By Mary Schwager
TGV contributor
Photos by Kara Stearns
It’s an easy drive, that’s worth it, from Eastern Massachusetts and Southern and Central New Hampshire. Soon after you pull off the interstate on the way to Jewell Towne Vineyards you’re zipping along scenery that’s darling, picturesque and classic pastoral New England. It’s a quaint, beautiful winery along the Powow River in South Hampton, New Hampshire. And best of all: It has terrific wine that’s gotten local, national and international recognition.
In 1977, now retired ER physician Dr. Peter Oldak and his wife Brenda Oldak, who’s a registered nurse and artist, moved to the scenic NH spot just over the Massachusetts line because they found such a lovely five acre lot to live on and could also avoid Baystate taxes. Interestingly, the couple had no intensions of starting a winery back then! “My wife calls it a hobby run amuck.” Dr. Oldak says laughing the day The Growing Vine.Com visited.
All the science classes he took for medical school is actually what helped Dr. Oldak figure out how to turn sugary grapes into his award winning blends. “I look at it as diabetes that took a right hand turn.” Soon after he started experimenting acclaim, accolades and awards started rolling in. In 1994 Dr. Oldak was making so much wine state law required him to become licensed. He did it, went commercial and the hidden gem Jewell Towne Vineyards got its start.
All wines are made right on the vineyard, which grows 25 varieties of grapes and also contracts with other growers. The vineyard is well known in wine communities for its cool climate hybrid grapes. Its Cayuga White and Traminette wines have both won “Best of New Hampshire” at the “Big E” wine competition. The Jewell Towne Valvin Muscat was one of just 12 wines rated as “excellent” in Time Magazine’s review of ’50 American Wines.’ For the complete rundown on the long list of awards the wines have won, check out the vineyard’s website, www.jewelltownevineyards.com.
The shop is generous with the samples and there are many wines to choose from, in fact if the author of this review didn’t have to drive home, she would have “sampled” a lot more.
Complimentary tours and wine tastings are offered year-round. Visiting is a lot of fun as the staff is very friendly and if you come with a group you can all sit at a table together to indulge. You just select a handful of their wines to try and the samples come to you. It’s very interactive and the employees know their stuff! The day The Growing Vine visited we tried:
Whites
The Aurore: This wine is named after the grape it’s made from which was developed at Cornell University. The college actually has a division that engineers grapes to grow in colder climates. It is medium bodied, dry and has a crisp, light smooth distinct taste with hints of green apple. All tasters that visited with The GrowingVine.Com bought at least one bottle on the way out, it got a big glass up!
The Cayuga White: A silver medal from the Big E wine competition is this blend’s claim to fame. The grapes are grown in Finger Lakes region in New York and the wine is named after the Cayuga River. Jewell Towne describes this one as: ‘Off dry’, loaded with crisp flavors of tropical fruit and melon. It did have a tart, somewhat sweet and melon like flavor.
Vignoles: This is a full-bodied sweet, yet a bit dry wine, which had hints of honey and lemon.
Red Wine
2008 Leon Miller: Every taster at the table enjoyed this wine, which Jewell Towne describes as, “a dry red with hints of black raspberry, leather and tobacco.” Strangely, none of the tasters had ever chewed on leather, but you could really taste it in this blend.
2008 Landot Noir: This wine had a bit of spice to it and some hints of cranberry. It was not as dry as the 2008 Leon Miller, but this one definitely falls into the dry category. The vineyard calls it, “a dry, spicy, mellow red with subtle aromas of cranberry, strawberry, vanilla, and black raspberry.”
Ice Wine
2008 Vidal Ice wine: This wine is just cool and great. It’s a sweet, dessert blend that is smooth and delightful. It’s made by allowing the grapes to actually freeze on the vine and when the fruit is harvested it’s actually pressed while frozen. The result is a sugary, yummy nectar which makes this wine delicious. 
Jewell Towne is open Wednesday through Friday from 11am to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5pm. You also give the vineyard a buzz to arrange private tours, tastings and events. There’s a lot of space inside the main building which also has an upper floor art gallery. It’s clean, modern, with nice hardwood floors and would make a nice place to host an event or party.
All the artwork in the upstairs gallery is the hand of Brenda Oldak who also designs all the artwork for the wine labels.
It’s a trip worth taking !
