The shipping bill will allow wine to be shipped to and from NJ residences, but more importantly it will allow winery tasting rooms to remain open and allow our wineries to thrive.

Congratulations to the NJ state wineries on their well-deserved victory late last night!

I spent most of the day yesterday checking Facebook and Twitter for updates on what was happening with the wine shipping bill that was being voted on in the Assembly. Finally, at a little after 11pm, Sharrott Winery tweeted this:

Bill passed the assembly! Just waiting now for the senate to concure tonight since there was an amendment.

and a little after 11:30 came the second and most exciting news:

The winery bill has passed!!! Just needs the governor’s signature and he has said he will sign.

It was a little tough getting to sleep last night; I was pretty excited.

It’s been a long, difficult uphill battle for the representatives who have sponsored this bill and the New Jersey State Wine Growers Association and the individual wineries to get this bill passed. At times, the future of the wineries seemed very uncertain. I can imagine the winery owners and their employees felt discouraged each time a version of this bill got stalled in the Assembly.

But now, Victory is within reach. Governor Christie has said he’ll sign the bill. Let’s all contact him and tell him we are thrilled that the legislature has passed this bill and let him know you want him to sign it.

This Saturday, January 14th, 8 of our state wineries will be at the Winter Wine Festival at Renault Winery in Egg Harbor. If you’re going to the festival, make sure to congratulate the wineries on a fight well fought and a victory well deserved. I can imagine there will be quite a celebratory atmosphere at the festival.

1. Natural Harvest Food Market in Mullica Hill – Late last summer, Darrol and Tracey Wilson, huge supporters of all things local, bought the Natural Harvest Food Market. Every time I read the market’s Facebook page, I want to jump in the car and go. Part of the store is dedicated to local foods and small producers. They sell Capogiro Gelato from Philadelphia (if you’ve never had this Gelato sourced from local ingredients, you don’t know what you’re missing), cheese from Cherry Grove Farms in Lawrenceville, pasta from Severino in Westmont, meats from Wellshire Farms in Swedesboro and much more. What’s not local is natural, organic and wholesome, and they make sure they have options for vegetarians, vegans and those on a gluten-free diet.
2. Vincentown Diner – For a NJ food lover, I’m not that big on diners. They’re great at 2 am, but the rest of the time, I can make the same foods most diners make at home. I’ve heard differently about the Vincentown Diner, though. They use organic eggs, local produce, all natural pasture-fed beef from local New Jersey farms, and they serve wines from New Jersey. I’ve been told the food is really great. Even the New York Times says it’s “worth it.”
3. Flying Fish Brewing – Even though it’s right around the corner in Cherry Hill, I’ve never taken the time to visit Flying Fish. I need to remedy that. They do free tastings/tours on many Saturday afternoons (see their schedule of events to find dates and times). The brewery will be moving from its current location to one that’s three times as large in Somerdale (Yay for local businesses doing so well they need to expand!), but that won’t be for a while. I hope to be able to check out their old digs and their new digs once the new location is up and running.
4. (& 5.) Landis MarketPlace and Bellview Winery – I hope to tackle two of my goals in one day by heading to Vineland and visiting the Landis MarketPlace to check out the Amish market on the bottom floor and the merchants on the top floor (including Martha’s Spice Shop owned by the former principal of the school I used to teach at). Then, I’ll head to the nearby Bellview Winery for a tasting and stock up on a few bottles. And, since I’m in the area, I’ll make it a point to pop into The Sweet Life Bakery and grab a treat or two. It’s a foodie day trip just waiting to be taken.

Tell me what local businesses and producers you’re hoping to finally visit this year.

Fromage Fort - a cheese spread made from the odds and ends of cheeses leftover from the holidays. Yum!

After only two truly cold days, the 55 degrees this afternoon have me in a happy, spring-like mood. My mood might also be contributed to the fact that yesterday, the winery direct shipping bill finally made it out of committee in the New Jersey State Assembly and will be going to the floor for a vote on Monday, January 9, 2012. This is the third (I believe) version of the bill – the first two never made it to the floor for a vote. On Monday, if bill A-4436 passes, chances are really good that our wineries will be able to thrive, our vineyards will continue to exist to preserve open land, and consumers will have a freedom of choice.

