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Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery facts for kids

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Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery
Hawk Haven logo.png
Location 600 South Railroad Avenue, Rio Grande, NJ, USA
Coordinates 39.010001 N, 74.890554 W
Appellation Outer Coastal Plain AVA
First vines planted 1997
Opened to the public 2009
Key people Todd & Kenna Wuerker (owners)
Lalo Serra (viticulturalist)
Acres cultivated 16
Cases/yr 5,000
Other attractions live music, food trucks
Distribution On-site, wine festivals, NJ liquor stores, NJ restaurants, home shipment in NJ, PA, and FL
Tasting Tastings daily, tours on Saturday
(daily in summer)
Website http://hawkhavenvineyard.com/

Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery is a special place in Rio Grande, New Jersey. It's a winery, which means they grow grapes and make wine there. Before it became a winery, it was a family farm. The family raised dairy cows and grew fresh produce since 1940.

The first grapevines were planted in 1997. These were Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Hawk Haven opened its doors to visitors in 2009. Their first wines were made in 2007. Today, they have 16 acres of grapevines. They produce about 5,000 cases of wine each year. A case holds 12 bottles.

The winery is named Hawk Haven because many hawks fly to the farm every year. They have sixteen different types of grapes. All the steps, from growing grapes to bottling the wine, happen right there at the farm.

Grapes and Wines

Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery is in a special area called the Outer Coastal Plain AVA. This area is known for growing good grapes. They grow many kinds of grapes, including:

  • Albariño
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Chardonnay
  • Gewürztraminer
  • Merlot
  • Petit Verdot
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Riesling
  • Sangiovese
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Syrah
  • Tempranillo
  • Viognier
  • Pinot Noir

The vineyard also helps Rutgers University with a special project. They are testing if certain grapes can grow well in New Jersey's weather. These grapes are called Lagrein and Teroldego. Hawk Haven is the only winery in New Jersey that uses these two types of grapes. They are red grapes that originally came from Italy.

Hawk Haven Patio Area
Visitors can enjoy picnics and bring their pets to the Hawk Haven patio area.

Awards and Recognition

Hawk Haven wines have won many awards. Their Cabernet Franc wine won a special award called the Governor's Cup. It also won a gold medal at the 2016 NJ Wine Competition. The winery is part of two important groups: the Garden State Wine Growers Association and the Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association. These groups help support wineries in New Jersey.