In 2014, Mr. Natali and others began collecting information from Cape May’s nine vineyards (one has since stopped producing grapes). Both Natali Vineyards and Cape May Winery won awards at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, held in Rochester, N.Y., in March. “It’s exciting,” said Darren Hesington, the winemaker at Cape May Winery & Vineyard, as he stood in black rubber boots covered in crimson-red pulp from recently pressed grapes. PhotoAl Natali stood among the long rows of white and green chardonnay grapes blanketing parts of his vineyard in Cape May County and grew excited. “On the other hand,” he said, “we’ve only been growing grapes on Cape May since the late 1980s.”PhotoIn the next year or so, Cape May may also be named an official winemaking region, or, in the federal government’s vernacular, an American Viticultural Area.

Source: New York Times May 07, 2016 16:15 UTC