VININTELL September 2015, Issue 25 COUNTRY PROFILES EASTERN US STATES OF NEW JERSEY, MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE ISLAND COUNTRY PROFILES EASTERN US STATES Forthcoming profiles of specific states – ●North Carolina • South Carolina • Virginia Country Profiles is an integral part of the South African wine industry’s business intel­ ligence. Based on this, SAWIS has decided to compile, in collaboration with WOSA, a number of country profiles to assist exporters. These profiles cover a wide range of topics, including background to marketing thoughts and topics for strategic, tactical and operational decisionmaking. The comprehensive profile is available on the SAWIS website CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 3 2. DEMOGRAPHICS ....................................................................................................... 4 3. PEOPLE AND SOCIETY .............................................................................................. 5 4. INFRASTRUCTURE ..................................................................................................... 7 5. ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................... 8 6. ECONOMIC SITUATION .............................................................................................. 9 7. AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................................ 9 8. WINE INDUSTRY ....................................................................................................... 10 9. CONSUMERS ........................................................................................................... 13 10. CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................... 15 2 1. INTRODUCTION New Jersey is ranked 47th of the 50 states Eastern Massa chusetts is fairly densely pop­ that comprise the United States of America ulated and mostly suburban. In Western in terms of area. The total area of the state Massachusetts are the Connecticut River 22,610 km2, of which 14.9% is water, and Valley with its fairly even mix of urban enclaves 85.1%, is land. New Jersey spans 110 km (e.g. Spring field, Northampton,) and rural at its widest, and 240 km in length. Due college towns (Amherst, South Hadley) and to its small size, New Jersey, which ranks the Berkshire Mountains, (a branch of the 11th in the nation in terms of population Appalachian Mountains) that remains mostly with 8,791,894 people, ranks first in popu­­­ rural. Massachusetts is one of the rising stars lation density. However, while this offers in the world of wine. The Bay State’s winer­ the impression that New Jersey is entirely ies and vineyards are catching the attention urban or suburban, it is not. Large swaths of wine lovers everywhere. Gathering from of north­western and southern New Jersey the diversity and steeped in the best of New are extremely rural. For example, Walpack England traditions, wines are hand crafted Township in Sussex County has a population with loving care from grapes, fruit, berries, of 39 and an area of 67 km2. New Jersey is honey and flowers. Massachusetts’ wineries the 7th largest wine producing state in the present a wide variety of wines to comple­ country with 6 million litres of wine (2012) ment a delicious spectrum of native foods. produced annually (approximately 716,000 Of the 40 licensed wineries in Massachusetts, cases). New Jersey wines consistently suc­ 36 produce wine and hard cider. These ceed in major wine competitions, including Massachu­­ setts wineries produce and sell double gold wins from multiple wineries at the product made from viniferous and cold hearty 2014 San Francisco Chronicle and Indiana­ grapes, as well as a variety of fruit including polis International Wine Competition. Most apples, cranberries, peaches and blueberries wineries welcome visitors for tastings, winery that are savoured by consumers across the tours and special events. Many wineries now Bay State and the country. offer shipping of their wines within New Jersey Most of Rhode Island is located on the main­ and into other states thanks to a 2012 law. At land of the United States. The official name the beginning of 2014, there were 50 licensed of the state is State of Rhode Island and wineries in the state. Providence Plantations, which is derived Massachusetts is the 7th smallest state in from the merger of two colonies. Rhode the United States with an area of 27,340 Island is bordered on the north and east by km2. Massachusetts is also the most Massa chusetts, on the west by Connecticut populous New England state. Boston is and on the south by Rhode Island Sound Massachusetts’ largest city. Most Bay Staters and