Jewell Towne Vineyards

2011 Harvest Photo Contest Winners!

2011-11-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winners of our first ever Harvest Photo Contest! We recieved so many beautiful photos it was hard to pick just three winners...so we didn't. We have a tie for third place and many fantastic honorable mentions! Thank you to all that submitted!!

1st Place and the winner of the $100 Gift Certificate for JTV Wine!

Peter Zoltai

2nd Place and Winner of $50 Gift Certificate for JTV Wine!

Debi Rapson

TIE 3rd Place and Winner of $25 Gift Certificate

Bob Morin

TIE 3rd Place and Winner of $25 Gift Certificate for JTV Wine

David Petty

Honorable Mentions and Winners of $10 Gift Certifiate for JTV Wine

Roger Ouellette

Rosemary Stanley

Christy Teherani

MaryLu Burke-Petty

Wine & Cheese Event!

2011-10-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

2011-10-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we harvested Seyval and boy what a large harvest it was! Our vines were as full as ever, taking us the entire Saturday to pick, and that was with the help of over 20 volunteers. While the rain held off most of the day, the grapes were slightly damp, making it a bit messy for picking and crushing.

We finish our harvest next weekend (fingers crossed). Stop by the vineyard to see the last of it before the grapes are all picked!

2011 HARVEST BEGINS!

2011-09-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the delay in blog posts, but to make up for it we will be detailing our favorite season...HARVEST! We kicked off this year's harvest on September 17th by picking Aurore, Canadice, and Leon Millot. And boy what a weekend it was, whew! We have been busily picking, crushing, destemming, pressing...

We will continue picking until the middle of October as many of our varieties have been pushed back due to slow ripening. Next weekend we hope to get Marechal Foch in the tanks!

Indulge in Wine & Chocolate

2011-02-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

We had a great event February 12th that featured a variety of our wines paired with Lindt Chocolate!

The tasting room

We paired our Organically Grown Zinfindel with the Excellence 85% Cocoa Bar and our Marechal Foch (Dry) with the Excellence Black Currant Bar

Our NH Port 2009 with the Excellence Chili Bar, our Rhapsody in Blue Icewine with the Petits Dessert White Mousse Bar, and our Orange Muscat with assorted Lindt truffles

The favorites? NH Port 2009 with the Excellence Chili Bar and our Marechal Foch (Dry) with the Excellence Black Currant Bar!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and to Lindt Chocolate for helping create such a decadent event!

February 8, 2011

2011-02-09T12:13:00.000-08:00

Some pictures of what's going on today...

Gregg, our assistant winemaker, cleaning the tanks...at least he gets to use hot water!

Lab day- samples from our cellar.

A lot of upcoming tastings:

February 10- Serenity Cafe, Rye NH, 5:00-7:00pm

February 11- McKinnon's, Salem NH, 4:00-6:00pm

February 12- Epping Meat Market, Epping NH, 2:00-4:00pm

February 12- Sharon Arts Center, Peterborough NH 4:00-7:00pm

February 13- Jacques Flowers, Manchester NH, 1:00-3:00pm

February 17- Peterborough State Liquor Store, Peterborough NH, 4:00-6:00

February 24- Durham Marketplace, Durham NH, 4:30-6:00

Indulge in Wine & Chocolate! Saturday, February 12, we will be pairing a selection of our wines with a variety of Lindt chocolates for a Valentines celebration! Join us! No reservations are needed for the event, and it is complimentary! Happy Valentines Day!!

Warm Up with Wine and Cuddle with Cheese!

2011-01-22T09:44:00.000-08:00

We had a great event last weekend that featured 4 of our wines paired with a variety of Vermont's Cabot Cheese! We paired our Riesling with Cabot's 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar, our Steuben with Cabot's Pepper Jack, our Zinfindel with Cabot's Seriously Sharp Cheddar, and lastly, our Marechal Foch with Cabot's Horseradish Cheddar. It was a very successful event, and a big thank you goes out to all everyone who stopped by! Here are a few pictures from our "Warm Up with Wine and Cuddle with Cheese" event....
Next up: In honor of Wine Week, we are having a complementary Barrel Tasting on Sunday, January 23 from 1-4pm, held on the hour. No reservations needed!

Holiday Pairings & Black Friday Special

2010-11-24T07:53:00.000-08:00

We hope you'll think of Jewell Towne this holiday season. Our wide selection of wines make great gifts and pair nicely with many holiday dishes. Some pairing suggestions....

MAIN COURSE

Riesling - Off-dry, medium bodied white with hints of orange and acidic finish.

Seyval - Off-dry, full bodied white with citrus and pear flavors.

