People don’t usually put NJ wineries on their Shore vacation itinerary. They’re thinking about the boardwalk, the beach, the pizza. Completely fair. But if you’re coming to Seaside Heights for a full week and there’s a rainy Wednesday in your forecast — or you just want to do something a little different — NJ wineries make for one of the best day trips you can take from the Shore.
My husband and I started doing winery runs a few summers ago when we needed a break from the sun. What I didn’t expect was how good some of these wines actually are. New Jersey doesn’t have the reputation of Napa, but parts of South Jersey share similar soil and climate conditions to Bordeaux, and the Cape May area in particular has been producing award-winning wines for years.
Here’s where to go, what to know before you visit, and how to make it work as a day trip from Seaside Heights.
Why NJ Wineries Are Worth Your Time
There’s a real wine scene growing in this state, and 2026 is a particularly good year to explore it. The Garden State Wine Growers Association — a coalition of 50+ wineries — hosts festivals, wine trails, and tasting events throughout the year. Most NJ wineries are doing more than just tasting rooms now: food trucks, live music, vineyard tours, charcuterie, sunset events. It’s less “sip and spit” and more “spend the afternoon.”
You’ve got small boutique operations where the owner is pouring your flight, and larger destinations with multiple acres, events, and food menus. Prices vary widely — tasting flights at many wineries run anywhere from $14 to $35 per person depending on the winery and what’s included, so it can fit a range of budgets.
One thing I’ll say: NJ wineries skew heavily toward a grown-up experience. Some are kid-friendly, some are not. If you’re coming with little ones, confirm in advance. The Cape May wineries in particular tend to be more adult-oriented, though there are exceptions.
Wineries in Cape May
The Cape May Peninsula is where NJ’s wine scene is most concentrated. In 2018, the Cape May Peninsula became New Jersey’s fourth official American Viticultural Area (AVA), a designation that recognizes it as a distinct wine-growing region. That matters. The peninsula’s sandy soil, long growing season, and coastal breezes from both the Delaware Bay and Atlantic create conditions where European grape varieties actually thrive.
There are seven wineries on the Cape May Wine Trail. Here are the two that most visitors put at the top of their list:
Cape May Winery & Vineyard (711 Townbank Road, North Cape May) is open daily — Monday through Thursday noon to 5pm, Friday and Saturday noon to 6pm, Sunday noon to 5pm — though hours can shift seasonally, so check their site before heading down. The winery grows 11 varietals across four vineyards covering 26 acres. Tastings run about $14 per person for a flight of six wines, and they have a tapas kitchen open Thursday through Sunday. In summer, they add a Sunday brunch menu. Groups of seven or more need a reservation. The outdoor seating with views over the vineyard rows is what most people rave about.
Willow Creek Winery (168 Stevens Street, West Cape May) is the only winery located on Cape May Island itself, and it’s open year-round. Hours as of April 2026: Monday through Thursday noon to 6pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30am to 9pm, Sunday 11:30am to 6pm. They have a full kitchen menu Thursday through Sunday and charcuterie the rest of the week. Flight tastings run $21–$35 per person. If you go on a Friday or Saturday evening, it has a completely different energy than a midweek afternoon visit — more like a wine bar than a tasting room.
Hawk Haven Vineyard (Rio Grande) sits just outside Cape May proper on a 100-acre farm and produces smaller-batch, handcrafted wines. It’s part of the Cape May Wine Trail but sometimes gets overlooked behind the bigger names. Worth a visit if you’re already making the trip south.
For the full Cape May Wine Trail, including Hawk Haven Vineyard, Natali Vineyards, Jessie Creek Winery, G&W Winery, and Turdo Vineyards.
Wineries Near Seaside Heights
If Cape May is too far for a Shore week day trip, you have more options than you might think within 45 to 75 minutes of Seaside Heights. Here’s what’s in range:
Beach Bee Meadery (89 Long Branch Ave, Long Branch) is about 45 minutes north. It’s technically a meadery, not a winery, meaning the drinks are made from honey rather than grapes. But if you’ve never had mead or hard cider, this is an easy introduction. It’s kid and dog friendly, BYOF (bring your own food), and sits two blocks from Pier Village and the Long Branch beach. Great option if you want to combine it with a different stretch of Shore for the afternoon. Check their site for current hours since they vary by season.
Cream Ridge Winery (145 Route 539, Cream Ridge) is about 40 minutes from Seaside Heights and open Friday through Sunday. Smaller and more low-key than some of the bigger operations — which is part of the appeal. Ten wines to taste, no pretense, the kind of place where you end up staying longer than you planned because whoever’s pouring actually wants to talk about the wine.