It’s not a done deal, and this is where YOU are very important. If you go to Free the Grapes, you’ll find an incredibly easy way to contact your district’s representatives. In less than five minutes, you can send them emails encouraging them to vote for A-4436. They need to hear from as many of us as possible. They need to know this is important to their constituents. Please take a few minutes to do this before Sunday evening so when your representatives get to work on Monday, they’ll be inundated with our voices.

I’ve got a few odds and ends to let you know about, too.

• Mark January 16th on your calendar for the 3rd Annual Mac Off to benefit The Food Bank of South Jersey. This year, the event will be held at The Collingswood Ballroom to be able to accommodate all the great people that want to come out and support our restaurants and the food bank.
• Two of my favorite local producers Sharrott Winery and Cherry Grove Farm are teaming up on Saturday, January 21 from noon to 5pm for an afternoon of wine and cheese pairings at Sharrott’s tasting room.
• If you’re being inundated with cute little Girl Scouts asking you to buy their cookies, but you don’t want the unhealthy ingredients, my partner in food writing over at MNN, Kimi, has a recipe for homemade Thin Mints.
• Another recipe that might interest you is Fromage Fort. I read about this in my latest issue of Saveur and had to make it. You take the leftover cheeses that you have in the fridge and mix the in the food processor with white wine and butter to make a cheese spread that’s different every time. You can get the recipe for Fromage Fort on my MNN post.
• In that same issue of Saveur (which was a really great issue – I enjoyed the whole thing cover to cover) there was a list of the Saveur 100 favorite things, and oyster stout made the list.  Flying Fish’s Exit 1 Oyster Stout was one of the stouts mentioned and pictured in the mag. How cool is that?

That’s it for this weekend. Things are fairly quiet after the holidays. We all need a quiet weekend, I suspect. I’ll be un-Christmasing my house this weekend. How about you?

New Jersey’s wine consumers and wineries received another major boost this weekend as the STAR-LEDGER, the state’s largest newspaper, joined five other newspapers in endorsing direct shipping legislation.  Additionally, the editorial went on to dismiss the liquor lobby’s misleading allegations about job losses and an increase in underage access to wine as a result of direct shipping.  The editorial said, “Both arguments are fear-mongering nonsense.” Further, the editorial pointed out, “New Jersey wineries – the state’s most promising farmers – need this law because it’s good for business. It’s already law in 38 states. Direct-shipping expands consumer choice. Moreover, local wineries draw tourism, and the state stands to make millions on license fees and sales taxes.”

 

Momentum continues to build for direct shipping!  A-4436/S-3172, sponsored by Senate President Stephen Sweeney, Assemblyman John Burzichelli, Deputy Speaker John Wisniewski, and Assemblywoman Celeste Riley, is scheduled to be considered by the Assembly Budget Committee on Thursday, January 5th!  This legislation provides the Legislature with an opportunity to enhance New Jersey’s image around the country, and further establish the state as a major wine producer.  Additionally, this important legislation will ensure the future of the NJ wine industry, stimulate agri-tourism, preserve farmland, create jobs and bring additional tax and fee revenue to the state.  Now is the time to reach out to members of the Assembly Budget Committee and urge them to support this legislation and finally give NJ residents the same ability as millions of other Americans in 38 states to have wine shipped from wineries to their residences.

 

UnCorkNJ is calling on its thousands of supporters to take action today and urge members of the Assembly Budget Committee to reject the liquor lobby and side with NJ wine consumers and wine growers and pass A-4436/S-3172 on Thursday!

 

We thank you for your past support and encourage you to spread the word to other wine consumers. To read the STAR-LEDGER editorial, please click here.