Cayuga White - Off-dry, medium bodied white loaded with tropical fruit and melon.

DESSERT

Rhapsody in Blue -Sweet dessert wine made in Icewine style from the Vidal Blanc grape, with flavors of honey and apricot.

Orange Muscat - Sweet dessert wine, lighter in body, with flavors of orange and nectarine.

And don't forget about our gift shop! It's filled with wine inspired t-shirts, fantastic dining and entertaining accessories, and holiday gift bags!

Also, don't miss our Black Friday Special! Buy 3 or more bottles and receive 10% off! Open 11:00am - 5:00pm.

Live Free and Wine Festival

2010-06-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

The 1st NH Wine Festival hosted by the New Hampshire Wine Association (NHWA) at Flag Hill's gorgeous establishment was certainly a success. We apologize to those of you who missed out on the event as tickets flew out the door immediately. NHWA is already organizing a committee to look into planning a much bigger event next year so that we can accommodate more of you wine lovers out there! Here are some pictures to see what we offered this year...next year will not fail to amaze you even more than this might...

South Hampton White 2009

2010-05-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Memorial Day weekend.....

JTV would like to welcome back our beloved, limited production, Estate grown, South Hampton White 2009! As delicious as always, this slightly sweet white has mild flavors of ripe grapefruit that its followers rave about. We have to admit that the grapefruit is not as prominent as previous years, but its lingering nature is sure to catch your attention.

Stop in this weekend to try a sample of this sought-after wine. Don't wait too long though, because this limited production wine won't be here waiting for you! We hope you all get to enjoy this beautiful weather at some point and have a great holiday weekend :)

Pictures of the recovering vineyard will be posted first thing next week. It truly is amazing how resilient these grape vines have evolved to be.

Oh Mother Nature, ye cruel and unforgiving one...

2010-05-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

"Spring" happens, as they say. This year in New Hampshire we were blessed with a terrific 'pre' spring. Our early May is typically referred to as 'mud season' due to the relentlessly frigid drizzling rains that, in tandem with melting snow, make for a lovely brown stew beneath our feet. This, we can deal with. Mud Season rolls off the back like the mud washes off our shoes. Our vines are used to it and stay softly in a sleep like trance until the warm glow of the sun stirs their constitution.

Yet this year, Spring 2010, was a wonderful spring - the rains came fast and furious resulting more in flash flooding than mud season. Then they were gone. In the following days we had some beautiful sunny days, it was warm, clear and crisp, we got our yard work done early, the outdoor drinking establishments opened early. Except this encouraged all our green growing friends to emerge from their hibernation early and begin sprouting, budding, and growing. And then, part way through the second week in May, came a real below-zero-honest-to-God Spring frost (25 degrees give or take). Our vines fell victim, and are currently paying dearly for their zeal in budding out so soon. (photos to follow).

So the tiny, tender green buds and shoots are now brown and fried (for lack of a better word.) Granted, this is not the end of the world, the vines are still alive and well, they just have had a minor setback. They will soon begin to push secondary buds. Mother Nature, as cruel and crafty as she is, has built a genetic safeguard into the vines. They have dormant secondary buds that will produce new growth if the other were to be accidentally frozen. yes, this has happened before. The vines Jewell Towne grows (known as the Hybrids, or French American Hybrids) are better able to deal with situations like this, and recover.

So what does it mean in terms of wine quality? Well, the vines just experienced a significant setback, all their initial energy is for nil, but they will survive and produce. But having spent all that initial effort and energy to spring forward early in the year has tired the vines and sapped their energies, so the second push of buds will be somewhat less dramatic and less vigorous. This in turn will mean fewer grapes and lower yields - resulting in less wine- but not necessarily effecting the quality in any way. Its kind of like getting too close to an open flame - you get burnt, but get out quickly enough and you'll be fine after you nurse your wounds. So though the scene looks dismal, thanks the recovery properties of our Hybrid vines, we're still good to go, just a little worse for wear.

"Spring" Happens. God Bless New England and the fool-hardy winemakers that choose to grow their grapes and make their wines here.

Live Free and (New Hampshire) Wine!

2010-04-30T08:18:00.001-07:00

Join us for the first ever New Hampshire Wine festival!!! June 13th - save the date!

http://www.jewelltownevineyards.com/livefreeandwine.php

Pruning - a visualization featuring Dbrock, vineyard manager/supermodel

2010-03-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

2010-03-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Derek (aka Dbrock) Loooooooooves bottling days!

Aurore 2009 Private Reserve and 'Organically Grown' Zinfandel are ready!!! Some of the first wines of the '09 vintage!

Lindt Chocolate and Wine!

