Tasting is set up a little differently than it is at many area wineries. “To make it our own wine, we do x,y, and z - aging, blending, maybe adding a touch of residual sugar, adjusting the acidity, blending with another wine,” Schoen said. They are currently serving six different wines, including a riesling from Seneca Lake, New York a pinot noir from Carneros, California and a syrah from Wahluke Slope in Washington. They plan to plant the white varietals sauvignon blanc and semillon next year.Īs they wait for their estate-grown fruit to mature, they are purchasing all of their fermented juice from other wineries, and then finishing the wines on site. But Schoen said they “feel confident we can do something a little different out there.” Pinot noir can be an especially difficult grape to grow and manage, and white grapes tend to be more commonly cultivated in Southeastern New England American Viticultural Area (AVA). It will take several years for them to bear fruit for winemaking. In April, they planted their first vines for pinot noir. Their long-term goal is to produce half of their wines from grapes grown on the property and the other half from those grown elsewhere, Schoen said. Winemaking at Shepherd’s Run is overseen by Michael Harney, formerly of Jonathan Edwards Winery in North Stonington. “And people can experience that winery through an event or an overnight stay.”

Schoen and Morgan plan to soon add additional hotel rooms, as well as a spa and restaurant. The Tower Hill Road property also serves as a ten-room hotel and an event space for weddings and other social gatherings, with food provided by partner Blackstone Caterers. Shepherd’s Run is open for wine tastings and pours by the glass. The married couple, who live in Stonington, wanted to create their own project close to home after spending years developing high-end hotels across the country for others through their company, Morgan Schoen Hospitality. Hospitality industry veterans Ryan Schoen and Ashley Morgan opened the business, named Shepherd’s Run, in late August. SOUTH KINGSTOWN - A historic South Kingstown estate that was first a summer home, then a convent, and later a boarding school for girls - but had been vacant for more than 8 years - has been resurrected as a winery and boutique hotel.

The Last Day Of Summer Sturges