Community Values at the Jonathan Edwards Winery

A red-tailed hawk drifts overhead riding on a gentle sea breeze that blows off of the ocean nine miles away. The hawk drifts up the hillside, first overlooking a series of dairy farms with plush green fields with black and white Holstein cows. Then he cruises in a circle above the tidy rows of grapevines of the Jonathan Edwards Winery, in North Stonington, Connecticut.

A group of workers prune the stark and delicate vines of Chardonnay and
Cabernet Franc, part of the 22 acres of Connecticut vines. Inside the main building, a group of visitors for the day, are in the wood-hewn tasting room, chattering brightly, clinking glasses and having fun. Meanwhile, Jonathan Edwards, his family and team of 13 employees work behind the scenes to make the winery come to life, not just literally on the vine. It is one day in the cycle of the year at a unique bi-coastal agricultural business.

Jonathan Edwards's wine growing takes advantage of two climates: one, the cool growing climate of Connecticut which provides crisp white Estate wines and two, the warm earthly Napa valley where Jonathan Edwards Winery leases 40 acres and where most of its red wine grapes are grown.

Jonathan Edwards is the name of the vineyard but it is also the name of the head winemaker. When asked why the vineyard, was given his name solely, Jon, as he prefers to be called, explains that he travels back and forth between East and West coast vineyards overseeing growth and harvesting of the grapes. Although, his father, Robert Edwards holds the chemical engineering degree, Jon has learned the trade, science and art of wine through studying, and apprenticeships at two wineries, building his knowledge and skills. However, as he puts it, "Naming a winery is not easy as you might imagine. Since we are a blended Napa Valley and Connecticut winery we thought a local name like North Stonington Vineyards would not be accurate or tell the whole story. We wanted others to learn that wherever the wine came from, if we produced it, they could count on quality. We as a family decided that since I make the wine both east and west coast we would go with the name of the winemaker."