I receive many inquiries about permitting for the local wineries in the state of New Jersey.
The industry is expanding and "growing" because of the new law passed by the legislature and Governor Christie which took effect on May 1st, 2012.
Presently there are 50 wineries who produce 225 varieties. For an interesting article about NJ winery development visit www.UnCorkNJ.com
Interesting article from FDU, follow the link: http://www.ahherald.com/newsbrief/monmouth-news/16337-new-jersey-willing-to-give-local-liquor-a-chance
Information about the NEW LAW....
Visit NJ Monthly at this link for more information: http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/05/new_jersey_wine_shipping_law_w.html
The law took effect that will allow New Jersey farmers and wineries to bypass the existing wholesaler network established through the years and sell directly to retailers and consumers. The new law grants similar rights to out-of-state wineries and finally cleared the way for the Garden State to begin issuing new winery licenses to growers. The new regulations work for the wine aficionados, growers and retailers.
There are two new licenses which the law creates:
(1) a Plenary Winery License, available for $938 and
(2) a Farm Winery License (which limits production to “not more than 50,000 gallons per year”), available for between $63 and $375 on a sliding scale, depending on production volume.
Either license limits growers production to less than 250,000 gallons per year.
The amount of the fee is a sliding scale based on the production amount of the wine each produces. The maximum fee is $1000.
A retailer can only ship a maximum of 12 cases to any one customer in or outside of New Jersey.
At an administrative cost of $250 each, grower may open 15 remote shops around the state as additional retail outlets. These outlets can serve and sell individual glasses or sell bottles of the wine produced by the grower.
As a result of the foresight of the Governor and legislature, wineries are opening and expanding around the state, providing new jobs and new ways to put resources to work.
Information about the industry........
For those of you wanting to visit the NJ winery industry, check out the web site of the New Jersey Winery Association: http://www.newjerseywines.com/festivals.htmlThere is information on this site that was fascinating.
Independent taste testing rated NJ wines right up there with some famous counterparts.
VISIT THE SITE FOR more information.
http://www.funnewjersey.com/upload_user/Best_of_New_Jersey/NJ_WINERIES.HTM
