Devon Perry, Executive Director, Garden State Wine Growers Association

Devon Perry, executive director of the Garden State Wine Growers Association, spoke with Invest: about the different ways the New Jersey wine industry kindles local economies. “Wine travelers typically have more disposable income and like to support the arts and local businesses. Our association churns the water to attract wine travelers to other agritourism activities and local businesses,” Perry said.

What is the overall outlook regarding how the Association serves and supports New Jersey’s wineries and vineyards? 

The Garden State Wine Growers Association is the official nonprofit representing all New Jersey wineries, vineyards, and allied businesses. We are primarily funded through the Department of Agriculture, membership support, sponsorship, and other grants. It is a beautiful community of New Jersey winemakers, winery owners, and education leaders. We have an Educator Roundtable that discusses everything new and innovative. The roundtable invites representatives from all universities to participate in conversations about workforce development, education, and industry requirements. As a hospitality-based group of businesses, we have always viewed ourselves as the front door to economic development. 

We turned a new corner in the past year and are more focused on digital. We saw a huge amount of growth within one month after that pivot. We are seeing a tremendous amount of additional support on social media and attention from journalists, publishers, editors, and news anchors. Our goal is to use storytelling to spark the passion in other people to understand the magic of wine. Wine America is the national association representing all national wine associations and is the national voice of the wine industry. In partnership with Wine America, the Wine Economic Impact Report for 2025 was recently released. It talks about the number of acres in the state, economic impact, and how we feed the tax base locally, statewide, and federally. It also details workforce development. About 30,000 people work for New Jersey wineries. We had a $5 billion impact on the economy from only 60 wineries. Our hope for the future is that our wineries grow both in value and visitation. 

The year the grapes were harvested helps dictate the vintage. The unique elements of the geographic footprint at that time can be tasted with every sip. It tells a beautiful story about the environment where we are growing in the beautiful Garden State. 

In what ways do New Jersey wineries contribute to agriculture, agritourism, small-business development, and the vitality of rural communities? All of our wineries have a mandate to grow, at a minimum, three acres of vines contiguous to their tasting rooms. There is no way to extract the wine industry from the rural parts of our state. The soil closer to rural areas has a rich quality. 

With outlet legislation that allows each winery with a specific license to have 15 partners. They could be BYOB restaurants or coffee shops, for example. They would have one winery’s wine offered for sale, with safety and serving rules involved. These partnerships allow our rural businesses to reach population centers. We are trying to increase our presence on restaurant and hotel wine lists. When you travel to wine-rich areas of the world, you want to see something from the local wine list at the hotel bar. New Jersey is making headway.

How do programs such as wine trails, passport initiatives, and signature events like WineFest influence tourism and economic impact in the state? 

New Jersey Wine Month, which is November, is like a choose-your-own-adventure month. You can go on winery tours with your friends, find intimate experiences, or have a company retreat or corporate event. You’ll see “Cheers to New Jersey Wine” videos that spread the pride of our wineries. November is right after harvest, and our wineries can take a breath and celebrate. New Jersey Wine Month events attract travelers into the state along with residents. It’s an exhausting process to go through harvest for wineries. It is an opportunity for those of us in New Jersey to celebrate them. Seasonal wine trails are beautiful. We create a macro marketing campaign. There is a holiday wine trail at the end of the year on Black Friday weekend, and it’s a huge moment for everybody to buy for the holidays. During COVID, we saw a dip in the industry because we couldn’t bring people together. The public needs to be reminded that they can now come out and celebrate New Jersey wine. The Wine Expo, our signature annual event, takes place at the Bell Works in Holmdel. We gather the largest number of wineries in one place on Nov. 15th. The television show Severance was filmed there, and we love the history of the building and the uniqueness of the space. It is a lifestyle. Wineries host local musicians and foster good vibes. Our passport program is in a reimagination moment. We transitioned from a printed passport to an app, but we brought back the printed passport. The wineries and the public like a physical passport to hold on to. With the app, it was easy to drive around the winery without going in to check in. We are reimagining the passport to make it more valuable for visitors and the winery. These things combined allow us to support other businesses, such as hotels, gas stations, diners and restaurants, and arts and entertainment. Wine travelers typically have more disposable income and like to support the arts and local businesses. Our association churns the water to attract wine travelers to other agritourism activities and local businesses. 

What are the most pressing challenges facing the wine industry today, and how is the Association helping wineries navigate them? 

A tremendous amount of international headwinds are facing the wine industry. We straddle many different sectors, from manufacturing to agriculture to tourism and hospitality. 

Our businesses are mom-and-pop-owned, and there are over 60 wineries and vineyards in the state. Our growth has been voluminous. Wine Enthusiast named New Jersey as one of seven up-and-coming international wine destinations. The broader perception of New Jersey is exactly the opposite of what our wineries feel like. New Jersey has four American viticultural areas (AVAs), whereas California has over 150 AVAs. New Jersey has great wineries, which help support local agriculture. 

Collectively, we have been promoting our state’s wine industry and ensuring the public knows about our exceptional and internationally regarded wineries. 

There are challenges facing every wine destination across the world. We talk about wine as a storytelling mechanism. Wine identifies a moment in time. People use wine to celebrate major life events and use special bottles to toast. We want people from New Jersey, and people who have invested in New Jersey, to see our wine as a point of pride. That will begin to change the 

tide. We want every sector to see the wine industry as deserving of support. We want more local wines to show up at receptions and events. This is the easiest and best-tasting way to support local mom-and-pop businesses.