the land

 

we have the pleasure of stewarding land & tending to the vines at 6 different sites across New Hampshire.

  • Old Vine

  • Mermaid Hill

  • Mountain View

  • Windroc

  • Poocham Hill

  • Grape Vine Run

  • Concord

    First planted to Marquette in 2012, this vineyard is the first organically managed site in the state, with conversion beginning in 2018. Home to two acres of Marquette and a half acre of L’Acadie Blanc and Itasca, these vines grow in sandy stoney soil with iron rich decomposing rocks. The combination of rough soils and abundant sunlight bring a tension between ripeness and intensity to the wines from here that we absolutely adore.

  • Andover

    This historic vineyard was planted in 1969 by a visionary who understood the potential of New Hampshire for wine. Half of the original ‘69 planting has stayed alive, with a quarter now planted to Prairie Star, Louis Swenson, & Marquette. Situated at 900 feet of elevation on a northwest slope, this site provides a glimpse of what a mature N.H. wine could taste like with beautiful old vines.

  • Seacoast

    This half acre plot of approximately 15 year old vines is a diverse array of mostly unknown hybrid varietals. Sitting at low elevation with relatively flat exposure and a signature gray clay beneath the vines, this vineyard expresses power and abundance for such a small plot of fruit.

  • Notably planted along the shores of an ancient lake from 10,000 years ago, these vines grow in the clay and gravel laid down by this relic of the past. Rows of Marquette, Frontenac, & more sit nestled behind an antique barn, tucked into the hills in three beautiful blocks.

  • Walpole

    Our most intense vineyard site! Perched at 1300 feet elevation and overlooking the Connecticut river, with 100 mile views of the surrounding landscape.
    The grapes here express the intensity of their environment, being almost 20 years old on average. Originally planted to over 40 varietals of hybrids, natural selection has left us with about 30. Our biggest restoration project - after 3 years of mismanagement, the NOK team took over the farming and began the enormous effort of rehabilitating this vineyard and the early results are nothing short of stunning!

  • Seacoast

    One acre of white wine grape vines closest to the seacoast! Seyval, Vignoles, Aromella, and a scant handful of Riesling make up the youngest planted plot we work with. From the earth to the air, this site expresses its proximity to the ocean, with salt kissed breezes sweeping through the vines.

Across the total of 9 acres we work with, we farm hybrids. Hybrid grapevines are the future of viticulture in the Northeast US because they are much better adapted to our humid summers and frigid winters than the more familiar European grapevines, such as Malbec or Chardonnay. Hybrid vines are crosses between European grapevines and grapevines native to North America, bred the old-fashioned way through hand-pollination (not made in a lab!) and have an increased resistance to the diseases which attack the vine, which allows us to grow them using ecologically friendly methods. 

Wine made from hybrids tend to have naturally higher acidity, which we celebrate as an element of our region and a reflection of the intense growing conditions in which our vines thrive. We love the complex and delightful flavors these grapes provide, and we find so much joy growing the vines, which definitively express their wild DNA in  endlessly curious growth, an exploration of their environment. We encourage our vines to express their resilience and intelligence, so that they can be fully sentient beings, aware and adapting to their location, which we believe creates a wine that truly expresses what it was like to be that vine in a given year.  We also believe in working with the other pomme fruit of which New England proudly has in abundance - namely apples and pears. Whether foraged or farmed - we work with fruit that has been grown and cared for sustainably, focusing on the many different crab and cider varieties that grow among us.