Central Delaware Valley AVA

Central Delaware Valley is a multi-state American Viticultural Area (AVA) being the first New Jersey appellation and the third in Pennsylvania joining the established Lake Erie and Lancaster Valley AVAs. It was established on March 18, 1984 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing a petition submitted by Mr. James R. Williams, a grape grower in Frenchtown, New Jersey, on behalf of his vineyard business and local vintners, proposing a viticultural area along a segment of the Delaware River roughly between Trenton, New Jersey and Easton, Pennsylvania named "Central Delaware Valley."^[2] The viticultural area is located along the Delaware River in Central New Jersey's Hunterdon and Mercer counties and Bucks County in southeastern Pennsylvania. The term "Central Delaware Valley" commonly describes the portion of the Delaware River Valley landform between Trenton and the Easton/Philipsburg vicinity. The description corresponds generally to the southern and northern boundaries proposed in the petition.^[1]

Central Delaware Valley

Wine region
Type	American Viticultural Area
Year established	1984[1]
Years of wine industry	61[1]
Country	United States
Part of	New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Growing season	170-180 days[2]
Climate region	Region IIIa[2]
Heat units	3100-3200 GDD units[2]
Precipitation (annual average)	40 to 47 in (1,000–1,200 mm)[3]
Soil conditions	Shaley loam composed of weathered conglomerate, sandstone, and limestone[2][4]
Total area	96,000 acres (150 sq mi)[1]
Size of planted vineyards	55 acres (22 ha)[1]
No. of vineyards	6[5]
Grapes produced	Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Delaware, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Traminette and Vidal Blanc [6]
No. of wineries	7[7]

The wine appellation encompasses 96,000 acres (150 sq mi) surrounding the Delaware River north of Philadelphia. Its southern boundary is near Titusville, New Jersey, just north of Trenton, and its northern border is near Musconetcong Mountain. A variety of Vitis vinifera and Vitis labrusca grape varieties can be grown in the area.^[8]

It has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) and the hardiness zone is mostly 7a and ranges from 6b to 7b.^[9]

Boundary Chanege

Central Delaware Valley viticultural area starting (and finishing) point of the boundary description is Strawberry Hill, which is located in New Jersey near the Delaware River about one mile (1.6 km) northwest of Titusville, at the southern end of the Central Delaware Valley AVA. The boundaries proposed by the petition were intended to have included the Bucks Country Winery, since that winery is within the area of climatic influence of the Delaware River. However, the road that was chosen as the boundary passes just on the northeast side of the winery, and thus the winery was inadvertently placed outside of the area by the originally proposed boundaries. Consequently, the boundaries have been slightly expanded in a southwestward direction at that point so as to include the property owned by the Bucks Country Winery. In another part of the viticultural area, the boundaries have been expanded northeastward so as to include an area near Little York, New Jersey, that contains the vineyard of Mr. Klaus Schreiber. Although it extends as far as five miles (8 km) from the Delaware River, Mr. Schreiber was able to compile evidence showing that the area around his property is moderated by the river's climatic influence. Mr. Schreiber explained that his area is an exception to the general rule (that the river's moderating influence extends for only about three miles (5 km) because of the hills to his east, which trap the moderate climate that is blown there from the Delaware River by the prevailing westerly winds. Consequently, the ATF ruled that this area properly belongs within the Central Delaware Valley viticultural area. Accordingly, the boundaries have been expanded so as to include this area.^[1]

History

Although this region has only recently become associated with commercial viticulture, it had vineyards back in the Colonial Days. The Delaware grape was discovered in Frenchtown but named the "Delaware" because it was first brought to public notice by Abram Thomson of Delaware, Ohio. In fact, the Delaware grape variety was propagated from cuttings brought by a French immigrant Paul Mallet-Provost, who, in 1794, arrived in the New Jersey area, settled by other French-speaking people, that it gained the moniker of "Frenchtown."^[10] Since the Delaware has been determined to have been an early cross between native American Vitis labrusca and Vitis vinifera, it is likely that this cross developed from vines imported by Mallet-Provost, who was a fugitive of the French Revolution.^[11] Several of the vineyards in the region were 8 to 10 years old in 1984 when four wine-grape vineyards were in operation with sever­al more planned.^[5]

Terroir

Topography

The "Central" part of the Delaware Valley is separated from the upper and lower parts by mountains, the Musconetcong to the north and the Baldpate to the south. The moderating climatological effects of the Delaware River extend for no more than about three miles (5 km) from the river, or to the rim of the valley where ridges are pronounced. Soil types are homogenous within the "Central" part and differ from those to the north and south. Geologically, the "Central" part of the valley of the Delaware River falls in the Piedmont Province, while the lower part of the valley is in the Coastal Plain and the upper part lies in the Reading Prong of the New England province and the Great Valley portion of the Ridge and Valley Province. Climate also differs in that the farther north one traels the colder the winters and the shorter the growing season. The boundaries of the viticultural area may be found on seven U.S.G.S. topographical maps In the scale of 1:24,000 series: Riegelsville Quadrangle, Frenchtown Quadrangle, Lumberville Quadrangle, Stockton Quadrangle. Buckinham Quadrangle. Lambertville Quadrangle, and Pennington Quadrangle.^[5]

