Celebrating New Jersey Wines and the Fall Harvest

Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

The Garden State Wine Growers Association is sponsoring two upcoming wine festivals, including, for the first time, one in the New York Metropolitan area!

First up is the SIPtember Wine Festival, being held next weekend, September 26-27, at Essex County’s Brookdale Park in Bloomfield.  Featuring more than 250 New Jersey wines from 25 of the states award-winning wineries, the festival also includes live music, local artisans, gourmet food vendors and activities for the kids.  The event is co-sponsored by the Essex County Department of Parks and $5 of the $25 admission price will be donated to the Essex County Parks Foundation.

The Festival runs from 12-5 both days; admission is $25 for adults and free for those under 21.  Brookdale Park is off the Garden State Parkway close to both the George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln Tunnel; for driving directions, consult the Brookdale Park website.   On Facebook?  Check out the festival’s event page.

The following weekend, October 3-4, the festivities – and the festival – move west when Alba Vineyards, New Jersey’s 2009 Winery of the Year, once again plays host to more than 20 New Jersey wineries for the 2009 Grand Harvest Festival.

In addition to the wines, the Festival will also feature live music, artisan vendors and foods from local restaurants.  Activities for kids are also planned, including face painting and a moon bounce.  Participants are encouraged to bring their own chairs, blankets and picnics and plan on spending a lovely Fall afternoon on the hillside vineyards behind the winery.

The Festival runs from 12-5 both Saturday and Sunday, and tickets are $20 at the gate or $18 if purchased in advance.   Milford is just over an hour from New York or Philadelphia; driving directions can be found on the Alba Vineyards website.

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Tags: Alba Vineyards

This entry was posted on September 21, 2009 at September 21, 2009 and is filed under Garden State Wine Growers Association, Marguerite Barrett, New Jersey, Northern New Jersey Wine Trail, Win(e)ding Roads, local wines, wine festivals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.