NJ’s Only Master Of Wine Is From Bridgewater And Now He's Opened A Wine Bar

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Chris Cree, New Jersey’s only Master of Wine and Bridgewater native, has invested $1 million to renovate and transform the historic Perryville Inn into his new wine bar.

The wine bar in Hunterdon County offers multiple tasting rooms, event space for social and corporate events, along with an online wine purchasing program featuring hundreds of carefully curated wines from all over the world.

This is Cree's latest venture in his wine journey that dates back to his childhood. Born in Plainfield, Cree grew up in Bridgewater and Flemington and has been a longtime resident of Clinton.

His journey initially started with food.

"I loved to cook with my mom. We've always been a big foodie family. My stepfather was a pilot and when he would come home from Europe he would bring fresh parmesan, ham, and fresh bread from Paris," said Cree.

Cree would also grow up watching legendary cook Julia Child. Then as soon as he was old enough to have some wine it became an extension of his food interest.

He had always thought he would go to college and get a "real job" but he began working as a wine sales manager. And one thing led to another where Cree ended up running and developing a wine department at a liquor store.

In 1996, Cree took and passed the rigorous Institute Master of Wine program and became the 13th American to pass the test. Now there are 56 Americans and 418 in the world who are Masters of Wine.

The test was created in London in 1953 as a high-level business degree focused on the wine business. It takes four days to complete the test with a written essay portion. Additionally each morning of the test Cree had to do a blind tasting of 12 wines and be able to identify the country, region, vintage, maturity, and quality of production.

Now he is sharing his wine knowledge with others. The Cree Wine Company experience brings together the elements of a winery tasting room with a selection of wines from across the globe.

In the wine bar and lounge, patrons can order a taste, a glass, a flight or a bottle.

"The opportunity to learn about the wines from our educated staff and a full slate of wine tasting dinners and events will abound," said Cree, noting that wines can also be purchased "to go."

Cree carefully curates all the wines himself — from small family domains to top estates. Fifty wines by the taste or glass and 400 by the bottle are offered, along with an offering of Cree’s favorite top-shelf spirits.

Along with wine, Cree is working with Executive Chef A.J. Sankofa to offer meals that pair perfectly with his wines.

Sankofa is a graduate of the Masters in Italian Cuisine Program at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Italy, Sankofa who has worked in the kitchens of Jockey Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Morristown, the Michelin-starred Ristorante Larossa in Alba, as well as Legacy Records Restaurant in Manhattan.

For more information about the Cree Wine Company, visit CreeWineCo.com or call 908-200-7772. The Cree Wine Company is located at 167 Perryville Rd, Hampton.

Have a news tip? Email [email protected].

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.