An underrated East Coast scene: serious Chardonnay, Bordeaux reds, and rising sparkling from the Outer Coastal Plain to the hills. Updated for 2026.
New Jersey is one of American wine's genuine surprises, a fast-rising scene of some four dozen serious wineries that has quietly earned national attention. The Garden State's wine history is older than most realize, Tomasello Winery in Hammonton dates to 1933, and its modern reputation got a jolt in 2012 when, in a Princeton tasting modeled on the famous Judgment of Paris, New Jersey wines held their own against renowned French bottles. The state has four AVAs, led by the large Outer Coastal Plain in the south (a maritime, sandy-soiled region near the Atlantic and Delaware Bay) and the cooler Warren Hills in the northwest, with the Hunterdon County hills in between. A quality-minded group of producers, several united in the Winemakers Co-op, now makes serious Chardonnay, Bordeaux-style reds, cool-climate Riesling and Pinot Noir, and increasingly fine sparkling wine.
Below are the New Jersey wineries we recommend most overall, from the historic Tomasello to the state's modern quality leaders across its main regions. Current as of October 2026.
Acclaimed sparkling and Chardonnay
A family estate in Mullica Hill in the Outer Coastal Plain, William Heritage has become one of New Jersey's quality leaders, known for traditional-method sparkling wines and well-regarded Chardonnay and Bordeaux varieties. A founding member of the quality-focused Winemakers Co-op.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Mullica Hill / Outer Coastal Plain.
Our tip: Taste the traditional-method sparkling and Chardonnay; a state quality leader.
A benchmark Hunterdon estate
A respected estate in Ringoes in Hunterdon County, Unionville is among New Jersey's most acclaimed wineries, celebrated for single-vineyard Chardonnay (its Pheasant Hill bottling rated among the state's best) and serious reds. A Winemakers Co-op member.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Ringoes / Hunterdon County.
Our tip: Taste the single-vineyard Chardonnay; one of New Jersey's benchmark estates.
Cool-climate, estate-grown
Founded in 2012 on a fourth-generation Pittstown farm, Beneduce makes sustainably farmed, estate-grown small-lot wines, with a cool-climate focus on Riesling, Blaufrankisch, and Pinot Noir (its Pinot has earned top New Jersey scores). A Winemakers Co-op member.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Pittstown / Hunterdon County.
Our tip: Taste the Riesling, Blaufrankisch, and Pinot Noir; cool-climate and estate-grown.
A quality-focused central estate
A central New Jersey estate near Robbinsville (formerly Silver Decoy, replanted from 2001), Working Dog is a Winemakers Co-op member known for consistent, high-scoring estate wines, a serious, welcoming stop between Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Robbinsville area.
Our tip: Taste the estate reds and whites; a consistent, quality-focused central stop.
New Jersey's oldest winery (1933)
Founded in Hammonton in 1933, just after Prohibition, Tomasello is New Jersey's oldest continuously operated winery, a large, historic Outer Coastal Plain producer with a very broad range from dry vinifera to popular fruit wines and sparkling.
Good to know: Tastings; winery. Hammonton / Outer Coastal Plain.
Our tip: Taste where Jersey wine history runs deepest; the state's oldest winery.
Cape May's sparkling ambition
Established in 2008 on Wuerker family land near Rio Grande in Cape May County, Hawk Haven is a family-run estate with growing ambitions in sparkling wine, a welcoming, quality-minded anchor of the Cape May wine scene at the state's southern tip.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Rio Grande / Cape May County.
Our tip: Taste the estate range and sparkling near Cape May; family-run and ambitious.
A longtime Warren Hills estate
One of northwestern New Jersey's established estates, set on the Musconetcong River valley slopes in the Warren Hills near Milford, Alba Vineyard makes a broad range from dry reds and whites to fruit wines in a scenic, long-running setting.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Milford / Warren Hills.
Our tip: Taste the estate range in the scenic Warren Hills; a longtime northwest winery.
A lively South Jersey estate
An award-winning South Jersey estate in the Outer Coastal Plain, Sharrott pairs a well-made range with live music and a scratch kitchen, a hospitable, crowd-friendly stop that has become a popular South Jersey destination.
Good to know: Tastings, music, and food; estate. South Jersey.
Our tip: Pair a tasting with live music and the scratch kitchen; lively and popular.
New Jersey's wine country splits into three main areas. The Outer Coastal Plain in the south, around Hammonton, Mullica Hill, and down toward Cape May, is the largest, home to Tomasello, William Heritage, Sharrott, and the Cape May cluster, easy from Philadelphia or the Shore. The Hunterdon County hills in the central-west (Ringoes, Pittstown, Robbinsville) hold quality leaders like Unionville, Beneduce, and Working Dog. The Warren Hills in the northwest (Milford, Belvidere) add scenic river-valley estates like Alba. Pick an area, plan three or four stops, and visit spring through fall; the state's many quality-focused tasting rooms reward a thoughtful day over a party crawl.
Do not dismiss New Jersey wine on reputation alone; the state's best producers make serious, nationally recognized wine, as the 2012 Princeton tasting underlined. Do not expect one uniform style, the maritime Outer Coastal Plain and the cooler Hunterdon and Warren hills grow different grapes and make very different wines. And do not try to cover the south and the northwest in one day, they are far apart, so pick a region.
Which are the best wineries in New Jersey?
A well-rounded list includes the acclaimed William Heritage (Mullica Hill) and Unionville (Ringoes); the cool-climate, estate-grown Beneduce (Pittstown); the consistent Working Dog near Robbinsville; the historic Tomasello (the state's oldest, from 1933); the Cape May sparkling specialist Hawk Haven; the scenic Alba Vineyard in the Warren Hills; and the lively Sharrott in South Jersey. Several belong to the quality-focused Winemakers Co-op.
What wine is New Jersey known for?
New Jersey's strengths span serious Chardonnay and Bordeaux-style reds (especially from the Outer Coastal Plain), cool-climate Riesling and Pinot Noir from the Hunterdon and Warren hills, and a fast-growing reputation for traditional-method sparkling wine (led by William Heritage and Hawk Haven). The state gained national attention after the 2012 Princeton tasting, where its wines performed strongly against French benchmarks.
Where is New Jersey wine country?
Across three main areas. The Outer Coastal Plain AVA in the south (around Hammonton, Mullica Hill, and Cape May) is the largest and easiest from Philadelphia or the Shore. The Hunterdon County hills in the central-west (Ringoes, Pittstown, Robbinsville) hold several quality leaders. The Warren Hills AVA in the northwest (around Milford and Belvidere) adds scenic river-valley estates.
How many AVAs does New Jersey have?
Four. The largest is the Outer Coastal Plain (approved 2007), a roughly 2.25-million-acre maritime region across southern New Jersey. The Warren Hills AVA sits in the northwest, the Central Delaware Valley AVA is shared with Pennsylvania, and the Cape May Peninsula AVA covers the state's southern tip. In practice, the Outer Coastal Plain is the most significant for New Jersey wine.
Is New Jersey wine any good?
Yes, genuinely, and it surprises people. New Jersey has earned real national attention over the past decade, crystallized by the 2012 'Judgment of Princeton' tasting, where state wines held their own against famous French bottles. Quality-focused producers like William Heritage, Unionville, and Beneduce, several united in the Winemakers Co-op, make serious Chardonnay, Bordeaux reds, cool-climate whites, and increasingly fine sparkling wine.
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Go deeper: Best Outer Coastal Plain wineries - South Jersey from the Pine Barrens to Cape May.