The New Jersey Fine Wine Group Releases Their First Collectively Made Rosé; Appoints New Executive Director
New Jersey – September 6 The Winemakers Co-Op; a collective of wineries dedicated to driving the burgeoning fine wine movement in New Jersey, is happy to announce the release of Open Source Rosé 2021. Their rosé release, the first since the Covid-19 pandemic, is a set of five wines all made from the same fruit source –showcasing each estate’s unique winemaking fingerprint.
Open Source is a collaborative project from The Winemakers Co-Op. Every harvest each member winery brings 1,000 pounds of designated grapes to a member crush pad to kick off a day of hard work and collaboration. After the grapes are crushed; the juice is divided equally, with which each winemaker returns to their own winery. This source material – the shared juice from collectively grown grapes – is an open platform for each winemaker to build their own expression of each Open Source wine.
The Open Source Rosé 2021 releases are all 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 20% Blaufränkisch and include:
- Beneduce Vineyards (Pittstown, NJ), wild yeast fermented in stainless steel
- Hawk Haven Vineyard (Cape May, NJ), barrel fermented and aged
- Unionville Vineyards (Ringoes, NJ), stainless steel fermented
- William Heritage Winery (Mullica Hill, NJ), traditional method sparkling
- Working Dog Winery (Hightstown NJ), wild yeast and barrel fermented
Beginning with a series of Chardonnay releases in 2016, the collective has produced an Open Source wine each year, with the exception of 2020. Although the labels of each of the five look similar, a careful eye will notice that the topographical lines on each are slightly different, etching the landscape of each winery estate. Each winery produces 23 cases of Open Source wines each year, and it is available in a 5-pack at retail partners and in their respective tasting rooms until it is sold out.
This summer has also marked a new page for the Co-Op – appointing a new Executive Director, Danna Shapiro. Shapiro, who started her career at Kobrand Wine & Spirits, is a seasoned marketing communications strategist; this is her first time taking on an executive director role. “I was impressed when I first met the group and agreed to work together, and in the short time since, continue to be impressed by their dedication, innovation and level of quality they are bringing to the wines of the Garden State” she remarked.
John Cifelli, the outgoing Executive Director of the Winemakers Co-Op who is also General Manager of member winery Unionville Vineyards and known throughout the state for his passion for putting the wines of New Jersey on the map welcomed the change. “I’m so proud of what we’ve managed to achieve since 2015, working together as a group, pushing to have New Jersey fine wine take its rightful place among the top up and coming regions in the US. I can’t wait to see where Danna steers us and how far we go in this new chapter.”
About The Winemakers Co-Op.
The Winemaker’s Co-Op was founded in 2015 with the common goal of increasing the quality and perception of the fine wines of New Jersey. Member wineries aim to produce benchmark dry wines from estate‑grown vinifera (European) varieties that illuminate the differences in soil and climate that exist throughout the Garden State. Through a series of intimate tasting events, industry outreach and communication with the press, these wineries have established themselves as leaders of fine wine production on the East Coast. By spearheading essential industry research and development, Co-Op members are striving to push the boundaries of quality with each new vintage. For more information, please visit thewinemakersco-op.com.
