As you drive along Rt 322, in the farming town
known as Richwood, NJ, you will notice many changes that are widespread in
all New Jersey farming communities – new homes statuesquely standing
on the once vast farmland. With one exception, along this country road, a
sight long lost in this community since the late 1700’s – grapevines.
The extent of this beautiful renewal can be seen by the clean lines of rows
of grape vines visible up and down Rt 322.
At the eve of the millennium, the symbol of renewal was defined at the moment
the “grape”arrived. It was defined by the more forward vision of
a Richwood fifth generation farming family, the Heritage. There has been a
Heritage family farming the land of Richwood since 1851, mostly fruit orchards
– peaches, apples, plums, nectarines. In 2001, Bill and Penni Heritage
(who coined themselves as the stewarts of the land) planted a more commercially
successful crop than the fruit trees – merlot, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon,
and cabernet franc. Today, those with sharp eyes will notice other types of
vines –chambourcin and concord; test blocks of petite verdot, pinot gris,
sauvignon blanc, malbec, pinot noir, sangiovese, syrah and grenache.Heritage’s
grapes and wine are affected to a great extent by the farm’s unusual
climate. It contributes to the grapes greater concentration of flavor. The
early European wine success proved fatal to the farmers; as the commercial
vineyards expanded and
flourished,
the farmers and their families were dispossessed.
The Heritage’s are proving the contrary.
The farm, aneconomically moribund, is
flourishing. Appropriately, the winery
also produces fruitwine from its own fruit
orchards.Changes has also affected the land,
the Heritage's had once farmed 300 acres of land,
now
reduced to only 156 acres.
