Renault Winery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Renault Winery |
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| Location | 72 North Bremen Avenue, Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, USA |
| Coordinates | 39.544624 N, 74.603557 W |
| Appellation | Outer Coastal Plain AVA |
| First vines planted | 1864 |
| Opened to the public | 1870 |
| Key people | Louis Nicolas Renault (founder) Joseph Milza (owner) Marco Bucchi (winemaker) |
| Acres cultivated | 48 |
| Cases/yr | 20,000 (2013) |
| Other attractions | Restaurants, hotel, golf course |
| Distribution | On-site, wine festivals, home shipment |
| Tasting | Daily tastings and tours |
| Website | http://www.renaultwinery.com/ |
Renault Winery (rih-NAWLT) is a winery located in Egg Harbor City and Galloway Township in Atlantic County, New Jersey. It is the oldest winery still making wine in New Jersey. Renault is one of the larger places that grows grapes in New Jersey. They have 48 acres of grapes and make about 20,000 cases of wine each year. The winery is named after its founder, Louis Nicolas Renault.
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History of Renault Winery
The first grapevines were planted in 1864 by Louis Nicolas Renault. He was an immigrant from France. He brought special grapevines called vinifera from his home country.
Renault Winery opened to the public in 1870. For many years, it was the biggest producer of champagne in the United States. The winery even survived the Prohibition era. This was a time when making and selling alcohol was against the law. Renault Winery was allowed to make special wine for religious ceremonies. They also made "medicinal wines" like "Renault Wine Tonic." These were sold in pharmacies across the country.
After World War II, a man named Enoch "Nucky" Johnson worked at Renault. The winery used to have 600 acres of grapes. They sold 500,000 cases of wine every year. However, wine production has become much smaller recently. Instead, the winery has grown into a fun resort. They opened a restaurant in 1983. A hotel and a second restaurant opened in 2000. A golf course was added in 2004.
Financial Challenges
In 2014, the winery had money problems and filed for bankruptcy. This means they couldn't pay their debts. OceanFirst Bank, which was owed the most money, bought the winery in 2015. In 2018, the bank announced that Renault Properties LLC bought the property. In 2019, Galloway Township agreed to help Renault Winery with its plans to improve the property.
Wines Made at Renault
Renault Winery is located in a special grape-growing area called the Outer Coastal Plain AVA. They use many types of grapes to make their wines.
Some of the grapes they use are:
- Baco noir
- Cabernet Franc
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Cayuga White
- Chardonnay
- Merlot
- Noah
- Norton (Cynthiana)
- Petit Verdot
- Pinot gris
- Pinot noir
- Riesling
- Sangiovese
- Sauvignon blanc
- Vidal blanc
Renault also makes fruit wines, like wine from blueberries. They are the only winery in the United States that makes a blueberry champagne!
What You Can Find at Renault Winery
The winery is on a very large piece of land, about 1400 acres. This area includes many fun things to do.
You can find:
- An 18-hole golf course
- A hotel with 50 rooms
- Two restaurants
Renault Winery has a special license from New Jersey. This license lets them make a lot of wine. It also lets them have up to 15 other places to sell their wine. They can also ship up to 12 cases of wine per year to customers in New Jersey or other states.
Renault Winery is part of two groups that support wine-making in New Jersey. They are a member of the Garden State Wine Growers Association and the Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association.
