New Jersey Stage Issue 58 | Page 13

few years of doing his blog he’s seen some of the wineries show great improvements in quality. There are many reasons why even people in the Garden State may be surprised to learn that great wines are being created in their backyard. Many liquor stores throughout the state still rarely contain any local wines except for the sweet wines; restaurants have only begun adding some selections in the past few years (and many still do not have any on their wine NJ STAGE - ISSUE 58 lists); and perhaps, the biggest reason, is that virtually all of the local wineries can be considered boutique wineries. The industry generally considers boutique wineries as those which produce less than 10,000 cases per year. Most in the Garden State produce less than half of that, putting them truly in a smaller class of winery. What that means is that you have fewer opportunities to see their wines available at liquor stores, restaurants, or out of state. It also means the wines INDEX NEXT ARTICLE 13