Champagne Wishes and Blueberry Dreams
"It's a fantastic, bubbly slice of South Jersey." - Susan Dawson, tour guide of Renault Winery in Atlantic County.
By Don Woods
LISTEN TO AUDIO OF SUSAN DAWSON AT THE RENAULT WINERY
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EGG HARBOR CITY – Renault Winery, which has been making champagne for 150 years, has an interesting twist on the official fruit of the State of New Jersey. The most popular beverage is their patented Blueberry Champagne.
“We’re the only winery in the country that makes blueberry champagne,” said Joseph Milza, assistant manager of Joseph’s Restaurant at Renault Winery, which is located in Atlantic County.
Louie Renault of Champagne, France, founded the winery in 1864. Because of being grandfathered into the champagne tradition, Renault is the only place in the United States that can call their sparkling wine champagne.
With blueberry farms in Hammonton so close by, it is no surprise that the winery chose the fruit for their special brand of champagne.
Bill Shipley from Williamstown visited Renault for his anniversary. After trying the bever
age he described it as, “Sweet and bubbly with a little bit of a kick.”
“I actually prefer a fruity champagne over a dry,” Shipley said. “It does give you that feeling of celebration.”
The champagne won the bronze award in the New Jersey State Wine Competition Awards in both 2007 and 2009. It also won the bronze in Finger Lakes International Wine Competition in 2010.
“We are the Garden State,” Milza said. “It kind of makes for a great match.”
Renault marries the New Jersey tradition of both blueberries and wine into one concoction.
“These two things together makes blueberry champagne a really local based phenomenon that just comes out to be a wonderful product and delicious,” Milza said.
