Copyright Mechanicsburg Patriot News
The Winemakers Co-Op, a pioneering nonprofit collective dedicated to raising the bar when it comes to New Jersey-produced wine, will mark its 10th anniversary this year with the release of Open Source Cabernet Franc 2022 and a special tasting event on Thursday, Nov. 6, at Cree Wine Company. Cree Wine Company is located in Hampton, New Jersey. Founded in 2015 by Beneduce Vineyards, Unionville Vineyards, William Heritage Winery, and Working Dog Winery, the co-op has grown over the past decade to include Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery and Auburn Road Vineyards & Winery. The group is marking a decade of advocacy for locally grown, high-quality vinifera wines and steady progress in reshaping perceptions of the Garden State as a serious wine region. To celebrate, the group will begin a series of events with a one-night-only tasting featuring all five Open Source Cabernet Franc wines from Co-Op members, alongside a special sixth bottling from Auburn Road Vineyards. Explained John Cifelli, the general manager at Unionville Vineyards: “Open Source is the first collaborative wine in New Jersey where wineries exchange an equal share of grapes with one another, resulting in the same ‘Open Source’ material from which to ‘develop’ their own wines. By borrowing this concept, most commonly recognized as relating to open-development software, The Winemakers Co-Op explains how these wines are communally grown but individually made. At the release tasting at Cree Wine Company, attendees have the only opportunity to taste all five of the 2022 Open Source Cabernet Francs in one setting.” After Thursday, New Jersey wine enthusiasts will have to travel to each respective tasting room to try the wines, Cifelli said, adding, “One of my favorite aspects of the project is the subtle difference in the topographical lines on the labels. Each winery has a slightly different label, which depicts its own vineyard’s topography.” The evening includes a seated horizontal tasting, walk-around reception, and passed hors d’oeuvres from Cree Wine Company, founded by Chris Cree, the state’s only Master of Wine. Tickets are $85/person, all-inclusive. You can purchase them at this link. Over the past decade, members of the Winemakers Co-Op have achieved numerous milestones, earning dozens of accolades from top wine critics, producing educational viticultural and vinification forums for New Jersey wine members, and publishing statewide harvest reports while introducing thousands of wine lovers to high-quality state-grown and vinified New Jersey fine wines. It has promoted its goals and wines through a series of intimate tasting events, industry outreach and communication with the media.
