Renault Winery ( )Toms, Charlie
"Renault Winery Review"
in ''

American Winery Guide American Winery Guide (AWG) is an online compendium of wineries in the United States. Founded by Jim Finley and Tim Donahoe in 2007, American Winery Guide catalogues and maps American wineries by state and viticultural area. The guide lists the ...

'' (15 June 2013). Retrieved 1 November 2013. is a

winery A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the cultivation and production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feat ...

located in

Egg Harbor City Egg Harbor City is a city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The city, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia-Reading- ...

and Galloway Township in

Atlantic County Atlantic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's 15th-most-populous county,New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. It is the oldest active winery in the state in

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

.Jackson, Bart. ''Garden State Wineries Guide.'' (South San Francisco, CA: Wine Appreciation Guild, 2011).
. Renault is one of the larger winegrowers in New Jersey, having 48 acres of grapes under cultivation, and producing 20,000 cases of wine per year. The winery is named after its founder.Schmidt, R. Marilyn. ''Wines and Wineries of New Jersey.'' (Chatsworth, NJ: Pine Barrens Press, 1999).
. Renault Winery is named after Louis Nicolas Renault.

History

The

vineyard A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...

was first planted in 1864 by Louis Nicolas Renault, a French immigrant from

Mareuil-sur-Ay Mareuil-sur-Ay (, literally ''Mareuil on Ay'') is a former commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. Since January 2016, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ is part of the administrative commune Aÿ-Champagne. Its population was 1,067 in 2022. The ...

who brought the original '' vinifera'' grapes from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

.Rignani, Jennifer Papale. ''Images of America: New Jersey Wineries.'' (Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2008).
. Renault opened to the public in 1870, and for many years was the largest producer of

champagne Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

in the United States.Westrich, Sal. ''New Jersey Wine: A Remarkable History.'' (Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2012).
. Renault survived the

Prohibition era Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacturing, manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption ...

by obtaining licenses to produce

sacramental wine Sacramental wine, Communion wine, altar wine, or wine for consecration is wine obtained from grapes and intended for use in celebration of the Eucharist (also referred to as the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion, among other names). It is usually ...

as well as various medicinal wines, including "Renault Wine Tonic" which was sold by

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about preparation, mechanism of action, clinical usage and legislation of medications in ...

s across the United States.Renault Winer
"The History of Renault Winery"
(commercial website). Retrieved 22 June 2013. Mildred Norman, decades before her treks across the continent as

Peace Pilgrim Peace Pilgrim (July 18, 1908 – July 7, 1981), born Mildred Lisette Norman, was an American spiritual teacher, Mysticism, mystic, pacifism, pacifist, vegetarian activist and peace activist. In 1952, she became the first woman to walk the entir ...

, worked in the winery as a secretary. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...

political boss In the politics of the United States of America, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of th ...

and

racketeer Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. The term "racket ...

Enoch "Nucky" Johnson was employed by Renault. While the winery once cultivated 600 acres of grapes, and sold 500,000 cases of wine per year, production has decreased substantially in recent decades. The winery has instead developed into a

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that aims to provide most of a vacationer's needs. This includes food, drink, swimming, accommodation, sports, entertainment and shopping, on the premises. A hotel ...

, opening a

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

in 1983, a

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

and second restaurant in 2000, and a

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...

in 2004.

Financial struggles

The winery filed for bankruptcy in 2014, and was purchased by OceanFirst Bank, its primary creditor, in 2015. In late 2018 the bank announced the sale of the property to the newly formed Renault Properties LLC. In 2019 Galloway Township agreed to help Renault Winery with its planned rehabilitation via a tax abatement plan.

Wines

Renault Winery is located in the

Outer Coastal Plain AVA Outer Coastal Plain is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in southernmost New Jersey. It was established on February 9, 2007 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by ...

, and produces wine from

Baco noir Baco noir (pronounced BA-koh NWAHR) is a hybrid red wine grape variety produced by Francois Baco from a cross of ''Vitis vinifera var.'' Folle blanche, a French wine grape, and an unknown variety of ''Vitis riparia'' indigenous to North America ...

Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux (wine), Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire (wine), Loire's C ...

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebano ...

Cayuga White Cayuga White is a mid-season ripening wine grape developed from crosses of the ''Vitis labrusca'' hybrids Schuyler and Seyval Blanc at Cornell University's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York. It is a hardy vine w ...

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, ; ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new a ...

Merlot Merlot ( ) is a dark-blue-colored wine grape variety that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of , the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color ...

Noah Noah (; , also Noach) appears as the last of the Antediluvian Patriarchs (Bible), patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5–9), the Quran and Baháʼí literature, ...

, Norton (Cynthiana),

Petit Verdot Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen it adds tannin, ...

Pinot gris Pinot gris, pinot grigio (, ), or ''Grauburgunder'' is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the pinot noir variety, it normally has a pinkish-gray hue, accounting for its name, but th ...

Pinot noir Pinot noir (), also known as Pinot nero, is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name also refers to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words fo ...

Riesling Riesling ( , ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling ...

Sangiovese Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin , "blood of Jove, Jupiter". Sangiovese Grosso, used for traditionally powerful and slow maturing red wines, is primarily grown in the central regions of Italy ...

Sauvignon blanc Sauvignon blanc () is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the city of Bordeaux in France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an ind ...

Vidal blanc Vidal blanc (or simply Vidal) is a white Hybrid grapes, hybrid grape variety produced from the ''Vitis vinifera'' variety Ugni blanc (also known as Trebbiano Toscano) and another hybrid variety, Rayon d'Or (grape), Rayon d'Or (Seibel 4986). It is ...

. Renault also makes

fruit wine Fruit wines are fermented alcoholic beverages made from a variety of base ingredients (other than grapes); they may also have additional flavors taken from fruits, flowers, and herbs. This definition is sometimes broadened to include any alcohol ...

s from

blueberries Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' with the genus ''Vaccinium''. Commercial blueberries—both wild (lowbush) ...

, and is the only winery in the United States to make a blueberry champagne.

Features, licensing, and associations

The winery is located on a 1400-acre site which includes an 18-hole golf course, a 55-room hotel, and two restaurants.Strauss, Rober
"A Winery Changes Its Face"
in ''The New York Times'' (22 July 2001). Retrieved 3 April 2013. Renault has a plenary winery license from the

New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control The New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (Division of ABC or, simply, ABC) is an agency of the government of the state of New Jersey that regulates commerce in alcoholic beverages in that state. The 21st Amendment to the United Stat ...

, which allows it to produce an unrestricted amount of wine, operate up to 15 off-premises sales rooms, and ship up to 12 cases per year to consumers in-state or out-of-state. Renault is a member of the

Garden State Wine Growers Association The Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA) is an industry trade association established as an advocate for New Jersey's wine grape growers, providing leadership on research and education programs, public policies, sustainable farming practic ...

and the Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association.Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association
"Outer Coastal Plain Wineries."
Retrieved 27 April 2013.

References

External links