2010-02-18T20:49:00.000-08:00

Jewell Towne Vineyards hosted a delicious Holiday treat: our first-ever Wine and Chocolate pairing featuring the delightful confections from our own local chocolatier, Lindt. Representatives from Lindt were on hand speaking to and sampling their hearts out, and all wines were masterfully paired with individual chocolate selections. The Tasting room was decorated with much holiday cheer, the wines were flowing, and the chocolate was waiting. You really just have to try Icewine paired with Lindt's delicious new Eisdessert before you die. Here's a few photos of this exciting Holiday event.

A Fresh Face in the JTV Tasting Room!

2009-10-30T10:18:00.001-07:00

Jewell Towne Vineyards, New Hampshire’s oldest and most awarded winery, is proud to announce Jessica Hatch as newly appointed Tasting Room Manager. Jessica started her professional wine career at Jewell Towne as an intern and has worked her way up to her role managing tasting room operations. She holds a B.A. in Nutritional Sciences and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of New Hampshire. She is interested in all aspects of winemaking, from viniculture and viticulture to winery business and operations. Her tenure at Jewell Towne will immerse her in the wine industry, as her intention is to obtain an MBA in Sustainable Winery operations at some point in the future.

“Jess has been an asset to the Jewell Towne Team since day one and we are excited to see her dedication and enthusiasm for Jewell Towne continue on,” says Peter Oldak, owner of Jewell Towne Vineyards. “Jess’s passion allows us to spread the good word about quality winemaking in the State of New Hampshire.”

Jewell Towne’s wines are sold at the winery tasting room, in approximately 100 wine shops, and in many New Hampshire Hannaford, Shaws, and NH State Liquor Stores.

Characters of Crush!

2009-09-29T12:40:00.001-07:00

Derek (aka Dbrock) and Jerry on the Mound...

He might look lazy here...

A little help from the competition...

Hard to explain this one, have to ask Jess yourself.

And the quote of the day "Rikki works?" A most flattering picture.

Resident Alien Jerry adding some humor.

With a little help from vin diesel. Literally.

Foch earrings, anyone?

Marechal Foch Harvest 2009!

2009-09-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

The "crush" in action!

Look at these little beauties! All JTV grapes are hand harvested by volunteers into lugs like this.

So pretty.

Collection time for full lugs, backbreaking work, for sure!

Grapes are weighed for historical data purposes.

On the Crushpad! Foch being destemmed and crushed.

The crushing mechanism in action.

The auger that feeds the grapes to the crush gears.

The crushed up Foch as it settles into it's fermentation tank.

The stems - the by-product of the destemming process that become compost.

The JTV Cast of Characters - 2009 Edition!

2009-09-21T09:44:00.001-07:00

Harvest is ON!

2009-09-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

We've made it through another year and our harvest season has officially begun. Drop by the vineyard the weekends of September 26/7 and October 3/4 to see harvest operations in full swing. From harvesting (picking) to crushing and pressing, we do it all right here in our expanded winery location. It's our busiest time of year so be warned - we're still New Hampshire's best kept secret but the secret is getting out! Happy Harvest!

Harvest Approaches!

2009-09-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

The time of year is upon us - the grapes are ripening slowly in the warm New Hampshire sun. Our bird management program (running nets over the grapes) helps keep these delicious little morsels from being bird food and not wine. The vineyard management program has kept our vines strong, healthy, with very little disease, so we're particularly excited to be approaching our upcoming harvest weekends. Come on out and see us, its a perfect time of year for a visit!

Jewell Towne and Cabot Cheese - a perfect New England Combination!

2009-09-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

Summertime Bounty

2009-09-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

Who says you can't grow grapes in New England? Look at these beauties!

Our vines, after being drenched in rain for what seemed like an endless rain-filled early Summer, took a terrific rebound. In fact, the water inspired vigor - almost too much vigor - as they developed at lightning spped once the warm rays of the sun returned.

One issue with the rain related to pollination and fruit set. You can see different size berries in the above cluster - some were simply pollinated and began to develop earlier than others. Rain washes pollen to the ground so it takes longer for the fruit to set. This can, if not recognized, allow for some underripe berries to enter the mix and add green-ness (or bitterness) to the wines. The trick is to ensure that all of the berries on the cluster are at acceptable ripeness levels before harvest.

Just having some fun...

2009-06-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

Resident photographer and tasting room extraodinarire Ashley decided to take some candid photos on this nice sunny day! Let's have a little fun...

And some nice photos of our flowering vines!

The Beauty of Bud Break!

