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A feature from the 2024 Farm Prodcuts Guide.
The Acadian Wine Company's Peony Festival, Saturday, May 18th
In addition to the weekly events held at the winery, Jones has begun to host an annual horticultural festival. Come celebrate spring on the farm with a day of wine, flowers, food, live music, and local vendors. The Acadian Wine Company and Styer's Peonies of Chadds Ford have partnered to offer an immersive experience on over three acres of Coral Charm peonies planted adjacent to the vineyard offering plenty of floral photo opportunities. Thousands of flowers from plants as old as the vineyard erupt on one hillside for one weekend as a beautifully unique Brandywine backdrop.
For event tickets and winery information, go to https://acadianwinecompany.com/
"Wine is as complicated as you want to make it," says Kyle Jones, owner and winemaker of The Acadian Wine Company in West Grove, Pa. "Wine is the pure expression of where it is grown and the time in which it was made. It's a product of the rocks and soil, the position of the vines facing the sun, the slope of the land, and the effect of the wind on the vineyard. But it can also just be about making memories with friends and family while sharing a bottle of something good on the porch."
The eight-acre vineyard and winery, originally known as Kreutz Creek Winery, was founded in 1997 by the Kirkpatrick family who went on to run it for 25 years. Jones met the family while consulting as a winemaker for nearby Paradocx Winery. On a visit to the property to look at some machinery for sale, he fell in love with its gentle rolling hills and onsite winemaking facility.
After purchasing Kreutz Creek from the Kirkpatricks when they retired in February of 2022, he chose to rename it The Acadian Wine Company in honor of his Acadian and French heritage. "It's a subtle way to share my connection with the wine and my place in the larger winemaking tradition."
Jones and his hard-working team of family and friends have since planted over a thousand new grape vines to replace older damaged stock and reinvigorate the remaining three acres vineyard. They've also made big changes to the overall ambiance and guest experience. The Kirkpatrick's former home, originally constructed to operate as a bed and breakfast, has been transformed into a lively tasting room, local art gallery, and event space able to seat up to 60 people.
The winery is part of Brandywine Wine Trail, a regional association of wine and cider producers dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Brandywine Valley as a unique and outstanding wine-producing region. Accordingly, hospitality and gentle wine education are key components of Jones' business plan.
"I like to create context for the wine," says Jones. "Live music, tastings, painting classes, craft fairs, and yoga have all been great ways to introduce people to the winery. Guests aren't here for a lecture, they're here for an experience."
A musician and natural people-person, Jones himself is often part of that experience. He can be found welcoming guests, pouring wine and talking about how it's made, and even getting behind the microphone during the winery's live music events.
"If you are standing at the front door too long, I'm not doing my job," he says.
Looking to the future, Jones is passionate about introducing more wine drinkers to the robust and varied flavors of Pennsylvania made wine. He sees potential in the recent population groundswell in the southern portion of Chester County down into Maryland.
"We are spoiled down here with all of this community support and that so many people are excited to come out for good wine," says Jones. "Pennsylvania wine has a lot to offer, and I'm delighted for more people to discover what we winemakers are creating here."
The Acadian Wine Company | 553 South Guernsey Road, West Grove, PA 19390 | 302-256-9788 | https://acadianwinecompany.com/