SPECIAL LABEL HAMBLETONIAN WINE CREATED FOR AMERICA’S CLASSIC TROTTING RACE

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – In celebration of the 93^rd edition of America’s greatest harness race, the Hambletonian Society, Meadowlands Racetrack and Tomasello Winery have teamed up to provide fans and guests with three special limited edition wine selections.

The $1 million Hambletonian is raced Saturday afternoon, Aug. 4 as the finale to the championship meet at The Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, NJ.  Post time is 12 noon.

Entitled “The Hambletonian at the Meadowlands”, the Hammonton-based winery (the second-oldest active in the Garden State) will produce a Pinot Grigio, a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay exclusively for Saturday’s edition that will be available for purchase Friday, Aug 3 and Saturday. Aug. 4 at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

“We are honored to have produced three custom wines for the Hambletonian Society, please enjoy in the company of family and close friends,” said Tomasello Winery vice president Jack Tomasello.

The Hambletonian Stakes race, the most prestigious harness race for trotters in North America, is named in honor of Hambletonian 10.

The label was created by Meadowlands Racetrack’s graphic designer Kathleen Estes, based on a famous image of Hambletonian, the foundation sire of the Standardbred horse breed. Hambletonian 10, or Rysdyk's Hambletonian, (May 5, 1849 – 1876) was an American trotter born in Sugar Loaf, New York in 1849.

In 24 seasons at stud, between 1851 and 1875, Hambletonian produced about 1,335 foals. Through four of Hambletonian's sons (George Wilkes, Dictator, Happy Medium, and Electioneer), the lineage of virtually all North American Standardbred horses can be traced to him.  At age 27 on March 27, 1876, Hambletonian died. Both he and his owner, who had died in 1870, were buried in Chester, N.Y.

Tomasello Winery is a fourth generation family-owned winery producing award winning wines since 1933. Tomasello is one of the largest winegrowers in New Jersey, having 70 acres of grapes under cultivation, and producing 75,000 cases of wine per year, distributing in over half of the United States and also exporting to the Pacific Rim. In addition to wines, Tomasello produces sparkling wines, hard ciders, fruit wines and ports.  Tomasello Winery has 10 retail outlets thought out the Garden State and their wines are distributed by Fedway and available in over 800 retail wine stores in the state.