Egg Harbor City, New Jersey · Founded 1864
A 1864 Egg Harbor City vineyard estate whose Prohibition-era Wine Tonic and modern resort revival preserve a complicated New Jersey wine legacy.
Renault Winery traces its roots to 1864, when Louis Nicholas Renault planted a vineyard in Egg Harbor City; sources say he introduced New Jersey Champagne to the public in 1870. The winery survived Prohibition under later D'Agostino ownership through government-permitted sacramental and medicinal-wine production, including Renault Wine Tonic. After bankruptcy in 2014 and bank ownership in 2015, VIVÂMEE Hospitality bought the estate in late 2018 and operates it today as a winery, resort, golf, dining, and events destination.
Louis Nicholas Renault purchased land in the Egg Harbor area and planted the vineyard that became Renault Winery.
Source: New Jersey Wines, "NJ Wine History," updated March 21, 2025; Pennsylvania Live, "Renault Winery, New Jersey's oldest, files for bankruptcy," November 26, 2014
Renault introduced New Jersey Champagne to the public, according to New Jersey wine-history sources.
Source: New Jersey Wines, "NJ Wine History," updated March 21, 2025; WineCompass, "Renault Winery in Egg Harbor, New Jersey"
John D'Agostino and his family purchased Renault Winery shortly before national Prohibition.
Source: American Winery Guide, "Renault Winery Review," June 15, 2013; WineCompass, "Renault Winery in Egg Harbor, New Jersey"
During national Prohibition, the D'Agostino family continued permitted production of sacramental and medicinal wines, including Renault Wine Tonic, according to winery and historical accounts.
Source: Renault Winery, "Our Story," accessed September 1, 2026; American Winery Guide, June 15, 2013; WineCompass, "Renault Winery in Egg Harbor, New Jersey"
Universal Foods acquired Renault Winery, beginning a later corporate ownership era.
Source: American Winery Guide, June 15, 2013; WineCompass, "Renault Winery in Egg Harbor, New Jersey"
MCC Presidential, a New Jersey investment group, assumed ownership of Renault Winery.
Source: American Winery Guide, June 15, 2013; WineCompass, "Renault Winery in Egg Harbor, New Jersey"
Joseph P. Milza purchased Renault Winery and began expanding its hospitality role in later decades.
Source: Pennsylvania Live, "Renault Winery, New Jersey's oldest, files for bankruptcy," November 26, 2014; American Winery Guide, June 15, 2013
Renault Winery filed for bankruptcy.
Source: Pennsylvania Live, "Renault Winery, New Jersey's oldest, files for bankruptcy," November 26, 2014
OceanFirst Bank, Renault's primary creditor, purchased the winery after the bankruptcy.
Source: Pennsylvania Live, "Renault Winery, New Jersey's oldest, files for bankruptcy," November 26, 2014
VIVÂMEE Hospitality acquired the then bank-owned Renault Winery in late 2018 and began its current revival of the estate.
Source: Renault Winery, "Our Story," accessed September 1, 2026; VIVÂMEE Hospitality, "Our Story," published July 1, 2026
Renault Winery Resort continues operating in Egg Harbor City as a winery and hospitality destination with dining, lodging, golf, events, and wine offerings.
Source: VIVÂMEE Hospitality, official portfolio and company pages, accessed September 1, 2026; Visit Atlantic City, "Renault Winery Resort & Golf"
Every claim gets rated. A business's own website can never earn "documented."
New Jersey wine-history sources say Louis Nicholas Renault purchased land and planted a vineyard in Egg Harbor City in 1864, then introduced New Jersey Champagne to the public by 1870. These two dates describe different stages of the estate's history and should not be collapsed into a single precise commercial-opening date.
Multiple historical accounts say the D'Agostino family held permits for sacramental and medicinal wines during Prohibition and sold Renault Wine Tonic through pharmacists nationwide. Accounts report that the tonic was 22 percent alcohol or 44 proof, but this review did not retrieve the original Treasury permit, bottle label, patent file, or pharmacy-distribution documentation.
Renault's current and historical marketing materials say it is among a limited group of U.S. wineries permitted to label sparkling wine as Champagne or American Champagne. The claim is credible and widely repeated, but this review did not retrieve a current TTB Certificate of Label Approval, the relevant U.S.–European Union agreement text, or a grandfathered-label list that proves the exact legal basis and scope of Renault's present authorization.
Renault has a deep 1864 vineyard lineage and a documented Prohibition-era medicinal/sacramental-wine story, but the business filed for bankruptcy in 2014 and was purchased by OceanFirst Bank in 2015 before VIVÂMEE acquired the bank-owned property in late 2018. The reviewed record does not establish that wine production, public sales, or the same legal business continued seamlessly through those events.
