Jewell Towne Vineyards
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jewell Towne Vineyards is the oldest of two wineries in the state of New Hampshire, USA. Located on the hills overlooking the Powwow River just a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean, the winery and vineyard produce more than 20 varieties of wine.
[edit] History
The venture began by chance in 1982 when Peter Oldak of South Hampton, NH, an emergency room physician, planted 4 grapevines in his backyard to complement his small garden and orchard, with the intention of making jelly. The microclimate of his 13 acre (53,000 m²) property was very similar to that of the Finger Lakes region of New York and was well suited to growing grapes, despite common misconceptions. Fortunately, in 1984 Peter's wife Brenda made more jelly than they could consume and 90% of the grapes remained, so Peter decided to try his hand at winemaking. Initial attempts failed and only vinegar was produced, but in the following year Peter managed to produce wine that was quite good, and a fledgeling business was begun. In a short time Peter had planted five acres (20,000 m²) of grapevines on his property.
In 1994 Jewell Towne Vineyards became a commercial enterprise, and Peter and Brenda sold wine out of their garage while construction of a winery progressed. In 1999 it was completed and production in earnest commenced in the much more suitable facility. Since that time Peter's wines have won more than 60 medals in international competitions, including, in 2005, silver for "Seyval", "Traminette", "Vignoles" and "Rhapsody in Blue", and gold for his "Chardonnay", in the Amenti Del Vino International Commercial Wine Competition. Peter's wines can be found in local stores in and around coastal New Hampshire, and at the Vineyard, which offers free tours and tastings without appointment and is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday.
Jewell Towne Vineyards currently employs six people: Peter Oldak (Onwer)and Brenda Oldak (co-owner and the artist responsible for label design), vineyard manager Derek Brock, Director of Sales and Marketing Rich Collins, and Tasting Room Manager Anna Leonard.
