After the Harvest Wine & Food Event Comes to Jersey City

Six member wineries of the Garden State Wine Growers Association will be sampling wines at the inaugural After the Harvest Wine & Food event presented by Provident Bank at the Culinary Arts Institute at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City on Saturday, October 28 from 1-6 p.m. This is the first, of what promises to be an annual fall event and is a collaboration between the Garden State Wine Growers Association, Culinary Arts Institute and Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development.

Wineries scheduled to participate are: Autumn Lake Winery (Williamstown), Southwind Vineyard & Winery (Millville), Tomasello Winery (Hammonton), Valenzano Winery (Shamong), Villa Milagro Vineyards (Finesville) and Ventimiglia Vineyards (Wantage).

Unlike many of the outdoor festivals in the state, the After the Harvest event will be an intimate experience, allowing for engagement with winery representatives to discuss the wines being sampled. Educational wine tutorials will also be held in the meeting rooms adjacent to the Scott Ring conference room. Talks will feature topics such as the Health Benefits of Drinking Wine, hosted by Dr. Audrey Gambino, owner and winemaker at Villa Milagro Vineyards. Dr. Gambino is author of numerous books, a former television show host and one of the most quoted nutritionist in the country. Tom Cosentino, executive director of the Garden State Wine Growers Association will give a talk on the history of New Jersey wine and there will also be a talk on the 5 S’s of wine tasting. An ice sculpture demonstration, musical entertainment and other refreshments will be on the docket.

Garden State Wine Growers Association member wineries will sample in the Scott Ring conference room on the second floor of the Culinary Arts Center from 1-6 pm and attendees will be able to buy wine by the bottle and case and also enjoy cheese and charcuterie samples and other finger foods.

The After the Harvest event is the first element of a new partnership between the Culinary Arts Institute of Hudson County Community College and the Garden State Wine Growers Association. Each ticket is $25 and entitles you to a wristband and a FREE wine glass, which you will pick up on the day of the event (proper ID required). There is also a non-drinker ticket priced at $10 that can be purchased. Tickets for the event can be purchased online at http://tinyurl.com/AfterTheHarvest. All attendees must be at least 21 years old and must be present in order to pick up their wristband.

There will be a maximum of 500 tickets sold for this event. Advance sales are encouraged as there will only be a limited supply of tickets sold the day of the event. Attendees will be admitted at 12.30 pm and wine tasting will begin at 1 pm.

New Jersey wines continue to achieve great acclaim and awareness. New Jersey wines regularly win Best of Show, Double Gold and Gold Medals in such prestigious competitions as the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, Tasters Guild International Competition, Beverage Tasting Institute World Wine Championship and Indianapolis Wine Competition among others.

The Garden State Wine Growers Association is the statewide organization for the advocacy and promotion of the New Jersey wine industry. Founded in 1984, the association has driven exponential growth through wine education initiatives, cooperative marketing campaigns, and a slate of annual events dedicated to taking our wines across New Jersey, and encouraging enthusiasts to visit our wineries. Comprised of over 50 members, the GSWGA produces wine events and wine trail weekends in participating winery tasting rooms statewide, to market the locally produced wines of the Garden State. The Association also addresses the legislative affairs and public relations of the state’s wine industry.

For more information, visit www.newjerseywines.com.