Jamie Taylor loves yoga. But she appreciates a nice bottle of wine, too. A certified yoga instructor, Taylor has merged her two passions into the New Jersey Yoga Wine Trail, a summer-long series of events at five New Jersey wineries.
“The pairing of the two—yoga and wine—is a great way for people who have never tried yoga to come to a class for the first time and take the pressure off,” says Taylor, 27, a Fairleigh Dickinson University graduate whose Flanders-based company, Unique Yoga Events, introduced the Yoga Wine Trail last summer.
At a recent trail event at Beneduce Vineyards in Pittstown, 17 participants in the yoga class lined up in two rows, stretching their arms toward a cloudless blue sky. Nearby, rows of budding vines also reached for the precious sunlight.
After the one-hour, open-air class, the yogis rolled up their mats and strolled through the vineyard to the winery patio for a tasting of Beneduce’s varietals.
“I like yoga—love yoga—and the chance to experience this outside with wine is just the perfect thing,” said Liz Rodriguez, a flight attendant from Stewartsville who organized a group outing to Beneduce with five friends. “I have never seen yoga offered this way, so I really wanted to get a group together to try it.”
The 2015 season runs through September 19. In addition to Beneduce, sessions are held at Cava Winery in Hamburg; Plagido’s Winery in Hammonton; Bellview Winery in Landisville; and Cedarvale Winery in Swedesboro.
Classes cost $25, including the wine tasting. For more information visit the company website.