We’ve Just Been Recognized in the ‘Holy Grail of Wine’

For nearly half a century, British wine critic Hugh Johnson has been traveling the globe, issuing reviews of the best wineries in the best wine regions on the planet. He’s culminated his findings annually in Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book, which might as well be the holy grail of wine – it’s sold 12 million copies and it’s the best-selling wine guide ever.

Long before New Jersey and Mount Salem Vineyards specifically garnered a mention in the guide in 2020 – which was quite an honor in itself – we knew that Hunterdon County had the potential to be a major winegrowing region due to its terroir and climate, which is similar to acclaimed wine regions in Central Europe.

Haven’t Tried Austrian Wine Zweigelt? You Need To. Here’s Why

Mount Salem Vineyards was given an “excellent” in the 2023 Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book. Johnson complimented our Austrian varieties grown and made with Burgundian methods to match the region’s terroir, resulting in wines that offer rich aromas and bold acidities – especially our Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt, St. Laurent and Matthias blend, which Johnson called “masterful.” And he didn’t stop there. He also complimented the wild fermentations of our Gruner Veltliner, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc.

Of course, we couldn’t be happier to be named as one of Johnson’s top six wineries, which ranks us in the top 10% of all of Garden State wineries by a tried-and-true expert.

Read More: A Harmonious Wine and Food Experience Awaits at Mount Salem Kitchen

As Johnson also pointed out, New Jersey currently has more than 60 wineries and 150 vineyards – but it has the potential to have many more due to the state’s optimal wine growing conditions, just like we thought when we began growing grapes two decades ago. Now, we’re glad to see that experts around the world see it, too.