Laurita Winery (35 Archertown Road, New Egypt) is about 45 minutes away and one of the biggest NJ wineries in the state. Laurita sits on 40 acres of what use to be a dairy farm, with a tasting room built from two original barns. Open Thursday through Sunday. They run food truck weekends, live music, and seasonal festivals, so the experience varies a lot depending on when you go. A quiet Thursday afternoon is very different from a fall festival Saturday. Check their events calendar before you head out.
Renault Winery (72 Bremen Ave, Egg Harbor City) is roughly 50 minutes from Seaside Heights and is one of the oldest continuously operating wineries in the country. Founded in 1864, it survived Prohibition by selling wine for “medicinal purposes” and has been producing ever since. It’s now part of a resort property with a restaurant, a hotel, and a golf course, so it can anchor a bigger day trip if you want more than just a tasting. We have a full Renault Winery day trip guide if you want the details on what to expect.
Valenzano Winery (1090 Route 206, Shamong) sits about 55 minutes from Seaside Heights in the heart of the Pine Barrens, and it’s one of the most popular NJ wineries for a reason. Over 35 wines available for tasting, a full food menu Thursday through Sunday, regular events and live music, and one of the more relaxed tasting room atmospheres. The staff will spend a few minutes figuring out what styles you like before pointing you toward a flight. Hours as of April 2026: Thursday through Sunday, noon to 5pm (Friday and Saturday open until 7pm), closed Monday through Wednesday. Confirm directly before going since hours shift seasonally.
Tomasello Winery has multiple tasting room locations around the state with the original vineyard in Hammonton, about 45 minutes from Seaside Heights. They grow or source from over 90 grape varieties and rotate deals and discounts on their site, which is useful if you’re buying bottles to bring back to the rental rather than making a full afternoon of it. Worth checking if any of their locations happen to be near wherever else you’re going on a given day.
4JG’s Orchards & Vineyards (127 Hillsdale Road, Colts Neck) is about 55 minutes north of Seaside Heights and does tastings on weekends starting in spring. It’s more of a farm experience than a destination winery. They grow and sell a range of orchard products alongside the wine, which makes it a good pick if you have kids who need something to do besides sit in a tasting room.
Fox Hollow Vineyards (939 Holmdel Road, Holmdel) is about 50 minutes north, open Thursday through Sunday. A smaller boutique operation with a loyal local following. Good option if you’re already heading north toward the Monmouth County area for another reason and want to add a stop.
All of these are doable without committing to a full beach-free day. The Cream Ridge / Laurita / Renault corridor in particular can be combined into a loose loop if you want to hit more than one NJ winery in a single afternoon.
NJ Wine Festivals: What’s Happening in 2026
If you’re planning around the festivals — or if a Shore trip could conveniently overlap with one — here’s what’s on the calendar for 2026:
NJ Wine & Food Festival at Crystal Springs Resort runs May 1–3, 2026, in Vernon (northern NJ). This is the state’s biggest multi-day wine event — over 200 wines and spirits from around the world, with celebrity chefs and winemakers. It’s a 21-and-over event and a different category than your local tasting room visit. Tickets and information at njwinefoodfest.com.
SIPS, STARS & STRIPES: A NJ Wine Revolution — the Garden State Wine Growers Association is hosting this at the historic War Memorial in Trenton on Saturday, May 30, 2026. It’s positioned as a celebration of NJ wine specifically, and given the GSWGA’s reach across 60+ wineries, expect a strong showing of local producers.
Down & Derby Wine Festival — May 2, 2026, at Veterans Island in Cooper River Park (Camden County). A Kentucky Derby-themed afternoon with local wineries, live entertainment, and food. More relaxed and South Jersey-centric than the Crystal Springs event.
Pour Into Summer Wine Festival — June 8–9, 2026, at ShoreTown Ballpark in Lakewood, home of the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. This one is about 30 minutes from Seaside Heights, which makes it the most convenient off-site wine festival for Shore guests. Nine NJ wineries participated in 2025 including Valenzano, Tomasello, and DiMatteo Vineyards, with food trucks and live music both days. Runs noon to 5pm. Good option if you’re arriving the first week of June before peak summer fully kicks in.
Asbury Park Beer, Wine & Spirits Fest — June 27, 2026, at Bradley Park in Asbury Park, about 45 minutes north. Runs 1–4:30pm. Samples of beer, wine, and spirits with live entertainment and food. Easy to pair with a day in Asbury if you haven’t been.
Win & Wine Weekend at Monmouth Park — June 29–30, 2026, in Oceanport (about 50 minutes north). Horse racing combined with wine — a format that sounds odd but works better than you’d expect for an afternoon out.
