Renault Winery

The story begins with Louis Nicholas Renault, born into the champagne country of France, who came to America in the mid-nineteenth century intent on making sparkling wine. After early ventures elsewhere, he settled in 1864 on land near the newly founded town of Egg Harbor City, where German immigrants were already experimenting with grapes in the sandy soil. Renault planted his own vines and built a winery, and the estate grew into one of the largest and best-known in the East.

This part of New Jersey lies within the ancestral homeland of the Lenape people, whose descendants remain part of the state today, and whose long presence shaped the land the German settlers and French vintners later farmed. Egg Harbor City itself was founded in the 1850s as a German-American colony, and viticulture became one of its signature trades, with Renault its most famous name.

When Prohibition shut down most American wineries in 1920, Renault found a way to survive, producing a fortified tonic sold through pharmacies as a medicinal product, which kept the vines and the business alive through the dry years. When legal winemaking returned, Renault was still standing, one of the few American wineries never to close, which is the root of its claim as one of the oldest continuously operating in the country.

In the decades since, the estate has passed through several owners and been expanded, restored, and reimagined more than once, adding a hotel, golf, dining, and event spaces to the original winery. Through all the changes, wine has continued to be made from the vineyards, and the sense of a very old place carried forward remains its heart.

Renault is famous for a treasure most winery visitors do not expect: a collection of rare antique glassware, wine glasses, decanters, and vessels gathered over generations and displayed on the estate. In a region with its own deep history of glassmaking, the collection ties the winery to the wider craft heritage of South Jersey.

The wine itself has long leaned toward the sweet and the sparkling, in keeping with Renault's founding ambition to make champagne-style wine, and later to the fruit-forward blends that made it a popular name. The vineyards grow grapes suited to the sandy, well-drained soil, and a visit built around a tasting is the classic way to experience the place, glass in hand, with the vines and pines beyond the windows.

The winery sits right where the farmland gives way to the Pine Barrens, and that setting is part of its story. The sandy, acidic soils that make the Barrens such an unusual ecosystem also drain well and warm quickly, conditions that grapes can thrive in when the right varieties are chosen. Renault's success helped prove that South Jersey could grow wine, a lesson the region's newer wineries have since built on.

Around the vineyards, the pine-and-oak forest of the Barrens presses close, home to deer, wild turkey, songbirds, and the distinctive plant life of the sandy soils. The mix of cultivated vineyard and wild pine forest gives the estate a peaceful, rural character that feels a world away from the boardwalks of Atlantic City just down the road.

Spring brings the vineyards back to life, the vines leafing out and the estate reopening fully after winter, a fresh and quiet time to visit before the busy months.

Summer is warm and green, with long evenings on the grounds, garden events, and the vines heavy with growing fruit. It is a popular season for weddings, so the estate can be lively.

Fall is the winery's signature season. The harvest comes in, the air fills with the smell of crushed grapes, and the surrounding pines and hardwoods color the edges of the vineyard. It is the best time to feel the place as a working farm.

Winter is the quiet season, the vines bare and pruned, the estate turned to indoor tastings and cozy visits. It is a peaceful, low-key time to sample the wines by the fire before the year begins again.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Renault Winery, in Egg Harbor in southern New Jersey, is a historic winery celebrated as one of the oldest continuously operating wineries in the country, offering wine, dining, and a charming resort setting. Founded in the nineteenth century, the winery has a long and storied history, surviving even the era of Prohibition, and today it welcomes visitors for wine tastings, tours, dining, events, and a resort experience amid its vineyards and grounds. Its rich heritage and inviting atmosphere make it a delightful destination in the wine country of southern New Jersey. A historic and charming winery, it delights visitors. With its wine and heritage, Renault Winery offers a rewarding destination in New Jersey.

You can enjoy wine tastings, take tours to learn about the winery's long history and winemaking, dine at the restaurants, attend events, stroll the vineyards and grounds, and enjoy the resort setting. The wine tastings, the historic tours, the dining, and the charming grounds are the draws, making it a delightful outing for wine and history lovers. Its status as one of the oldest wineries in the country adds to the appeal. With its wine and heritage, Renault Winery offers a rewarding experience in New Jersey.

Renault Winery is historically significant as one of the oldest continuously operating wineries in the United States, founded in the nineteenth century and enduring through the challenges of history, including Prohibition, when it survived by producing wine for permitted purposes. Its long, unbroken heritage makes it a rare and storied survivor in American winemaking. This deep history gives a visit special resonance. Understanding this heritage enriches a visit to Renault Winery in New Jersey.

Renault Winery offers tastings, tours, dining, and events, so checking the current schedule, hours, and any reservations for tastings, tours, or dining before you go is wise, as offerings can vary. Wine tastings are for those of legal drinking age, and arranging responsible transportation matters. Its resort setting can also host special events, so confirming what is available on your visit helps. Checking current offerings and planning ahead ensure a rewarding visit to Renault Winery in New Jersey.

Renault Winery is in Egg Harbor in southern New Jersey, within reach of the Historic Smithville Inn, the wine country of the region, Atlantic City to the east, and the routes toward the southern Jersey Shore. That makes Renault Winery a rewarding stop to combine with the Historic Smithville Inn and the other attractions of southern New Jersey on a visit to the state.