The holiday season provides many great opportunities to try the increasingly popular products coming from New Jersey wineries

and vineyards across the state move forward into the busy holiday tourist season, New Jersey winemakers are finding they have a lot to be thankful for.

Anticipation is building for the bottling of this year's vintage, the state has received international recognition with gold metal wines in major arenas like Finger Lakes and San Francisco. In short, things are moving forward for a wine industry once associated with mediocrity. Enthusiasts who have shied away from local labels in the past may only need one taste of the state's medal winners before their perceptions begin to change.

And the wine lovers who uncork one of the seasonal favorites below, or the 2010 vintage once shelved, may soon join grape growers in counting their blessings.

The Garden State has over thirty registered vineyards stretching from the northwestern reaches of Sussex County to the state's southernmost tip in Cape May. New Jersey ranks fifth in the country's list of largest wine producers and, today, these businesses are working hard to create a product that will earn the respect of the wine world.

"We are well past the time when we had to be defensive," Rich Smith, a Garden State Wine Growers Association representative, said. "Our wineries sell out at most of our festivals. Right now, wineries are scrambling to replace favorites with new vintage stock. And, price for price, our best wines rival the best wines of other states."

The current excitement among growers stems from this year's exceptional weather conditions. Everyone remembers the soggy June of 2009. After a season like that, the long, hot days and cool nights of this summer came as a welcome surprise. Winemakers like Darren Hesington of Cape May Winery are hoping the favorable conditions will yield a sweeter fruit.

"I've been doing this for 24 years and it is one of the best seasons I have ever seen," Hesington said. "Any good winemaker will tell you we are pretty much baby­sitters of the grapes, so quality fruit coming in makes our job so much easier." Hesington is almost through harvesting his red wine grapes. Before starting the process with his whites a few months back, the winemaker looked for Brix levels between 21 and 25. A sugar content measuring 23 on the scale is perfect for creating optimal flavor, according to Hesington, but anything beyond 25 and the increased sugar creates a "jammy" flavor. This year, his crops were harvested in perfect conditions.

Paul Verdi was as excited about the 2010 vintage as Hesington. The Renault Winery General Manager said there were two major factors in the recent success of New Jersey wine.

"The harvest has far exceeded that of prior years and the quality is high across the board," Verdi said. "There is also more of a push by the Growers Association to show the fact that New Jersey's product is comparable to—and sometimes even exceeds—California wines." The GSWGA does deserve a lot of the credit. The group, comprised of 34 vineyards throughout New Jersey, offers various competitions and awards for state wines, hosts a handful of festivals year round, and advocates the Quality Wine Alliance Program that was implemented in 1999 as a way to raise wineries' production standard.

"Despite down economy, the number of wineries is growing" Small said. "Tasting room attendance was up 350% last year. Sales are up across the board. We are the fastest growing segment of the state's agricultural economy."

Many wine bars and restaurants in the state have taken notice of this growth and have begun expanding their wine list to include more New Jersey labels.

"The New Jersey wines are no longer at the same standard level," Matthew Derose, bar manager at Annata Wine Bar in Hammonton explained. "Conditions are becoming better and people are getting better at making the wine." Annata serves and retails a wide range of GSWGA wines. Among the bar's top sellers are Amalthea Cellars, Sharrott Winery and "2010 Winery of the Year" Tomasello Winery.

Hesington described the state's wineries as a "close-knit family" whose products have improved by leaps and bounds in the past decade. And that kind of mentality is crucial for an industry that has been weathering the storm quite a while and has finally caught sight of some clearer skies ahead. The group certainly doesn't need anyone rocking the boat now.

"In the last decade we have improved immensely," Hesington said. "Truly, we all work together to help everyone." And so, with the coming of chilly weather, fireplaces and feasts, winemaker's thoughts turn back to the upcoming festivities and the potential customers the "busy season" could bring in.

For a time of year that lends itself so well to the wine and spirit business, events like GSWGA's Holiday Wine Trail Weekend at the end of November are examples of smart marketing. If there is one thing New Jersey wineries do well, it's the exceptional range in specialty wines perfect for any holiday event. For Thanksgiving, Derose suggested DiMatteo's Cranberry Wine—a staple on the Annata wine list. It can be served room temperature or heated with added spices. Hesington prefers a dry or off-dry Riesling with the meal, and perhaps an apple wine to pair with dessert. The winemaker sells both at his Cape May establishment: Cape May Winery Riesling and Isaac Smith Apple.

Apparently, there is a Renault wine perfect for every holiday social event imaginable. According to Verdi, Renault's May wine boasts a strawberry and woodruff spiced flavor reminiscent of a cider and can be served warm. He described it as perfectly evoking that unexplainable essence of Fall and the holidays. For an office or family Christmas party, the winery's multi-award winning wines, such as Fresello, Chardonnay or its complex Burgundy all work well because of their ability to please a variety of palates. Renault will also offer Chianti for the first time in several seasons—a perfect addition to any festive dinner party.

And then there's the bubbly. This New Year's Eve opt for the classic New Jersey flavor of blueberries. Annata serves a bottle made by Tomasello, and Renault offers a similar product.

"A lot of people may not be champagne fans, but ours has unique flavor and it is very New Jersey," Verdi said. If New Jersey wineries can lure in new followers with their many holiday offerings, perhaps those same customers will keep purchasing local wines year-round and interest will continue to spread. Yes, not every New Jersey wine is a medal-winner. And yes, many of the wines still have a long way to go before they can compete on a higher level, but the overwhelming opinion of those in the business remains New Jersey wines today are far better in quality than those produced ten years ago, and the improvements are only beginning. In Hesington's words: "We have plenty to hang our hats on."

So, as the holidays begin and merry New Jerseyans anticipate the festive social season ahead, remember to grab a glass of something local and cheers to another decade of progress for the Garden State vine.