny summers, that are fairly dry (especially as harvest time approaches, as the grapes can be damaged by heavy rains). The formula is based upon the Bordeaux Region and the grapes grown there. However, you can plug in your specific location and the specific grapes you are growing to modify the model to fit your growing parameters. Of note, is the similarity between the geography, terrain, and weather of the Bordeaux Region in France and the Outer Coastal Plain (OCP) in New Jersey.

Orley shared that he does not use irrigation (and Bordeaux does not allow irrigation). I asked him how he deals with droughts. He replied that once the vines are mature, the roots are extremely long and the soil holds the moisture very well. In addition, the Outer Coastal Plain aquifer runs across the entire OCP, with interlocking parts extending all the way to the northern part of North Carolina. This aquifer continually refreshes.

Orley proceeded to motor us around his vineyards via his gator. He has about 10 acres located on Lincoln Avenue near Vineland. He only grows three varieties of grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Orley’s property nicely matches the needs of his favorite Bordeaux-style grapes. He is one of the few individuals growing Petit Verdot in the entire state. Orley has a whole acre of this interesting variety. He reminded me that the name comes from the French “Little Green”. It is one of the last grapes to turn red. I witnessed that even in his vines. Veraison was just starting (though I did not capture this phenomenon during this whirlwind tour). Below are some beautiful rows of Cab Franc.

I couldn’t leave without asking what Orley believed to be the best New Jersey vintages in the past decade and his prediction for the 2022 vintage. His picks are: 2017, 2019, and 2021. He thinks that 2022 will be the best of all. Though the reds won’t be available until next year, they are already tasting good from the barrel and will “fly off the shelves, once available.” Larry agrees.

I really enjoyed my afternoon with these interesting and talented growers who are a couple of the “unsung heroes” in the New Jersey wine business. I found a couple of my favorite wines in my cellar that were sourced by Orley’s grapes. They are pictured below from left to right: Cedar Rose Vineyards 2019 Cab Ashenfelter Vineyards, 2020 Hawk Haven Vineyards OA Petit Verdot (2); and 2020 Hawk Haven Vineyards OA Cab Franc.

Coming Attractions

• Music in the Vines at Stokelan Winery
• Va La Vineyards
• Auburn Road Winery September 2023
• Cedar Rose Vineyards September 2023

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