Italian Festival + Wine Tasting at Monmouth Park — July 25–26, 2026, also in Oceanport. An Italian food festival with wine tasting available as an add-on. Runs 11am–5pm both days. Good excuse to head up the Parkway if you want something different mid-trip.
Wine on the Beach is an annual festival held right on the Seaside Heights Boardwalk/South Beach, entered at the Blaine Avenue dune crossover — which is essentially steps from your rental. It hosts a dozen wineries, food vendors, wine seminars, and live music on the beach stage. The 2025 event was September 6. The 2026 NJ festival guide lists it as September 12, 2026, though the event’s own promoter hadn’t confirmed 2026 dates as of the last update. Tickets go on sale in August.
For summer and fall events, the GSWGA runs wine trails throughout the year and publishes an updated calendar at newjerseywines.com. Most individual wineries also run their own summer events — food truck weekends, Greek festival at Laurita (July 11–12), grape stomping weekends in the fall — that don’t show up on any central calendar.
Planning Your NJ Wineries Day Trip from Seaside Heights
A few practical things before you go:
Drive time matters. Cape May wineries are the best of the NJ winery destinations, but they require committing to almost two hours each way. If you’re going, make a full day of it — don’t try to squeeze it between a morning beach session and a boardwalk dinner. The closer options (Cream Ridge, Laurita, Renault, Valenzano) are easier to slot in without overscheduling the day.
Weekends vs. weekdays. If you’re visiting during peak summer (late June through August), popular wineries like Willow Creek and Cape May Winery can get busy on weekend afternoons. Weekday visits are more relaxed — you’ll have more room to actually sit and enjoy, and you’re more likely to have real conversations with the staff.
Designated driver. Obvious, but worth saying. NJ wineries are not close to Seaside Heights, and the roads between them and the Shore are a mix of highway and two-lane state routes. Plan this in advance.
The GSWGA Passport App. If you think you’re going to hit multiple NJ wineries across a trip or two, the Garden State Wine Growers Association has a passport app (available on iOS and Android) that helps you track visits across their 50+ member wineries. It’s a nice way to discover places you wouldn’t have found on your own.
Check hours before every visit. Seasonal schedule changes are common, especially earlier in the spring. Hours I’ve listed here are current as of April 2026, but wineries adjust for private events and closures on short notice. Always verify directly with the winery before making the drive.
FAQ: NJ Wineries and the Jersey Shore
How far is Seaside Heights from Cape May wineries? Cape May is about 85 miles from Seaside Heights, typically 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours depending on summer traffic. Take the Garden State Parkway south to Exit 0 and you’ll find Cape May Winery just off the highway, with Willow Creek about 10 minutes further into town.
Which NJ wineries are closest to Seaside Heights? Laurita Winery in New Egypt and Cream Ridge Winery are the closest at about 40–45 minutes. 4JG’s Orchards & Vineyards in Colts Neck is about an hour. For the best wine region overall, Cape May is worth the longer drive.
Are NJ wineries kid-friendly? It varies a lot. Laurita Winery and several central Jersey operations welcome families. Some Cape May wineries are adult-focused — always call ahead or check the winery’s website before bringing children.
When is the best time to visit NJ wineries? Summer through early fall is the most active season for events and outdoor seating. Fall is particularly good — harvest season brings grape-stomping events and festival weekends. If you’re visiting the Shore in late August or early September, an NJ wineries day trip fits naturally into the schedule.
What is the Cape May Wine Trail? The Cape May Wine Trail includes seven wineries on the Cape May Peninsula: Cape May Winery, Willow Creek Winery, Hawk Haven Vineyard, Natali Vineyards, Jessie Creek Winery, G&W Winery, and Turdo Vineyards. The Garden State Wine Growers Association maintains the official trail information at newjerseywines.com.
Are there NJ wine festivals in the summer? More than most people expect. The Pour Into Summer Wine Festival runs June 8–9 in Lakewood — about 30 minutes from Seaside Heights — with nine NJ wineries, food trucks, and live music at the BlueClaws ballpark. Asbury Park hosts a Beer, Wine and Spirits Fest on June 27. Monmouth Park has wine events in late June and late July. And Wine on the Beach happens every September right on the Seaside Heights Boardwalk — walkable from the rental. Check the GSWGA calendar at newjerseywines.com for the full running list.
THE AUTHOR
I have spent my whole life going to and loving the beach. I am a wife, a mom of 2, and a business leader with an MBA in Marketing from Seton Hall University. We have owned a home in Seaside Heights since 2012, and I have been writing about Seaside Heights and the beach for the past 10 years. I love discovering new things about our town and helping you make the most of your vacation. The only thing I love more than writing about Seaside Heights is being there!
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