 

Members of the Assembly Budget Committee:

 

Chairman Lou Greenwald

AsmGreenwald@njleg.org

 

Vice-Chairman Gary Schear

AsmSchear@njleg.org (note: the email I sent to this particular address was sent back undeliverable. I went in through Vice-Chairman Schear’s website and sent an email that way: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/bio.asp?Leg=258)

 

Assemblyman Anthony Bucco

AsmBucco@njleg.org

 

Assemblyman John Burzichelli

AsmBurzichelli@njleg.org

 

Assemblyman Gary Chiusano

AsmChiusano@njleg.org

 

Assemblyman Albert Coutinho

AsmCoutinho@njleg.org

 

Assemblyman Gordon Johnson

AsmJohnson@njleg.org

 

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

AsmOScanlon@njleg.org

 

Assemblywoman Nellie Pou

AswPou@njleg.org

 

Assemblywoman Joan Quigley

AswQuigley@njleg.org

 

Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman

AswWatsonColeman@njleg.org

 

Assemblyman Jay Webber

AsmWebber@njleg.org

Save the New Jersey wines!

I just got some new information from UncorkNJ. It looks like another bill has been put forward to allow direct shipping to NJ and other state’s residents from wineries in and out of the state. The link in the information below will take you to a quick and easy website where you can make your opinion known. Please take a few minutes to ask for a fair shipping bill that will allow wineries to thrive and allow NJ consumers the freedom to have access to great wines. (If you’re unfamiliar with the wine shipping issue, please read State wineries are in jeopardy)

UNCORKNJ JOINS GARDEN STATE WINE GROWERS ASSOCIATION AND OTHERS TO URGE ASSEMBLY SPEAKER OLIVER AND DEPUTY SPEAKER WISNIEWSKI TO POST A-4303 NOW

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED TO PRESERVE NJ’S RETAIL WINE OUTLETS AND PERMIT DIRECT SHIPPING FROM SMALL WINERIES TO NJ RESIDENTS

NJ’s Legislature will end its current legislative session on January 9, 2012 and time is short for the Legislature to act in favor of A-4303, legislation introduced recently by Deputy Speaker John Wisniewski. UnCorkNJ strongly supports Wisniewski’s bill, which will preserve NJ’s retail wine outlets, and bring direct shipping from small wineries to NJ residents.

UnCorkNJ calls on all of its thousands of supporters to take action now and request that A-4303 be included on the agenda for the next Assembly committee meeting. Let the legislative leadership know that you support NJ’s wine industry, and want to have the same ability as residents of 38 other states and have wine shipped from wineries to your residences.

NJ’s liquor lobby continues its opposition to A-4303, and is determined to never allow direct shipping from wineries to NJ residents. Over the past few months, NJ wine consumers have stood up to the liquor lobby and their voices have been heard by Speaker Oliver, Senate President Sweeney, and many other legislators. Despite the efforts of the liquor lobby to defeat the direct shipping legislation, momentum continues to build in our favor. UnCorkNJ again thanks Deputy Speaker Wisniewski and the long list of bi-partisan legislators for their support

Now is the time for the Legislature to stand with NJ’s wine industry and consumers and pass A-4303 now.

UnCorkNJ is again calling on its thousands of supporters to take action today and respectfully request that Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver post A-4303 for a committee vote as soon as possible. Please take a moment to share this email with your friends, family members, and colleagues and ask them to join you in contacting Speaker Oliver in support of A-4303.

Legislators are listening to the public, your voices are being heard, let’s keep up the effort and we will bring direct shipping to NJ residents this year!

As you’re planning for your Thanksgiving, remember to buy local whenever and wherever you can. Let’s give our local producers a last shot of financial support before many of them go into hibernation for the winter.

A few things you might be interested in knowing about:

• The Food Bank of South Jersey is opening up its wear house in Pennsauken for direct donations of food this Saturday, November 19th. Their need is great, so if you can’t get there to donate food, you can always make an online monetary donation to help offset the costs of the busiest time of the season for the food bank.
• The Down Home South Jersey blog compiled a list of wines from SJ wineries to go with the different dishes and courses of your Thanksgiving meal. Thanksgiving is a great time to introduce your friends and family to local wines. Whether your hosting or a guest, there’s bound to be someone at dinner that’s unaware that our wines are great.
• Remember last month when I was doing some reviews of local cheeses, and I mentioned that one of the cheese stands at The Reading Terminal Market had told me they stopped carrying local cheeses because the quality wasn’t there and they cost too much? Well, take this, snooty cheese stand: Lawrenceville’s Cherry Grove Farms (whose Herdsman cheese I reviewed) had their Toma cheese selected as one of 17 finalists out hundreds of cheeses in the National Good Food Awards. Congratulations Cherry Grove Farms!
• With next week’s hustle and bustle, a slow cooker meal early in the week could be just what you need. Over on MNN, I have a recipe for Slow Cooker White Bean and Kielbasa Stew that my whole family loved. If you’re going to the Collingswood Farmers Market this weekend, stop by the Hillsacre Pride table and buy some kielbasa form them if you’re planning on making this.
• New Jersey lawmakers might soon be deciding on a raw milk bill in our state. If raw milk is something you’re interested in, you’ll want to read this piece on Newsworks.
• Asbury Park Press has the obligatory pre-Thanksgiving piece on New Jersey’s cranberry crops. In case you didn’t know, we’re the third largest cranberry producing state.
• The Garden State Wine Growers Association will host their Holiday Wine Trail on November 25, 26, & 27.

George Taber will be returning to Amalthea Cellars again this Saturday night to promote his latest book and participate in a New Jersey wine tasting. I really wish I could go to this event, but I’m not able to. It’s sort of killing me that I won’t be there. You might be able to get there, though. Here are the details from the press release.

Wineries from the historic Outer Coastal Plain region in South Jersey are teaming with the South Jersey Tourism Corporation (SJTC) to present a special wine tasting and book signing by wine icon George Taber, author of “Judgement of Paris,” this Saturday, November 19 at 6 p.m. at Almalthea Cellars in Atco.

The Outer Coastal Plain, a historically celebrated American wine growing region is part of the American Viticultural Area (AVA). This federally recognized viticultural region is home to some of the oldest wineries in the country. The South Jersey Tourism Corporation (SJTC), is the official destination marketing organization for South Jersey’s Delaware River Region Taber authored “Judgment of Paris,” a chronicle of the historic moment when Napa Valley wines defeated French wines, creating a paradigm shift for the entire industry. Taber was the Time Magazine correspondent and only journalist in the room when the judging occurred. His reporting on the event led to a major change in the way American wines from California were perceived from that moment forward.

Taber will be signing copies of “Judgment of Paris” along with his newly released book, “A Toast to Bargain Wines: How Innovators, Iconoclasts, and Winemaking Revolutionaries Are Changing the Way the World Drinks”. Taber’s book comes at the perfect time as prices on quality West Coast wines continue to plummet, setting the stage for what could be a long-term realignment of prices more in line with the quality-price value the East Coast has been offering. The tasting starts at 6 p.m. Dress is business casual. The book release will feature handmade Hors D ‘Oeuvres and top-ranking vintages and wines from Almalthea and other Outer Coastal Plain wineries.

The ticket price for this event is $50 per person and will also include a copy of Taber’s new book. Space is limited and interested persons are encouraged to purchase tickets now online at amaltheacellars.com, in-store or by calling (856)-768-8585.

“We are very excited to have such a renowned author and wine expert as George Taber on hand for this event,” said Jake Buganski, Executive Director of the SJTC. “His new book showcases exactly what our wineries are providing to customers, quality wine at affordable prices.” Owing to its position along the Atlantic Coast line and the Pinelands, Outer Coastal Plain wineries enjoy a longer growing season as a benefit of the warming maritime effects on the 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.

Do me a favor, if you do get to the event, please come back here and let me know how it was. At least I’ll be able to live vicariously.

On Saturday, I stopped by The Reading Terminal Market after an awesome Philly Area Food & Drink Writers Meetup planned by Wendy from La Phemme Phoodie and Philly Homegrown (more about that later this week). I was looking for local cheese. I first went to Salumeria. When I was there about a year ago, they had several local cheeses highlighted on their chalkboard. As I scanned the cases, I didn’t see a single New Jersey or Pennsylvania cheese this time. When I asked, I was told that they had decided that the local cheeses they had carried weren’t of very good quality and they were too expensive. Okay, then.

I moved on and headed to the Fair Food Farmstand where I knew I’d find some local choices. I picked out a small wedge of Clover Creek Creamery‘s Tussey Mountain cheese. Clover Creek is in Williamsport, PA, and they produce and sell Grass-based raw milk, Artisan raw milk cheeses, and grass-based beef.

