Four Sisters Winery
Four Sisters Winery at Matarazzo Farm is a winery in White Township (mailing address is Belvidere) in Warren County, New Jersey.[2][3] A family produce farm since 1921, the vineyard was first planted in 1981, and opened to the public in 1984.[4][5] It is the third oldest winery in New Jersey.[6] Four Sisters has 8 acres of grapes under cultivation, and produces 5,000 cases of wine per year.[7][8] The winery is so named because its owners have four daughters.[8][9]
| Four Sisters Winery | |
|---|---|
| Location | 783 County Route 519, Belvidere, New Jersey, USA |
| Coordinates | 40.863220 N, 75.014640 W |
| Appellation | Warren Hills AVA |
| First vines planted | 1981 |
| Opened to the public | 1984 |
| Key people | Matty & Laurie Matarazzo (owners)[1] |
| Acres cultivated | 8 |
| Cases/yr | 5,000 (2011) |
| Other attractions | Apple picking, pumpkin picking, corn mazes, bakery, picnicking permitted, pet-friendly |
| Distribution | On-site, wine festivals, NJ liquor stores, NJ outlet stores, home shipment |
| Tasting | Tastings daily except Wednesday, tours on weekends |
| Website | http://www.foursisterswinery.com/ |
History
The winery was started in 1981 by fruit and vegetable farmers Robert "Matty" Matarazzo and his wife Laurie Matarazzo, to earn additional income to pay for their four daughters' college education.[10][11] Founded by immigrants from Italy in 1921, Matarazzo Farm was once known for its strawberry patches, which attracted up to 11,000 visitors during the harvest.[12]
To learn the trade, Laurie apprenticed with Nathan Stackhouse, who was based in South Jersey and had a master's degree in wine-making,[10] while Matty consulted wine growers in Sonoma County, California.[13] The couple invested heavily in building the winery and acquiring equipment from Italy,[10] and soon, wine-making became the main focus of their business.[11] Their first harvest was in 1984, and by 2003, they were producing 12,000 gallons of wine a year and had 23 flavors.[10] Laurie eventually retired and became an Episcopal priest, while Matty continued to run the business with four full-time managers and ten part-time staff.[10]
The winery also hosts monthly events such as wine-tasting and barefoot grape-stomping,[11] and has participated in New Jersey wine festivals each year in September.[14] Each of the eponymous four sisters have had wines named after them,[13] but reportedly have no interest in taking over the business.[10] Matarazzo Farm continues to operate its apple and pumpkin orchards in addition to the winery.[12]
Wines
Four Sisters Winery is located in the Warren Hills AVA, and produces wine from Baco noir, Catawba, Cayuga White, Chambourcin, Concord, Delaware, Frontenac, Léon Millot, Marechal Foch, Marquette, Niagara, Seyval blanc, Traminette, and Vidal blanc grapes. Four Sisters also makes fruit wines from apples, blueberries, cherries, pumpkins, raspberries, and strawberries.[7][15] It is the only winery in New Jersey that produces wine from Delaware, Léon Millot, and Marquette, which are red hybrid grapes known for their tolerance of cold weather.[16][17]
Features, licensing, associations, and outlets
During the autumn harvest season, the winery offers apple picking, pumpkin picking, and corn mazes, and operates a bakery that sells pies and other food.[18][19] Four Sisters has a plenary winery license from the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which allows it to produce an unrestricted amount of wine, operate up to 15 off-premises sales rooms, and ship up to 12 cases per year to consumers in-state or out-of-state.[20][21] Four Sisters is a member of the Garden State Wine Growers Association and its subsidiary, Vintage North Jersey.[22][23] The winery operates outlet stores in two New Jersey towns – Morristown and Phillipsburg.[24]
See also
References
- ^ DeVito, Carlo. "Four Sisters Warren Hill Red from Warren, NJ" on East Coast Wineries (blog) (31 March 2010). Retrieved 19 June 2013.
- ^ D'Agnese, Joseph. "Destinations; Rx for Wine Festivals: Swish, Sniff, Sip. Repeat" in The New York Times (15 August 1999). Retrieved 21 April 2013.
- ^ Westrich, Sal. New Jersey Wine: A Remarkable History. (Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2012). ISBN 9781609491833.
- ^ Iannitelli, Giulia. "Common Fruits of New Jersey Create Specialty Wines" in The Star-Ledger (25 May 2011). Retrieved 23 April 2013.
- ^ Schmidt, R. Marilyn. Wines and Wineries of New Jersey. (Chatsworth, NJ: Pine Barrens Press, 1999). ISBN 9780937996386.
- ^ Consentino, Tom (May 24, 2017). "At the Vineyard – Four Sisters Winery". Garden State Wine Growers Association (YouTube). Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ^ a b Jackson, Bart. Garden State Wineries Guide. (South San Francisco, CA: Wine Appreciation Guild, 2011). ISBN 9781934259573.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Kathy. "Four Sisters Winery" on Wine Trail Traveler (blog) (7 July 2011). Retrieved 15 April 2013.
- ^ Kitchin, Jessica. "Vintage Jersey" in New Jersey Monthly (10 September 2008). Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Nayar, Suchita (December 8, 2003). "It's all in the family for Four Sisters winery". Daily Record. Morristown, New Jersey. ProQuest 439126434. Retrieved November 29, 2022 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b c Drake, Diana Lassiter (June 3, 2002). "Grapes of Wealth". Business News New Jersey. New Brunswick. ProQuest 228527807. Retrieved November 29, 2022 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b Rignani, Jennifer Papale (2008). New Jersey Wineries. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 94–95. ISBN 9780738557229.
- ^ a b Atticks, Kevin M. (2000). Discovering New Jersey Wineries: A travel guide to New Jersey's wine country. Baltimore: Resonant Pub. pp. 36–39. ISBN 9780966871661.
- ^ Shreeves, Robin (September 1, 2019). "NJ wine harvest celebrates with season of festivals". Courier Post. Cherry Hill, New Jersey. ProQuest 2282969360. Retrieved November 29, 2022 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Four Sisters Winery. "Four Sisters Winery - Wine List" (commercial website). Retrieved 18 June 2013.
- ^ Perry, Leonard. "Cold Climate Grapes" March 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine on University of Vermont Extension (academic website) (16 March 2009). Retrieved 19 June 2013.
- ^ Ramnarace, Cynthia. "Making the Impossible Possible" in Wines & Vines (15 May 2007). Retrieved 6 October 2013. A review of the wines made by New Jersey's 46 wineries found no other establishment using Delaware, Léon Millot, or Marquette grapes.
- ^ "Four Sisters Winery hosts Apple Wines & Music Festival Sept. 29-30" in The Warren Reporter (28 September 2012). Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ^ Four Sisters Winery. "Aunt Sadie’s Bakery And Café" (commercial website). Retrieved 24 September 2013.
- ^ New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. "New Jersey ABC list of wineries, breweries, and distilleries" (5 February 2013). Retrieved 20 August 2013.
- ^ New Jersey General Assembly. "N.J.S.A. 33:1-10". Statutes of New Jersey. New Jersey.
- ^ Garden State Wine Growers Association. "GSWGA Wineries." June 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ Vintage North Jersey. "Participating Wineries on the Vintage North Jersey Wine Trail." Retrieved 24 September 2013.
- ^ Four Sisters Winery. "Four Sisters Winery - Who We Are" (commercial website) Retrieved 12 April 2013.
External links
- At the Vineyard – Four Sisters Winery (YouTube)
- Garden State Wine Growers Association
- Vintage North Jersey