New Jersey wineries are facing a very difficult time. Currently the state is refusing to renew any winery licenses and will not consider new winery licenses. The wineries already in business may continue to sell wine but may not expand while the people who have invested in starting a winery cannot open their tasting rooms.

To back up a bit, this problem was brought about because of the direct wine shipping to New Jersey consumers. Rather than deal with the situation and allow in state and out of state wineries to ship wine directly to consumers, both sides of the legislature have refused to budge.

The matter may be left up entirely to one judge. If she rules one way, it may force the closure of already existing wineries. This would hurt New Jersey wineries and consumers who should have the right to order wine, a legal beverage, from wineries and have it shipped directly. New Jersey residents will lose too if New Jersey wineries close, people will lose jobs and possibly foreclosures will increase.

On the other hand, if New Jersey wineries are able to stay in business and direct shipping is allowed, there should be more tax money for the state to fill its coffers. It’s a win-win situation for New Jersey residents.

The Garden State Wine Growers Associaton has explained the issue with an article by Paul Nussbaum of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The aritlce is N.J. winemakers in limbo after lawmakers’ impasse. The association has written a template letter that they are encouraging anyone who is interested to use and suggests using social media to help save the New Jersey wine industry. A copy of the template is below or you can click on the link.

Cheers! Kathy

I understand that the New Jersey Assembly has failed to vote on a bill that would protect the rights of New Jersey wineries to sell wine from their tasting rooms and the handful of outlets allowed them. In doing so, the legislature has left it up to a federal court judge who may rule to eliminate these direct sales and consumer rights to enjoy their state’s wines at local wineries—an event catastrophic to this growing industry.

If this happens, most, if not all, New Jersey wineries will go out of business and the New Jersey wine industry will be destroyed. Winery sales rooms would be shuttered. Outlets, both in restaurants and in store fronts, would be closed. This would leave wholesalers as the only market for New Jersey wine. The majority of our state’s wineries are too small for wholesalers to carry their wines, and, further, the deep discounts the wholesaler would require on top of the discount that retailers already require would put us out of business.

As a fan of New Jersey wines, I enjoy visiting the tasting rooms of our local wineries where I can sample wines I’ll never find anywhere else. I enjoy visiting the preserved farmland where these wines are grown. I relish going to New Jersey wine festivals where I can sample more than 300 locally produced wines–many of them award winners in national competitions on both coasts. I am proud that New Jersey is the 7th largest producer of fine wines in the U.S. and that much of the land being used to make our award winning wines is being done on preserved farmland.

What a shame if the legislature and the judge do not act to save what is one of the finest, new experiences our state has to offer hundreds of thousands of residents and out of state visitors every year.

I strongly urge legislators, the judiciary and the media to act to avoid this catastrophe and to support local wineries so they may remain open and grow. Thank you.

Sincerely,