Jewell Towne Vineyards
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Jewell Towne Vineyards is a winery in the state of New Hampshire. The property is located on the hills overlooking the Powwow River a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The property is the oldest currently producing winery in New Hampshire,[1][2][3][4] and is seen as a leader in establishing northern New England cold hardy cultivars.[5]
In 1982 Peter Oldak of South Hampton, New Hampshire, a former emergency room physician, planted six grapevines[1][6] in his backyard to complement his small garden and orchard.[7] With time he concluded the microclimate of his 13 acres (5.3 ha) property was very similar to that of the Finger Lakes region of New York and was well suited to growing grapes, despite common misconceptions.[2][7]
In 1994 Jewell Towne Vineyards became a licensed commercial enterprise,[2][8] and the first 40 cases were released.[2] Having made the wine in the Oldak home basement until 1996,[6] 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.[2]
Since 1994 Jewell Towne Vineyards wines have won an array of awards from national competitions and state fairs.[2][7][9][10][11]
Oldak has also formed the New Hampshire Winery Association, aiming to support local vintners,[12] and works with the University of New Hampshire teaching viticulture and winemaking.[1][2]
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.[13]