Brick Life

Winery With Jersey Roots Proposes Tasting Room in Normandy Beach

by
Daniel Nee
June 2, 2026

560 Route 35 North, Normandy Beach. (Google Maps)

A winery with California vintages inspired by the Jersey Shore is seeking to open a tasting room in Brick Township’s barrier island portion.

Ripe Life Wines, an artisanal winery whose varietals include a “Clambake Chardonnay,” “Fisherman’s Red,” and “Clambake Rosé,” filed notice this week with the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control stating its intention to seek a winery sales room license for the property at 560 Route 35 North in the Normandy Beach section of Brick Township. The application should appear on a meeting agenda in the near future. The building is current occupied by the Surfista Coastal Italian restaurant and Kaboodles Ice Cream. Ripe Life has previously opened sales and tasting facilities at Spring Lake Seafood in Spring Lake and Dock and Claw in Beach Haven.

The winery is based in Sonoma, Calif., but draws its inspiration squarely from the Jersey Shore. Its owner, Mary McAuley, told Best of NJ in a 2024 interview that her entry into the wine business was prompted by the search for the perfect pairing to go with frequent clambakes she would hold while entertaining friends and family who came to visit at the beach.

Ripe Life Wine varietals. (Credit: Ripe Life Wine/ Facebook)

“I wanted to craft the perfect wine to go with it, hence my first wine being called ‘The Clambake Chardonnay,'” she told the website, emphasizing balance between the humble tradition of a neighborly gathering on the beach and production of a fine – but affordable – wine to go with it.

“We were inspired by a clambake – a culinary tradition that is all about celebrating the natural favors of the local bounty,” she said on the company’s website, adding that many wine producers sour bulk wine, then using additives and other products to keep it palatable. By contrast, Ripe Life is small enough to choose particular grapes that can turn into a fresh and healthy vintage without the mass production effort.

The flagship Clambake Chardonnay is an unoaked, high-acid style sourced from cool-climate Mendocino vineyards, offering lemon, green apple and white flower notes with a crisp finish ideal for grilled oysters and other seafood. The Clambake Rosé, a limited-edition dry Pinot Noir rosé with white nectarine, strawberry and grapefruit flavors, also suits “summertime shore meals,” the company says.

Ripe Life Wine varietals. (Credit: Ripe Life Wine/ Facebook)

Moules Blanc de Blancs, a traditional-method sparkling Chardonnay reminiscent of “old world styles,” features bright lemon, green apple and brioche notes that are perfect with raw oysters. The lighter-bodied Fisherman’s Red Pinot Noir is offered with with cherry, plum and earthy tones, extending the seafood theme by pairing well with dishes like blackened tuna.

All wines carry the brand’s coastal, Jersey-inspired theme while being produced in small batches in California.