2009-05-20T08:29:00.001-07:00

Not much to say on this post except: nothing quite compares to the beauty of Spring and Bud break. A frost warning just two days ago had us on the edge of our seats, but at 34 degrees for the evening low, we survived. Folks ask why it is so difficult to grow grapes in New England - and here's just one more reason why. A late season frost would essentially destroy these beautiful tender buds and leave the vines in a state of flux. So for now, enjoy these terrific photos taken by our Tasting room manager Ashley.

Pruning - Stage Two!

2009-04-13T10:50:00.001-07:00

After the rough prune is complete, the next phase begins. This is a much more critical and deliberate pruning process, in which we decide which of the four canes will be used as the basis for growth for each individual vine throughout the year. They are the strongest, most prolific canes, which are 'laid down' into place along the the training wires.

Jewell Towne specifically follows a practice called VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) - a grape canopy management technique developed in New Zealand that allows cool climate grapes to make the most of the cooler environment.

From Enowiki, the free online winemaking encyclopedia:
"Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) is a training system that is used in conjunction with single or double Guyot, cane pruned training, or with a cordon, spur pruned system. VSP is very common in cool climate regions, with low to moderate vigorous growth, as it provides Better air flow

VSP encourages better air flow through the vine. This is accomplished by keeping all the shoots growing vertically, and no vegetative growth below the cordon/cane. The increase in air flow helps prevent problems associated with disease, allowing the fruiting area to dry out quicker after rains. Excellent sun for the fruit. With proper canopy management, the fruit is healthier, but being exposed to the sun earlier in the season, encouraging grapes to ripen more evenly within the bunch. Thinning and picking: Cluster thinning, and well as harvest is generally easier, as access to the fruit is easier. The objective of VSP is to train the shoots in a vertical fashion, creating a narrow layer that provides good sunlight exposure and air flow in the fruiting zone of the canopy. Each shoot is trained to grow vertically, in place, by attaching the shoot to movable catch wires. The shoots length can easily be controlled my pruning any vegetation over the top catch wire. The target for the fruiting zone is generally around waist-high, mainly for worker's convenience as the row are worked throughout the year."

Here is a simplified visual representation of VSP - after pruning and then with new growth:

And here we have the VSP system of pruning applied to our vines:

Next post - the long road to the final prune!

2009-04-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

Jewell Towne Vineyards, A day in the life of a local working New Hampshire winery.
Rich Collins, Jewell Towne Vineyards.

“So what do you do all winter at a winery, anyhow?” We hear that question quite frequently, and the answer unfortunately is not “We Travel!” Winter is one of the busiest times for us as it is the winemaker’s time to turn the fruits of the previous harvest into the final product.

Yet Spring is upon us, a time of renewal and rebirth, so I will focus on the primary vineyard task at hand: Pruning. Once the snow recedes to the point where we can readily access the vines, the pruning efforts begin. Vines need the winter to rest and restore, and the green canes of the previous year ‘harden off’ – which essentially means turn woody and form a bark-like protection. There’s a simple indicator for how old a vine's canes are – if they green and flexible – they're less than a year old, if they're brown and woody, it’s last year’s growth.

Note the Green, healthy first year growth (above) and the same canes hardened off (brown and woody) after winter (below).
Thus, our Spring begins with the following scene – windchill, mud, and remnants of snow on the ground, as our vineyard manager Derek begins the pruning season. The following scene is the harbinger of our Spring:

What we are left with is the previous years growth to contend with, clean up, and direct for the upcoming season. We want the vines to focus their energies on only those canes that will produce fruit (grapes) so we cut the vines back, almost severely, in a number of dedicated stages which I will discuss in some detail.

Stage 1 – The Rough Prune
In this stage we take the somewhat crazed looking vine and knock it back to a more workable model. Any dead wood, unhealthy canes, or rogue wandering tendrils are removed to leave us with a dozen or so top quality canes.

Before:

After:

Note that the vine still has a number of random canes at this point, but it becomes much more manageable for the next stages of pruning.

And let’s not forget it’s still pretty darn cold outside during this process - I've heard of the old saying 'there's frost on the pumpkin' but to see vine sap freeze solid is another story altogether! Have to love these cold New Hampshire springs!

Once the rough prune is complete, it’s time to pick up all the woody canes that aren’t of much use. Pure labor is the name of this game. The amount of wood removed is quite impressive!

Fortunately for us, everyone is involved in the pruning process - from friends of the winery, to interns, to the whole staff. It’s a fun way to ring in the New Hampshire spring.

Thus completes the first phase – the rough prune! Stay tuned for more info ~Rich

Jewell Towne Vineyards.
65 Jewell St.
South Hampton, NH 03827
603.394.0600

info@jewelltownevineyards.com
http://www.jewelltownevineyards.com/