The
grand opening celebration for the new 3500 square foot winery production barn
at Terhune Orchards Vineyard and Winery was held on Saturday,
December 10.
Terhune Orchards is owned and
operated by Pam and Gary Mount and daughters Tannwen Mount and Reuwai
Hanewald. Pam and Gary Mount started Terhune Orchards in 1975 after
buying the home farm of 55 acres in 1975 on Cold Soil Road.
“We
are looking forward to opening our new wine barn and celebrating a decade of
hard work,” said Gary Mount. “It is wonderful to finally have our wine making
operation all under one roof. It makes production more efficient. As our
vineyard continues to grow, we will be able to produce even more wine. We love
to share with our customers the excitement we have about making wine in New
Jersey.”
In 2003, Terhune Orchards
expanded with the purchase of the 67 acre permanently preserved “Johnson Farm”
on Van Kirk Road. These open fields, once cleaned up and
rejuvenated, presented lots of possibilities for new directions for Terhune
Orchards. Daughter Tannwen returned to the family farm full time after 6 years
in San Francisco, enthusiastic about the idea of a vineyard and winery.
In 2006, Gary and Tannwen
planted three acres of grapes. They planted 12 varieties to see what would
grow well in our climate, with the largest amounts in Chamborcin, Vidal Blanc,
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Traminette. After four years of
loving care, the first crop of grapes was harvested in 2009. By September of
2010, the wine was in the bottle with seven varieties and the Terhune Orchards
tasting room was open at the farm’s historic barn. Son-in-law Mike Hanewald and
Gary had spent several years perfecting Apple Wine made from Terhune Orchards
own apple cider, so that was added to the list of offerings.
The vineyards have been expanded
to 9 acres of grapes and 12 varieties of wine, including three fruit wines made
from Terhune Orchards’ own apple cider.
In
late 2015, several small buildings on the farm were removed to make room for a
new 3,500 square foot red barn that will house the wine production
operation for the estate grown wines produced by Terhune Orchards Winery. In
April visitors at Terhune Orchards came out for a barn raising party.
Throughout the year people have been able to watch the steady progress of the
facility over the course of the year.
Built
in the traditional post and beam, the new barn will look similar to the almost
200 -year old barn that currently houses the winery tasting room. Sustainable
farming and building practices are a priority at Terhune Orchards. The new
building utilizes solar panels and other ways to maximize efficiency in
energy and water usage. With heat and air conditioning, the facility
offers year-round climate controlled environment for wine production and the
opportunity to hold events. Large windows into the barn will allow guests to
see into the production area with the stainless steel wine tanks and the
bottling line. The front porch will allow for plenty of seating for
guests to linger and sip a glass of wine and enjoy the view of the farm.
The winery tasting room is open Fridays – Sundays from
12-5 p.m. Wine is available for tastings or by the glass. Bottles are
sold daily in the farm store. The farm store is open daily 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Terhune Orchards is located at 330 Cold
Soil Rd. Due to bridge
construction, Carter Road is closed. Use Cold Soil Road to visit the farm.
Find Terhune online at terhuneorchards.com, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
