To make great wines you need a few key ingredients.
Naturally, things like good soil, healthy vines, sunlight,
plentiful grapes and good barrels are all necessary. However,
truly great wines require something more --something our family
has cultivated alongside our 70 acres of premium varietals since
1933 --hard work and passion.
Founded over 80 years ago
by our grandfather, we are the third generation of Tomasellos to
build upon his great vision. Not only through dedicating our
lives to growing and producing excellent wines that are a true
expression of the Outer Coastal Plain --a historically
celebrated American wine growing region, but by bringing our
wines closer to your families with elegant tasting rooms and
gift shops throughout the great Garden State.
There is a
saying in the wine business that “great wines are made in the
vineyard.” We would like to take that a step beyond and say
that: Yes, great wines are made at our vineyard, but it is the
celebrations, the gatherings, the good times with family and
friends that makes a wine even greater.
Thank you for
your continued love of our wines and loyalty. As our family
grows, and our children learn the ways of the vineyard, we look
forward to a place at your table for generations to come.
All the very best,
Jack and Charlie Tomasello – 3rd Generation New Jersey
Winegrowers
Tomasello Winery is located in the heart of the Outer Coastal
Plain – American Viticultural Area (AVA). This federally
recognized viticultural region is home to some of the oldest
wineries in the country. The grapes grown at Tomasello Winery
are caringly cultivated at our family’s vineyard in Atlantic and
Camden Counties, New Jersey.
Owing to its position along
the Atlantic Coast line and the Pinelands, we enjoy a longer
growing season as a benefit of the warming maritime effects on
our climate. The soil is sandy and loamy with a slightly higher
pH – most comparable to soil acidity levels found in the famed
Loire Valley of France, which is known for bright, beautifully
balanced wines.
For those familiar with the
Davis Heat Summation Scale, we are in Region 3 –exhibiting a
mid-heat range. According to the USDA Hardiness Zones, Hammonton
is found in zone 6B. Harvest generally commences in the last
week of August through the first week of October. During dry
seasons, the harvest parameters are typically high sugar with a
strong underlying acidity.
We currently have 70 acres
under vine, with more than 30 different varieties of grapes
including Native American, French hybrids and classic vinifera.
Throughout our three quarters of a century in the wine business,
we have continuously experimented with new varietals to see
which varietals are best suited to our location and which
produce the highest quality wines. New varietals in our
vineyards include Sangiovese, Shiraz, and Petit Verdot.
We invite you to get to know
our region and our great wines.
As was common during Prohibition, many in this great American
wine-growing region became traditional farmers.
In the 1930's, our
grandfather, Frank Tomasello was a berry farmer in Hammonton,
New Jersey. He was known for his raspberries, strawberries,
peaches and sweet potatoes. But he had a special knack for
growing grapes and a passion for wine.
In February 1933, when Frank
heard the federal government was repealing Prohibition and was
ready to once again issue winery licenses he did not waste any
time. He jumped into his truck and drove through a snow storm to
Washington, DC to be one of the first in line for a license – he
made it! Tomasello Winery was bonded that year, license number
68 for the entire country. In June of that year, New Jersey
passed the 21st amendment repealing prohibition and Tomasello
Winery was officially in business.
Our grandfather understood
that the soil and climate in this area was perfect for grape
growing for several reasons. First, the native grape vines were
so common in the area that the Vikings named the area just down
the street from him "Vineland," named after the grape vines that
grew so profusely in the area. Second, prior to prohibition
there had been as many as 100 wineries in the area, home to some
of the oldest in the country. Finally, the area was known for
its outstanding produce - corn, tomatoes, etc., which made it
easy to believe that this same soil and climate would also
produce excellent grapes.
The first wines that Frank
Tomasello made were – Ranier Red, Ranier White and Ranier Rose
(named after his wife's maiden name) a delightful blend of
American varietals. The Raniers were a huge success, so much so,
that they are still being made today and are among our top
selling wines with a loyal following.
In the 1940s, Frank brought
his sons Charles and Joseph into the business. They grew their
father's business into a commercial winery. They also began
producing sparkling wines employing the classical French method
known as methode champenoise -- which involves a secondary
fermentation in the bottle as opposed to adding carbonation.
These sparkling wines were very popular. By the 1960s, sparkling
wines accounted for half of all the wines produced at Tomasello
Winery.