VIVÂMEE states that Josh and Melanie acquired Renault Winery in 2018, and Renault's own history says VIVÂMEE Hospitality purchased the then bank-owned winery in late 2018. Its current company materials present Renault as an active resort and winery in its hospitality portfolio.
Renault Winery began selling its public commercial sparkling wine in 1864.
The 1864 date marks Louis Nicholas Renault's land purchase and vineyard planting in Egg Harbor City. New Jersey wine-history sources place the public introduction of Renault's New Jersey Champagne in 1870.
Source: New Jersey Wines, "NJ Wine History," updated March 21, 2025; WineCompass, "Renault Winery in Egg Harbor, New Jersey"
Louis Nicholas Renault personally kept the winery open during Prohibition by making Renault Wine Tonic.
Historical accounts place Renault's Prohibition-era sacramental and medicinal-wine production, including Renault Wine Tonic, under the D'Agostino family, which bought the winery in 1919.
Source: American Winery Guide, June 15, 2013; WineCompass, "Renault Winery in Egg Harbor, New Jersey"; Renault Winery, "Our Story," accessed September 1, 2026
Renault Winery has operated as one unchanged, uninterrupted winery business since 1864.
Renault has a historic vineyard lineage dating to 1864 but has passed through multiple ownership eras and filed for bankruptcy in 2014. OceanFirst Bank acquired the winery in 2015, and VIVÂMEE Hospitality purchased the then bank-owned property in late 2018. The reviewed record does not prove seamless operating continuity through those changes.
Source: Pennsylvania Live, November 26, 2014; Renault Winery, "Our Story," accessed September 1, 2026; VIVÂMEE Hospitality, "Our Story," published July 1, 2026
Renault's Champagne-label permission was created by a post-Repeal federal trade agreement in 1933.
Renault's claimed permission to use Champagne or American Champagne is a modern label-use and regulatory issue. The candidate's 1933 claim is chronologically incompatible with its own reference to a 2006 U.S.–European Union wine agreement, and this review did not retrieve the TTB record needed to establish Renault's exact present legal authorization.
Source: Renault Winery, "Winery," accessed September 1, 2026; no independently reviewed TTB label-approval record located
Renault's history is one of repeated adaptation rather than a simple unbroken family business story. The original vineyard became a major sparkling-wine producer, the D'Agostino family used legal religious and medicinal-wine channels to remain active during Prohibition, and later owners added dining, lodging, and golf. Bankruptcy and bank ownership in the 2010s exposed how fragile historic brands can be, but VIVÂMEE's 2018 acquisition repositioned the estate as a full hospitality destination while continuing the Renault wine identity.
Louis Nicholas Renault planted the vineyard that became Renault Winery in Egg Harbor City in 1864. Sources say he introduced New Jersey Champagne to the public in 1870, while the D'Agostino family later kept the winery active during Prohibition through permitted sacramental and medicinal wines, including Renault Wine Tonic. The estate has changed hands repeatedly, filed for bankruptcy in 2014, passed to OceanFirst Bank in 2015, and was acquired by VIVÂMEE Hospitality in late 2018.
Renault is widely described as New Jersey's oldest active winery because its vineyard lineage dates to 1864. However, this review does not treat it as a settled oldest continuously operating winery title: 1864 vineyard planting and 1870 public sparkling-wine sales are different milestones, and the business filed for bankruptcy in 2014 before bank ownership and VIVÂMEE's 2018 acquisition. A direct comparison with other New Jersey winery claimants and production records is still needed.
Historical accounts say John D'Agostino's family obtained government permission to make sacramental and medicinal wines during Prohibition. Renault Wine Tonic, reportedly a 22 percent alcohol or 44-proof product, was sold through pharmacies as a medicine. The core story is credible, but original federal permits, labels, and distribution records have not been reviewed in this entry.
Renault says it is among a limited group of American wineries allowed to use Champagne or American Champagne on sparkling-wine labels. That claim is widely repeated, but this review did not obtain Renault's current federal label approval or the specific legal grandfathering record. The permission should be treated as plausible until a TTB Certificate of Label Approval or equivalent regulatory documentation is verified.
VIVÂMEE Hospitality owns and operates Renault Winery Resort. Renault's current history says VIVÂMEE bought the then bank-owned estate in late 2018, and VIVÂMEE's 2026 company history says Josh and Melanie acquired the historic winery in 2018. The exact legal entity and property-title record were not reviewed here.
72 N Bremen Ave, Egg Harbor City, NJ 08215
(609) 965-2111
Renault operates as a winery resort with dining, lodging, golf, events, and seasonal programs. Confirm tours, tasting availability, reservations, and overnight packages directly before visiting.