And Wish White Horse Winery a Happy 10th Anniversary!
Before 1981, New Jersey could only legally have one winery for each million residents. In 1981, the population was 7.407 million people. You can do the math there.
When the state passed the New Jersey Farm Winery Act in 1981, those restrictions loosened, ushering in the modern age of New Jersey winemaking that we know and love. We now have well over 50 wineries with a Farm Winery License, and two of those establishments opened in the past few months.
If you follow us on social media or subscribe to our weekly newsletter, you’ve already heard a bit about them. Perhaps you’ve already visited.
It’s exciting to see how we’re growing! The number of New Jersey wineries increased this year by two, which isn’t too shabby for our small—but important—industry. We wanted to give you a chance to learn a little more about these two wineries—one in South Jersey and one in North Jersey—very convenient for New Jersey wine lovers.
Saddlehill Winery & Vineyards, Camden County
Between April 10 when its doors opened to the public and June 3, Saddlehill Winery & Vineyards in Voorhees served 40,000 people who walked through the doors of the Outer Coastal Plain’s newest winery. Now on land that General George Washington gave to his personal guard Lt. John Stafford in 1773, Saddlehill is home to horse stables, a state-of-the-art winery and tasting room, a restaurant, alpacas, chickens, bee boxes, edible gardens, and an indoor market. It’s quickly become a place where locals have become regulars, but there’s still plenty of room for newcomers.
The wine list has something for everyone from sweet and dry whites, to a refreshing rosé to dry reds, plus soon-to-be-released sparkling wines. This summer, in addition to the fine wines, the house-made sangria from estate Cabernet Sauvignon has been wowing guests.
The onsite restaurant, helmed by Chef Daniel Stern, former executive chef at Philadelphia’s famed Le Bec-Fin and chef/owner of R2L at Center City’s Two Liberty Place, offers a menu designed to pair with the wines. Saddlehill’s owner Bill Green suggests pairing the menu’s Truffle Parmesan Fries or Pastrami-Style Wings with the Cabernet Sauvignon or the Arancini stuffed with Gruyere Risotto with the Chardonnay.
Guests can explore the grounds during a 1.5-hour guided tour of the vineyards, winery, and horse stables, plus wine tasting on weekends for $45. Now that the winery has found its groove, it’s holding events such as yoga in the pasture with sheep and alpacas, paint and sips, and flowering arranging classes with more to come.
Reservations are highly suggested but walk-ins are welcome if there is availability indoors. The tables on the outside lawn are first come, first served. Families with children 12 and under are welcome on the outside lawn where there is table service. Guided tastings by educated wine ambassadors happen on the hour at the winery’s walk up bar starting and last 45 minutes.
Hours: Noon to 9pm Wednesday through Sunday.
Rebel Sheep Wine Co., Morris County
On June 1, Rebel Sheep Wine Co. in Chester opened to the public. The winery is an offshoot of the already-established Stony Hill Farms. In 2021 the farm had a big apple harvest with an abundance of excess apples. That’s when, according to winemaker Dana Ronyack-Davis, the idea to make hard cider was born. Then, they decided to also make fruit wines with various crops from the farm’s 5,000 acres.
Almost all of the fruit that goes into the wines and ciders, one exception is cranberries sourced from South Jersey, comes from excess fruit from Stony Hill Farms. Each wine is small batch and those batches will vary from vintage to vintage depending on the harvest. Raspberry wine—just one 59-gallon barrel’s worth—was produced first. Now, Rebel Sheep bottles wines made from a variety of fruit including blueberries, peaches (with some homegrown grapes thrown in), strawberries, and cranberries. The hard ciders are made with apples with additions such as lavender or blood oranges.
The reception from the community has been really great—there’s nothing else like it in Morris County—and Rebel Sheep is excited to welcome more visitors.
“Chester is a quaint historical town,” says Ronyack-Davis. “And now there’s another reason for people to fall in love with our town. I also hope that more people will fall in love with fruit wines because I think they’re cool and different.”
The winery’s name was born from its non-traditional way of doing things.
“We’re making wine, but it’s not traditional. It’s different. You don’t have to be trained in tasting wine to like our wines,” she says.
Special events at the winery include trivia night twice a month and live music on Fridays and Saturday nights. Rebel Sheep has already hosted a couple of paint and sips and has Bingo planned for the end of this month. Guests can also explore the farm outside the winery’s doors, and participate in pick-your-own raspberries, blueberries, sunflowers, and more in season. Looking toward the fall, there will be a corn maze, pick-your-own apples, and hay rides.
Hours: Thursday 1 to 8pm; Friday and Saturday noon to 8pm; Sunday noon to 6pm.
Natali Vineyards Undergoing a Name Change
Not all I’s have been dotted nor the T’s crossed, but Natali Vineyards in Cape May Courthouse will soon officially be Briganti by the Bay. Even though the name change is still in flux, the new team at the winery has had some good news.
Winemaker Tim Jobe won Best of Category (Red Blend) & Gold for his Nonno’s Cellar, Silver for his 2021 Merlot and Bronze for his 2021 Pinot Gris and 2022 Sauvignon Blanc at the 2024 Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition.
Broadway Star Has New Jersey Winery in the Works
Laura Bell Bundy, whose Broadway credits include Hairspray and the title role in Legally Blonde: The Musical, lives in Hunterdon County on a farm in Tewskbruy and now is planning a boutique winery. New Jersey Montly reports that she currently has an acre of Pinot Grigio and Grüner Veltliner grapes planted on the farm and hopes to open Memorial Day 2025.
Follow The Hardscrabble Farm on Instagram to watch how the farm and the vineyards are coming along.
White Horse Winery, Atlantic County
Ten years ago, White Horse Winery in Hammonton joined the growing list of quality New Jersey wineries. This July, the celebrated winery observes its 10th anniversary of making fine wine in the Outer Coastal Plain and welcoming guests through its doors. Now a destination for many visitors to New Jersey, its estate wines are some of the most awarded in the state.
Stop by the winery to wish them Happy Anniversary and check out the special anniversary events that culminate with Memory Lane on July 31, a unique vertical tasting of vintage White Horse wines with owner BJ Vinton and the winemakers. Tickets are $45 for the public and $35 for wine club members.
Hours: Tuesday 1 to 7pm; Friday noon to 9pm; Saturday noon to 6pm; Sunday noon to 5pm.