Joseph Tomasello passed away
in 1971. Charles Tomasello, Sr., then 48, expanded our family’s
vineyards to add the first generation of French American
hybrids. Many of these varieties were in the experimental
stages, being developed and introduced by Cornell University's
Extension Station. Today, while many of these varieties are
currently being planted throughout the United States, Charles
Tomasello, Sr. was the first to plant many of the more
successful varieties at our vineyard –accounting for the fact
that we have some of the oldest Villard Noir vines in the
country.
In the 1980s, a third
generation of Tomasellos joined the business when Charles' sons
Charles, Jr. and Jack came on board. Together they worked to
expand the winery and revamp the vineyard. In the vineyard they
planted Vinifera vines, adding Chardonnay first, then Cabernet
Sauvignon three years later. We now grow 30 different varieties
including Cabernet Franc, Riesling, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir and
Shiraz to name just a few.
Today, Tomasello Winery
produces approximately 45 wines, almost all made from
estate-grown fruit or fruit from local farmers including the
much celebrated Sparkling Blueberry, made in the classical
methode champenoise. Tomasello Winery uses only the top
blueberries from the top growers from Hammonton (the Blueberry
Capital of the World) in this wine.
In 2016, over eight-eight
years after its inception, Tomasello Winery farms nearly 70
acres of vines. We are the only third generation, family-owned
winery in the State of New Jersey. Our wines can be found in 37
states nationally, in thousands of stores, as well as in Canada
and Asia.
Tomasello Winery is
well-known for its premium wines - Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit
Verdot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, -- and has also had
great success with French Hybrids varieties including
Chambourcin, Villard Noir and Vidal Blanc. With close to 40
wines produced, Tomasello has a wine for every palette,
including obscure wines like its award-winning Rkatsiteli, a
Russian variety grown at the vineyard.
The winery has also won wide
acclaim and legions of fans for its high-end dessert wines.
These wines - Raspberry, Cranberry, Blackberry, Blueberry,
Cherry, Pomegranate and our latest Pomegranate/Blueberry blend;
along with three Fruit Forte wines (fruit wines fortified with
the corresponding fruit eau de vie) and three sparkling fruit
wines (including the newly released Red Raspberry Sparkling
Wine), have earned the winery numerous prestigious national and
international awards, as well as the praise of wine critics,
dessert chefs and wine drinkers alike.
"Quality in wine making is a
function of quality fruit," explains Charlie. "To that end we
use only the finest fruit from around the country to make our
wines. We use Montmorency Cherries from Michigan, Cranberries
from Massachusetts, Blueberries from New Jersey and Maine,
Raspberries from Oregon and Marion Blackberries from the Pacific
Northwest for our wines. The quality shows in the finished
product.
"We are very serious about
the production of our fruit wines," he added. "The fruit wines
in our portfolio are fermented in small lots under very cold
conditions to maximize fruit character extraction. We select
fruit from specific growers whose passion in fruit growing
matches our passion in wine making. You will find these wines to
be intense in their fruit character with layers of fruit on the
palette and yet balanced in their relative acidity and
sweetness. They have remarkable diversity in their use as a wine
to drink as an aperitif, with a meal, with desert, or for use in
recipes."
Wine drinkers can sample and
buy these outstanding wines at Tomasello Winery in Hammonton,
New Jersey; as well as in the Tomasello Winery Tasting Rooms in
Lambertville, Freehold Cranford, Wyckoff, and the Towne of
Historic Smithville. These wines can also be found throughout
New Jersey in better wine shops and at independent wine shops
and grocery stores in the 37 states they are currently
distributing to across the country.
The vineyard in Hammonton
also features an elegant Crystal Ballroom which provides an
elegant backdrop for special events. In conjunction with
gorgeous French country style, crystal chandeliers and decor;
Tomasello Winery banquet facilities also offer outstanding
cuisine and, of course, Tomasello awardwinning wines. The winery
also hosts numerous events including seasonal Opera Galas and
Bridal Previews at this location. We also host wedding
celebrations and private parties.
Wine, gifts, and event
tickets can be purchased online at
shopwine.tomaselloproducts.com.
The future holds even more
for this winery - distribution in more states across the
country, more international sales, and even more fans. For more
information on the winery and its wines, call 800-MMM-WINE
(800-666-9463).
Tomasello Winery
(800) MMM-Wine
225 N. White Horse Pike, Hammonton, NJ 08037
© 2016 Tomasello Winery