FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Devon Perry
+1 (856) 761-9986
Executive Director, GSWGA
Devon@NewJerseyWines.com
GARDEN STATE WINE GROWERS ASSOCIATION
INTERNATIONAL WINE SUMMIT
Highlights from Dinner and Blind-Tasting Paying Tribute to the Judgement of Princeton
The Garden State Wine Growers Association – a coalition of 60+ New Jersey wineries and vineyards supporting the Garden State’s wine industry through information, resources, and advocacy – held its inaugural International Wine Summit Celebratory Dinner on June 22 at Tomasello Winery in Hammonton, NJ. The dinner concluded the second day of the Judgment of Princeton International Wine Summit Media Tour with Italian Sommeliers Sally Semeria and Davide Gilioli.
The New Jersey wine industry has experienced significant growth since our wines outperformed French and Californian wines in a blind-tasting competition ten years ago. The event, called The Judgment of Princeton International Wine Summit, put New Jersey’s viticulture and winemaking on the map.
On June 22, 2023, the International Wine Summit Celebratory Dinner commemorated the 2012 event by hosting a double-blind tasting for New Jersey legislators and dignitaries, industry leaders, and New Jersey Wine Country supporters.
A highlight of the event was the announcement of Sally and Davide as the official European Ambassadors of New Jersey Wine Country. This week, they poured New Jersey wines at the US Embassy in Rome, Italy, with Scott and Julianne Donnini, owners of Auburn Road Vineyards in Pilesgrove, NJ and Garden State Wine Growers Association representatives.
Noteworthy Attendees
- Senator James Beach, New Jersey Legislator District 6
- Allen Carter, New Jersey Farm Bureau
- Staci Dempsey, New Jersey Office of Apprenticeship
- Jerry Fisher, Former ABC Director
- Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald, New Jersey Legislator District 6
- Danny Klein, Certified Specialist of Wine (SWE), WSET Advanced and a Certified Wine Judge (AWS)
Winery Attendees
- Louis Caracciolo, Owner of Amalthea Cellars
- Lawrence Coia, Co-owner of Bellview Winery
- Scott and Julianne Donnini, Owners of Auburn Road Vineyard & Winery
- David Gardner, Winemaker at Bellview Winery
- Darren Hesington, Director of Winery and Vineyard Operations at Old York Cellars
- Larry Sharrott Sr., Owner of Sharrott Winery
- Jack and Charlie Tomasello, Owners of Tomasello Winery
- Kenna and Todd Wuerker, Owners of Hawk Haven Winery
About Garden State Wine Growers Association
The Garden State Wine Growers Association is a non-profit organization of New Jersey-based wineries, vineyards and allied businesses. It serves as a centralized information repository, resource and clearing house for industry members, and offers a unified voice advocating for issues important to the entire range of New Jersey winery and vineyard operations. Central to this mission are efforts toward branding, marketing, public relations, education, and legislation and regulation for the furtherance of the vineyard and wine industries in the Garden State. For more information, visit www.NewJerseyWines.com or the socials included: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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