The United States celebrates its 250th birthday in 2026. Unionville Vineyards in Ringoes got a head start on the country’s semiquincentennial celebration last December with the launch of its Washington Collection, three wines celebrating the winery’s connection to the American Revolution. Anyone who has enjoyed a glass of Unionville’s Pheasant Hill Chardonnay has sipped a dram of that connection.
The Hunt House in Hopewell, built by the Hunt family sometime before 1762, played an important part in the Revolutionary War. On June 24, 1778, 13 generals of the Continental Army convened there for a Council of War.
Today, the house sits on what is now Unionville’s Pheasant Hill Vineyard site. Aft er George Washington and his generals left The Hunt House—set just 50 yards from where Chardonnay grapes now grow—they went to battle.
“They encountered the rear guard of the retreating British, and that became the Battle of Monmouth,” Unionville’s general manager, John Cifelli, told the guests at the launch. “So, it is not a stretch to say that the Battle of Monmouth was planned at the Pheasant Hill Vineyard.”
The tales of 250-year-old battles led to the popping of corks, and guests had their first tastes of the Washington Collection wines, now available at the winery:
- 2024 Battlefield Blush: Off-dry blend of Cayuga, Seval Blanc, and Marechal Foch.
- 2025 Victory White: Dry white wine of 100% estate-grown Chardonnay.
- 2023 Revolutionary Red: Red blend of NJ-grown Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The wines are available for purchase at Unionville Vineyards and on its website. Later this year, these wines will be available at Unionville’s Great American Vineyard Cookout on July Fourth, with a live reading of the Declaration of Independence by a Thomas Jefferson reenactor, patriotic music, picnic fare, and sparklers for kids of all ages.
Unionville Vineyards
9 Rocktown Rd., Ringoes
908.788.0400
unionvillevineyards.com
