Jewell Towne Vineyards

History

In 1982 Peter Oldak of South Hampton, New Hampshire, a former emergency room physician, planted six grapevines in his backyard to complement his small garden and orchard. With time he concluded the microclimate of his 13 acre property was very similar to that of the Finger Lakes region of New York and was well suited to growing grapes, despite common misconceptions.

In 1994 Jewell Towne Vineyards became a licensed commercial enterprise, and the first 40 cases were released. Having made the wine in the Oldak home basement until 1996, the construction of a winery was completed in 1999, containing a wine cellar, bottling room, a large tasting room and a balcony used as an art gallery to exhibit work from local artists.

Since 1994 Jewell Towne Vineyards wines have won an array of awards from national competitions and state fairs.

Oldak has also formed the New Hampshire Winery Association, aiming to support local vintners, and works with the University of New Hampshire teaching viticulture and winemaking.

In 2018, it was reported that Peter Oldak and his wife Brenda were going to stop producing wines and sell off their remaining stock so that they could go into retirement.

Production

Initially experimenting with more than sixty grape varieties, The winery produces between 18 and 20 types of wine. In addition to red and white varietal wines, the winery produces blush and ice wines, and a "port" that is made from the Chancellor grape.

By the early 2000s, Jewell Towne produced 35,000 bottles a year, As the state line dividing New Hampshire and Massachusetts runs through the property, some of the wines bear "New Hampshire 50% & Massachusetts 50%" on the label.

References

References

1. Cattell, Hudson. ''Wine East''. appellationamerica.com ( Jan-Feb 2004 ). [http://wine.appellationamerica.com/article.aspx?articleID=139&placeValuesBeforeTB_=savedValues&TB_iframe=true&height=420&width=700 The Wineries of New Hampshire]
2. Bisceglia, Mike, Jr.''Seacoastonline.com'' (July 17, 2007). [http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070717/LIFE/707170340/-1/LIFE Recapturing area's wine-making past]
3. Cattell, Hudson, ''Wines & Vines''. (December 8, 2008). "New Hampshire Producers Stand Together".
4. Zraly, Kevin. (2006). "Kevin Zraly's American Wine Guide". Sterling.
5. ''Seacoastonline.com'' (February 26, 2008). [http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080226/LIFE01/80226028/-1/LIFE Jewell Towne Vineyards produces new wine]
6. DeVito, Carlo. (2004). "East Coast Wineries: A Complete Guide from Maine to Virginia". Rutgers University Press.
7. Dial, Adam, appellationamerica.com (March 11, 2004). [http://wine.appellationamerica.com/wine-review/14/Dr.-Peter-Oldak,-Jewell-Towne-Vineyards.html Dr. Peter Oldak – Laying a Solid Foundation for New Hampshire Viticulture]
8. "The time is ripe." ''New Hampshire Union Leader'' (Manchester, NH) September 27, 2004, State, Business: C1.
9. Craig, Steve, ''The Hampton Union'' (September 30, 2003). [http://www.seacoastonline.com/2003news/hampton/09302003/currents/52861.htm Wine-making hobby harvests delicious rewards] {{Webarchive. link. (2006-03-21)
10. "South Hampton vintner wins 7 medals." ''New Hampshire Union Leader'' (Manchester, NH) August 30, 2004, State, Business: C2.
11. Wacker, Tim, ''Boston Globe'' (November 5, 2006). [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/11/05/splendor_in_a_glass/ Splendor in a glass: The romance of wine-making appeals to growing crop of N.E. vintners]
12. Shea, Jack. "Owners of Jewell Towne Vineyard easing into retirement".