There are few things we like more than a good bottle of wine; but, an annual wine festival with literally hundreds of locally-grown New Jersey wines to sample might just be one of them. We had the pleasure of doing just that as we spent a few hours this weekend at the Valenzano Family Winery for the NJ Wine Fest 2017.

Not just for wine lovers, the NJ Wine Fest is an outdoor festival with a real party vibe — think NFL tailgate with lots more food and wine. Held right on the Valenzano’s Family Vineyard (with grapes on-the-vine just begging to be tried), there were thousands of attendees many of whom arrived with their own lawn chairs, picnic baskets, and blankets to be a part of this annual celebration. 

With 10 different NJ wineries represented and each offering several varieties to try, we had to be selective when deciding which wines to sample. It wasn’t easy, but we did have a few favorites!

From Valenzano Winery’s Destination Series, the Malbec was outstanding — made in the Garden State from grapes sourced from other wine-growing regions. Floral notes, touches of oak, absolutely worth trying.

Valenzano’s Limited Edition Old Indian Mill’s Blend was a soft and fruity complex blend of old and new world wine styles mixing Merlot and Chambourcin varietals. 

For a totally different wine style from Valenzano, we tried the New Jersey Devil Honey Wine — made with local honey and flavors of apples, oak, vanilla, and a touch of spice. Very sweet, very mouth-coating, very delicious.

Chestnut Run Farm had pear and plum wines for sampling and we tried both the sweet and dry Asian pear varieties, two very different wines than what we’re used to drinking but that’s what makes a wine festival so much fun.

Quite possibly our favorite wine of the day was from the Four JG’s Winery. Their Chambourcin Reserve was outstanding — a premium wine, without the premium price. 

In all, ten different NJ wineries, dozens of food trucks, live music and countless craft vendors make the NJ Wine Fest 2017 a must-attend event for next year.

In the meantime, you can try some incredible New Jersey wines from the event when you pick up a bottle or two at your local Wine Country or Wine & Whiskey Country Store.