Cava Winery & Vineyard

Cava Winery & Vineyard is a winery in Hardyston Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, with a mailing address in nearby Hamburg. Its vineyard was first planted in 2005, and the winery opened to the public in 2008. The operation cultivates approximately five acres of grapes and has been described as producing about 3,000 cases of wine annually. The name Cava comes from the Italian word for “cave,” a reference to Sussex County’s mining heritage. The winery’s portfolio combines conventional grape wines with a broad range of fruit wines. Its grape varieties include Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ciliegiolo, Chardonnay, Durif, Grechetto, Merlot, Muscat blanc, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Riesling, Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Sauvignon blanc, Trebbiano, and Zinfandel. Several of these varieties are comparatively unusual in New Jersey. Cava has been identified as the only winery in the state producing wines from Ciliegiolo, Grechetto, and Sagrantino, vinifera grapes associated with Italy’s Umbria region. It has also been described as the only New Jersey winery using açaí berries, pears, and watermelons in its fruit-wine production. Fruit wines are marketed under a separate label, Ceci Bella, named after the owner’s dog. The fruit program includes wines made from açaí berries, apples, blackberries, blueberries, kiwifruit, peaches, pears, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, and watermelons. This gives the business a product identity that extends beyond standard regional grape wines and emphasizes variety, novelty, and locally oriented winery tourism. Cava also operates a bistro serving appetizers and pizzas, making the property both a production site and a visitor destination. It holds a plenary winery license issued by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The license framework allows broad wine-production activity, operation of up to 15 off-premises sales rooms, and shipment of up to 12 cases annually to consumers within or outside New Jersey, subject to applicable law. The winery is associated with the Garden State Wine Growers Association and its regional subsidiary, Vintage North Jersey. Its public profile included a July 2012 appearance or profile on the television program Road Trip with G. Garvin. Cava is not located within any of New Jersey’s three designated viticultural areas. Available reference material does not identify a founder, corporate parent, current owner, executive team, financial results, or confirmed present operating status.

Cava Winery & Vineyard developed as a small agricultural and hospitality business in Sussex County, New Jersey. The vineyard was first planted in 2005 in Hardyston Township, an area whose mining history is reflected in the winery’s name: “cava” is an Italian word meaning “cave.” The winery opened to the public in 2008, expanding the property’s role from grape cultivation and wine production to visitor service and direct hospitality. The vineyard covers approximately five acres, and reference material describes annual output at about 3,000 cases. Cava is not situated in one of New Jersey’s three viticultural areas, but it participates in the state’s broader wine industry through membership in the Garden State Wine Growers Association and Vintage North Jersey. These affiliations connect the winery with regional promotion and the state’s winery-tourism network. Cava’s production strategy is unusually broad for a small vineyard. Its grape-wine program includes familiar international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot noir, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, and Zinfandel, alongside less common varieties including Ciliegiolo, Grechetto, and Sagrantino. The winery has been described as the only New Jersey producer making wines from those three Umbrian-associated vinifera grapes. This emphasis on uncommon varieties provides a point of differentiation within the state’s wine market. The business also established a separate fruit-wine identity called Ceci Bella, named after the owner’s dog. The fruit range includes açaí berries, apples, blackberries, blueberries, kiwifruit, peaches, pears, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, and watermelons. Reference material identifies Cava as the only New Jersey winery using açaí berries, pears, and watermelons for wine production. The Ceci Bella label therefore broadened the winery’s appeal beyond grape-based wine and gave its portfolio a more novelty-oriented and accessible dimension. Visitor experience became another part of the operation. Cava runs a bistro offering appetizers and pizzas, complementing wine tasting and the vineyard setting. Its plenary winery license from the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control supports production, off-premises sales-room activity, and limited direct shipment to consumers under New Jersey rules. In July 2012, the winery gained additional publicity through a profile on the television program Road Trip with G. Garvin. Publicly available reference material does not establish the identity of the founder or owner, provide a detailed chronology of management, report financial performance, or confirm the winery’s current operating condition. Accordingly, the documented history is centered on the vineyard’s 2005 planting, its 2008 public opening, its distinctive wine portfolio, hospitality facilities, regulatory position, industry memberships, and 2012 television exposure.

• 2012

  Television profile

  [1]Cava Winery & Vineyarden.wikipedia.org

  Cava was featured on the television program Road Trip with G. Garvin in July.

• 2008

  Winery opened to the public

  [1]Cava Winery & Vineyarden.wikipedia.org

  The winery began receiving the public, establishing its visitor-facing winery and vineyard operation.

• 2005

  Vineyard planted

  [1]Cava Winery & Vineyarden.wikipedia.org

  Cava’s vineyard was first planted in Hardyston Township, Sussex County, New Jersey.

A small New Jersey winery positioned around a diverse grape portfolio, distinctive Italian vinifera varieties, unusual fruit wines, and an on-site hospitality experience.

• Grape wine

  Cava grape wines

  The core Cava portfolio is made from a wide selection of grape varieties, including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ciliegiolo, Chardonnay, Durif, Grechetto, Merlot, Muscat blanc, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Riesling, Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Sauvignon blanc, Trebbiano, and Zinfandel. The range combines familiar international grapes with less common Italian varieties associated with Umbria.

• Fruit wine

  Ceci Bella fruit wines

  Ceci Bella is Cava’s separate fruit-wine label, named after the owner’s dog. Its documented fruit range includes açaí berries, apples, blackberries, blueberries, kiwifruit, peaches, pears, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, and watermelons. The label differentiates the winery through non-grape flavors and unusual ingredients.

• Hospitality

  Winery bistro

  The property operates a bistro serving appetizers and pizzas. It forms part of Cava’s visitor-oriented offering alongside the vineyard and winery, although the available sources do not provide a menu, pricing, or current operating schedule.

• 2012

  Cava Winery & Vineyard profiled on Road Trip with G. Garvin[1]Cava Winery & Vineyarden.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The New Jersey winery received television exposure through a July 2012 profile on Road Trip with G. Garvin.

1. 1Cava Winery & Vineyarden.wikipedia.org