(RINGOES, NJ) -- Old York Cellars Winery and the Black River & Western Railroad have released the dates for 16 runs of the Hunterdon Wine Express in 2024, starting Saturday, April 13th. Tickets are on sale now on the winery's website. The entire 2023 season sold out within the first few weeks after tickets were available.
The Hunterdon Wine Express made its first maiden trip in the fall of 2022, and due to its popularity, it was expanded in 2023. This tourism partnership was awarded the 2023 Tourism Initiative of the Year Award by the Hunterdon County Economic Development and Tourism Summit.
“We are thrilled that the Hunterdon Wine Express has been so well received by the public and are excited to expand this initiative with the Black & Western River Railroad. The Hunterdon Wine Express has become an integral component of agritourism in Hunterdon County,” said David Wolin, owner of Old York Cellars.
Passengers begin their journey at the Black River & Western Railroad Station in Flemington, NJ where they board the historic train for the 25-minute trip to the Ringoes, NJ station. Along the journey, the Wine Ambassador from Old York Cellars, shares a brief history of the Winery and wines in New Jersey. Upon arrival in Ringoes, the guests are shuttled by coach five-minutes down the road to the vineyard.
A member of the Old York Cellar’s Wine team then walks guests through a guided Wine, Charcuterie, Cheese and Chocolate Pairing Experience with the winery’s award-winning wines and artisan chocolates from The Fudge Shoppe of Flemington. After the guided pairing, guests are treated to lunch, prepared by Old York Cellars’ in-house chef, José Diaz.
Guests have ample time after lunch to explore the vineyard, relax with a glass of wine, or just sit back and listen to music provided by the winery’s musicians, before boarding the shuttle back to the Ringoes station. The Hunterdon Wine Express concludes with a return ride back to Flemington on the train.
There are 16 available dates starting on Saturday, April 14th, running through Saturday, September 14th. This 3 ½ hour event cost is $99 per person.
Old York Cellars was founded on the vision to create world-class wines in New Jersey. Nestled in the foothills of the Sourland Mountains in western New Jersey, Old York Cellars offers a full winery experience, including guided wine tastings, food and wine pairings, weekend music, wine and comedy shows, private cabanas and large event seating. Today, we have been recognized as one of New Jersey’s Best Wineries and winner of more than 30 International Wine Competitions.
The Black River & Western (BR&W) Railroad is the little-railroad-that-could, serving Hunterdon County community for over 50 years. With a volunteer staff dedicated to preserving railroad history, the railroad offers guests the opportunity to experience old fashioned steam railroading. In addition to their collaboration with Old York Cellars for the Hunterdon Wine Express, the BR&W hosts a variety of rail excursions including their Pumpkin Trail, North Pole Express, Black River Limited and Easter Bunny Express. Railcars are available for a variety of private events and special occasions.