Climate

The moderating climatological effects of the Delaware River extend for no more than about three miles (5 km) from the river, or to the rim of the valley where ridges are pronounced. For example, morning fog covers were observed to reach approximately that distance. This region has a frost-free growing season of between 170 to 180 days. In terms of degree days (Davis system), the region ranges from 3100 in the North to 3200 in the South. Such a range corresponds to California Region III (low end) in which portions of Napa and Sonoma Valleys are included. It should be noted also that temperature readings in the valley during extremely cold winter lows tend to range from 5 to 10 °F (−15 – −12 °C) higher than the surrounding area. Fog from the river also affects growing conditions during the growing season, particularly in dry periods, by providing moisture. Data sources from the 1954 reference, "Climatic Atlas of the United States," prepared by the U.S. Department of Commerce, were presented concerning maximum, minimum, and average temperatures; number of days above 90 °F (32 °C) and below 32 °F (0 °C); last date of freezing weather in spring and first date of freezing weather in autumn; and mean length of frost-free period, indicate that the climate in the vicinity of the Central Delaware Valley viticultural area is warmer than in surrounding areas. Data compiled by the petitioner also showed yearly and monthly maximum and minimum temperatures, and length of growing season, at sites both within and without the viticultural area. Further evidence established that temperatures were higher and growing seasons longer within the viticultural area than in nearby areas at corresponding latitudes outside the area.^[2][12]

Soils

Soil types are homogenous within the "Central" part and differ from those to the north and south. The Rockaway series soil type is a brown, gravelly loam found in the counties in northern New Jersey throughout Hunterdon, Mercer, Union, Essex and Bergen counties. It is formed from the exposed sediments deposited during the Devonian Period about 400 million years ago composed of weathered particles of conglomerate, sandstone, shale and limestone.^[2][4]

Viticulture

The petitioner noted 33 acres (13 ha) of wine grapes were growing in the proposed region. Of these, thirteen acres (5.3 ha) were produced that year and twenty-one acres (8.5 ha) produced fruit the next year while seven acres (2.8 ha) have been productive for more than three years. One of the vineyards (Goat Hill) has been in existence for 18 years. Both Goat Hill and Seabrook sold all of their grapes to commercial wineries for the previous two years (they had previously sold to home winemakers). Table Rook Vineyard sold their grapes to Bucks Country Vineyards (Arthur Gerold's winery). DelVista Vinyards produced small crops (used for experimental winemaking) for the last two years and last year sold surplus juice to home wine makers. Also noted, an additional ten acres (4.0 ha) are being planted within the proposed area (four of these acres will be planted in a new vineyard, Deucalion, near Frenchtown). The vine­yards currently in the area plan to plant an additional twenty to twenty-five acres (8.1–10.1 ha) within the next two years. At least three additional vine­yards were planned within the next few years and many more people have indicated interest in starting vineyards in the area. It also should be noted that DelVista Vinyards applied for federal and state winery licenses and expected to have it's first commercial crush in 1982.
Wine has been produced from grapes grown in the region commercial­ly since 1978. Tewksbury Wine Cellars, Lebanon, New Jersey, won a bronze medal for wine made from grapes from Goat Hill and Seabrook vineyards. Wine made from DelVista grapes has not been sold commercially, but was tasted by a number of wine "experts" and has received favorable comments.^[2]

In addition to being the birthplace of the Delaware grape variety, the Central Delaware Valley viticultural area has produced a sufficient number of commercial crops producing good wines made from grapes grown in the region. The number of acres currently producing may be small, but is still larger than other viticultur­al areas. In addition to the current and planned vineyards in the area, there are potential sites for hundreds of additional acres of wine grapes in the Central Delaware Valley.^[2]

Wineries

As of 2024^[update], there were at least seven wineries in the Central Delaware Valley with four in Pennsylvania, and three in New Jersey.^[7]

• Crossing Vineyards & Winery in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania
• New Hope Winery in New Hope, Pennsylvania
• Sand Castle Winery in Erwinna, Pennsylvania
• Chaddsford Winery - Peddler’s Village in Lahaska, Pennsylvania
• Federal Twist Vineyard in Stockton, New Jersey
• Angelico Winery in Lambertville, New Jersey
• Tomasello at Lambertville House in Lambertville, New Jersey

See also

• Alcohol laws of New Jersey
• Garden State Wine Growers Association
• Judgment of Princeton
• List of wineries, breweries, and distilleries in New Jersey
• New Jersey Farm Winery Act
• New Jersey Wine Industry Advisory Council