Last night’s low temperatures in North Jersey caused death to newly sprouted buds and leaves on vineyards across the region. “Temperatures here dropped to 24 degrees around 6:00am. I lost 100% of my buds” says Paul Ritter, owner of Brook Hollow Winery in Columbia in Warren County. “In addition to dead buds and leaves, we are also seeing split canes from the sap freezing.”

At the bottom of Warren County, Steve Gambino, owner of Villa Milagro Vineyard in Finesville, reported, “We hit only 28 degrees but that was enough to take out over 80% of our crop.”

“Vineyards in the entire state suffered,” says Audrey Cross, a member of the Board of the Garden State Wine Growers Association and Villa Milagro Vineyards owner. “From the tip of Cape May, through the flatlands of the middle of the state, to those of us in the rolling hills of northern counties, Mother Nature applied an even hand.”

Vineyard owners must now wait for vines to recover and push secondary buds. Secondary buds are usually far less fruitful than the primaries that were killed by this frost and will lead to a much smaller crop yield for this 2026 vintage.

“Last year yielded bumper crops so our stockpile of prior vintages and the 2025 crop will carry us through. Please do come on out to support us by buying and drinking local wines,” says Cross.

Warren County is home to the state of New Jersey’s first designated American Viticultural Area, Warren Hills, AVA. The state boasts 3 others: Central Delaware Valley, Outer Coastal Plain and Cape May Peninsula.