On Saturday, July 19, the Board of Commissioners will host the Terroir New Jersey Wine Showcase at the Sustainability Center in Blackwood. The event aims to highlight wines made from New Jersey-grown grapes and promote the state as a prominent wine destination.
“New Jersey’s wine industry is expanding rapidly, and this showcase is a wonderful way for local wineries to display their best products to highly skilled and reputable judges,” Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. stated. “We were eager to host this international showcase as it is in line with our commitment to helping Camden County and New Jersey rise to prominence in the global wine industry.”
The showcase will serve as a platform for setting quality standards for New Jersey wines. Experts will independently assess each wine through blind tasting and identify key quality indicators. Wines meeting specific evaluation criteria will be labeled ‘Showcase Selection’ wines and promoted at future events.
“We are honored to hold the Terroir Showcase at our state-of-the-art Sustainability Center, which is where our Lakeland Vineyard is located,” said Commissioner Jonathan Young, liaison to the Office of Sustainability. “Our vineyard has produced bountiful harvests season after season, and this past fall, a fourth crop of chambourcin grapes from the vineyard was produced and delivered to Saddlehill Winery in Voorhees. Camden County is quickly becoming a world-class wine destination so we couldn’t think of a better location to host such a prestigious event.”
Camden County’s vineyard spans over an acre and recently yielded nearly 7,000 pounds of grapes. This development aligns with New Jersey’s growing reputation as a premier U.S. wine destination. A 2022 study by WineAmerica reported that New Jersey’s wine industry contributed over $4.5 billion to the American economy that year while directly employing approximately 16,700 people.