Look at that beautiful cheese pictured above. It’s as delicious as it looks. The Clover Creek website describes it as a their “twist on an Emmenthaler Swiss.” They named it “in honor of the large mountain we see in front of our farm every day. It is drier and saltier than some of our other cheeses but lacks the traditional Swiss holes or ‘eyes’. For a blind* cheese, it has a great buttery Swiss flavor.”

Creamy, tangy and sharp!

I tasted the cheese before I checked out the description on their website. Swiss was not the first thing that came to my mind. It was lacking the overt nuttiness that many Swiss cheeses have. I actually wasn’t sure what to compare this to. Despite the dry, crumbly texture, it had a creaminess to it in the mouth. The smell was sharp, bordering ever-so-slightly on the stinky cheese side, but just slightly. I immediately wanted to put it on a burger, which I did not get to do, but I saved a bit to try on a burger later this week.

I tried the Tussey Mountain cheese with a few sips from a bottle of Cabernet Franc I had open. A very nice pairing. It wasn’t a NJ Cab Franc, but a Virginia one that I had opened the night before. There are many excellent NJ Cabernet Francs, and I can imagine this would go nicely with Sharrott’s Cabernet Franc or even Unionville’s Big ‘O’ that’s a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. I’m also thinking that DiMatteo‘s Merlot would be a good choice with this cheese.

I’m happy to have discovered this cheese, and I hope next time I’m at Reading Terminal Market they’ll still have it so I can pick up a larger wedge. I’m a little concerned that I’m not going to be able to let what’s left in the fridge stay there until burgers this weekend.

If you want to try this Tussey Mountain, check out this list of stores that carry it. There aren’t any in NJ, but there a few in Philly.

*”Blind” is the term given to a Swiss cheese without holes or “eyes.”

Yesterday, Alli from All I Eat Food and I went to the Moorestown Kitchen Kapers to meet Emeril Lagasse and have him sign copies of his latest cookbook, Sizzling Skillets and Other One Pot Wonders. I’m looking forward to delving into some of the recipes. It looks like a great fall/winter cookbook.

As usual, I’m glad it’s Friday. I’m looking forward to the farmers market tomorrow, and we’ll be having dinner with friends at the fabulous Tortilla Press Cantina tomorrow night. There’s lots going on this weekend if you’re looking for something to do.

• The 28th Annual Chatsworth Cranberry Festival is Saturday and Sunday, the 15th & 16th from 9am to 4pm. The Cranberry Festival is a celebration of New Jersey’s cranberry harvest, the 3rd largest in the United States, and offers a tribute to the Pine Barrens & Local Culture.
• Cooper River Park in Pennsauken will be the site of the 2011 Columbus Italian Cultural Festa. They’ll be food, games and wines from Hamonton’s Plagido’s Winery.
• It’s a bit of a hike up to Morristown, but if you have the whole day Saturday or Sunday free, it will be worth it for the Grand Harvest Wine Festival that features twenty NJ wineries offering nearly 250 locally-produced wines, food, crafts vendors, live bands and the opportunity to experience one of New Jersey’s significant historic farms.
• Hop the Patco from New Jersey and head into Philly for the Reading Terminal Market Harvest Festival tomorrow. They’ll be hayrides, live bluegrass, a pie eating contest, and of course, lots of food.
• If you’ve ever thought about starting your own food blog or have but you’re not sure what direction to take it in, there’s a food writing/blogging workshop being held tomorrow at Indie Hall in Philly. Tenaya Darlington (Madame Fromage) and Marisa McClellan (Food in Jars), both engaging food writers, will instruct. It starts at 10am, so if you’re interested click on the link and snag your tickets to the class now.
• If you’re looking to get out of town for a bit, check out the regional harvest festivals that Visit Philly has information about.
• This is perfect for American Cheese Month. On Thursday, October 20th, they’ll be the  Tasting and Tales of Farmstead Cheese. The head cheesemaker from Cherry Grove Farm will be on hand for an evening of conversation and a tasting of his farmstead artisan cheeses at Whole Earth Center in Princeton. Free, pre-registration requested.

Enjoy your weekend!