the Atlantic Ocean. It shares a narrow (4.4 million) live in the Boston area, which maritime border with New York State between cover most of eastern Massachusetts. Block Island and Long Island. Nicknamed the 3 Ocean State, Rhode Island has a number ley regions. Although Massachusetts has a of oceanfront beaches. Viticulture in Rhode humid climate, its climate is sunny compared Island began in 1663 when King Charles II of to other humid climates at the same latitude. England included wine production among the In Boston, the average percentage of pos­ land uses approved in the royal charter estab­ sible sunshine for every month is at least lishing Rhode Island as an English colony. The 50%. In summer and early autumn, the modern wine industry of Rhode Island began average percentage of possible sunshine in 1975 when Sakonnet Vineyards was estab­ is greater than 60%, according to National lished near Little Compton. Located near the Weather Service data. The hottest tempera­ Atlantic Ocean, Rhode Island has one of the ture recorded was 42.8 degrees Celsius. most moderate climates of the US northeast. • Rhode Island: Rhode Island has a humid cli­ mate, with cold winters and short summers. 2. DEMOGRAPHICS The average annual temperature is (10°C. At Area Providence the temperature ranges from an • New Jersey: 22,610 km2 average of ­2°C in January to 23°C in July. In Providence, the average annual precipitation • Massachusetts: 27,340 km2 (1971 ­ 2000) was 118cm; snowfall aver­ • Rhode Island: 3,140 km2 ages 94cm a year. Rhode Island’s weather is highly changeable, with storms and hur­ Climate ricanes an occasional threat. • New Jersey: Southern New Jersey has a humid subtropical climate while a humid Natural resources continental climate prevails in the north­ • New Jersey: Garden State: forests, rivers, west, according to the Köppen climate streams, beaches, wetlands, estuaries, classification. New Jersey’s climate is vastly bays, and the ocean’ sand and gravel and affected by its proximity to the Atlantic granite. Ocean. The temperatures vary greatly from the northernmost part of New Jersey to the • Massachusetts: Fertile Connecticut River southernmost part of New Jersey: 31 de ­ Valley soils, most rich in peat, deposits of grees Celsius in the middle to zero in north. sand and gravel, glacial stones and boul­ ders (granite, marble) are the most impor­ • Massachusetts: Massachusetts has a hu ­ tant natural resources of Massachusetts. mid continental climate. Summers are warm, while winters are relatively cold, with aver­ • Rhode Island: Rhode Island’s natural re­ age January temperatures below freezing sources are not abundant. The best soil through out most of the state. Generally, is found along Narragansett Bay. Excel­ Massachusetts’ hilly central interior (e.g. lent building granite is found in the south­ Worcester) and its western Berkshire Moun­ western part of the state near the town tain region (e.g. Pittsfield) have colder winters of Westerly and is referred to as Westerly than its coastal and Connecticut River Val­ Granite. 4 3. PEOPLE AND SOCIETY Languages • New Jersey: English, Spanish, Italian, and French Creole are the most often spoken Total population languages. • New Jersey: 8,899,339 (2014) • Massachusetts: 79% of the state popula­ • Massachusetts: 6,745,408 (2014) tion speak English, 7% Spanish, 3.5% Por­ • Rhode Island: 1,055,173 (2014) tuguese, and 1% either French or Chinese. • Rhode Island: English, Portuguese, Spa­ nish, Creole / French. Religions New Jersey 54.70% of the people in New Jersey are religious, meaning they affiliate with a religion. 37.62% are Catholic; 0.37% are LDS (Mormons); 2.81% are another Christian faith; 2.47% are Jewish; 0.82% are an eastern faith; 1.83% affiliates with Islam. Massachusetts 57.24% of the people in Massachusetts are religious. 45.83% are Catholic; 0.39% are LDS; 2.58% are another Christian faith; 1.23% are Jewish; 0.62% are an eastern faith; 0.33% affiliates with Islam. Rhode Island 54.81% of the people in Rhode Island are religious. 45.05% are Catholic; 0.38% are LDS; 1.55% are another Christian faith; 0.84% are Jewish; 0.23% are an eastern faith; 0.14% affiliates with Islam. Age structure Persons under Persons under Persons 65 years / 5 years 18 years over New Jersey 6%, 2013 22.7%, 2013 14.4%, 2013 Massachusetts 5.5%, 2013 20.8%, 2013 14.8%, 2013 Rhode Island 5.2%, 2013 20.4%, 2013 15.5%, 2013 5 Urbanisation The three states’ urban population as a percentage of the total population (2010) is as follows: • New Jersey: 94.7% • Massachusetts: 92.0% • Rhode Island: 90.7% Net migration • New Jersey: Domestic migration neutralised by international immigrants • Massachusetts: