As you celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States this year, be sure to raise a glass of Central Jersey wine or beer.
Famously, General Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River into Central Jersey during ten crucial days in 1776 that saved the revolution at the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, victories that shocked the world.
In a smaller way, Central Jersey also shocked Europe in the 1760s when Lord Stirling of Somerset County and Edward Antill of Middlesex County a
ccepted and won a challenge from Great Britain’s Royal Society of Arts to produce wine of similar quality to Europe’s. It was the first time American wine proved its worth around the world, echoed two centuries later in the 1776 Judgement of Paris and in the 2012 Judgement of Princeton.
It turns out, Central Jersey winemaking has an illustrious history, even though the modern industry had to wait until 1981 when the state legislature repealed Prohibition Era laws against winemaking.
Reenactors regularly appear at East Jersey Old Town Village.
Following his winemaking success, Lord Stirling would go on to become one of Washington’s most trusted Generals in the American Revolution, while Antill’s home, Ross Hall, became the spot where Washington and his generals decided to put on the first July 4 fireworks in American history, just after victory at Monmouth, in 1778. They called it a Feu de Joie (“Fire of Joy”).
The sites of those early vineyards have become county parks: Lord Stirling Park in Basking Ridge, and the East Jersey Old Town Village in Piscataway. No grapes are being cultivated in either place, unfortunately, but many other Central Jersey beverage makers are busy honoring Central Jersey’s Revolutionary past.
Unionville Vineyards has released its new Washington Collection including Revolutionary Red, Victory White, and Battlefield Blush. Unionville farms Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at its Pheasant Hill Vineyard in Hopewell; the estate where Washington held a War Council meeting before the Battle of Monmouth, and in Princeton, a town with more Revolutionary history than perhaps any other place. Unionville is planning several patriotic events this summer, including its annual reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 4.
Federal Twist Vineyard opened an impressive new tasting room last year.
Two vineyards, Hopewell Valley and Federal Twist, are close to the Delaware River that was famously crossed on a stormy Christmas night in 1776. They make excellent stops if you are visiting the Washington Crossing State Park in Hopewell that will open a spectacular new visitor center around the 4th of July, assuming construction proceeds as expected. Federal Twist even has plans to welcome General Washington to their vineyard on June 27, and both vineyards offer live music every weekend.
Working Dog Winery is located near the route taken to Monmouth, where the American and British fought hard to achieve a stalemate or an American victory, depending on whom you believe. They offer a Cabernet-Franc blend that is similar to the “Claret” wines popular during the Revolutionary Era.
The winery at Terhune Orchards is also part of the action, having recently increased its preserved farmland to 250 acres and offering an exhibit about the farm’s 50th anniversary in a 250-year-old barn.
Old York Cellars in Ringoes offers live music, comedy, and gorgeous views of the Sourland Mountain range, where John Hart, a local signer of the Declaration of Independence, was forced to hide. Hart died young because of repeated exposure to cold and moisture. If you prefer a downtown venue for Old York wines, you’ll find it at Mr. Pop’s in Flemington, the first retailer selling local wine by the glass under legislation passed this year.
Needle Creek Brewing operates in a centuries-old barn
New Jersey brewers are also energized by the 250th anniversary of the nation. Needle Creek Brewing in Pennington also boasts a connection to the revolutionary John Hart through his descendant of the same name who owns the farm where the brewery is located, in a 250-year-old barn. They are planning to welcome General Washington to the brewery on May 31 and are rumored to be working on a 250th anniversary beer.
Flounder Brewing in Hillsborough is offering a Victory Town Ale in collaboration with the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association to commemorate the trail taken through Central Jersey to Yorktown, Virginia, where the revolutionary was won. They are also offering an ample schedule of historic reenactments and lectures—including a visit from Washington on horseback on May 17—at their 250-year-old Dutch barn.
Riverhorse Brewing in Ewing also has a colonial Tavern Ale to celebrate the 250th anniversary with an emphasis on the Delaware River Crossing.
Flounder Brewing is putting on history programs for the 250th.
The 250th anniversary of the nation is a big moment for New Jersey, where more Revolutionary battles were fought than in any other state, and where Washington spent the most time. It’s Garden State nickname goes back before 1781 when it was described by visiting French allies as the “Garden of America” and a “land of milk and honey.”
That’s why your visits to revolutionary sites ought to include a visit to Central Jersey’s farms, orchards, wineries, and breweries that have been satisfying and delighting the hungers and thirsts of locals and visitors alike for centuries.
For more information about everything to see and do in Central Jersey, visit discovercentralnj.com. This article is supported in part by a grant from New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.
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