Employers traditionally frown on drinking on the job. But here at Newport Vineyards wine flows freely – for the customers anyway.
Owners and brothers John and Paul Nunes are typically too busy tending to the hundreds of vines neatly aligned over 60 acres to pause for a glass of wine. The brothers say each year they must contend with a new crop, a new challenge delivered by Mother Nature and a new twist in the taste buds of wine connoisseurs. But they would never dream of doing anything else.
“It’s fun,” Paul, 40, said matter-of-factly while standing amid grapevines under the July sun.
Paul typically spends his days overseeing the vineyard, playing an endless game of war against the latest invasive insect and maintaining the vineyard equipment that keeps the vines in perfect form. Meanwhile John, 43, studies customer trends and attempts to predict how much wine the current year’s crop will produce.
“People think it’s a hobby,” John said. “But at the end of the day we’ve got to be focused on great work, delivering a great customer experience and projecting ahead.”
Incidentally, Newport Vineyards received its start essentially as a hobby. In the 1970s, the Nunes brothers’ father leased some land to a retired military officer. Capt. Richard Alexander planted the first vines in 1977 on 10 acres and opened a winery in 1988. By 1995 Alexander was ready to retire and the Nunes brothers spotted a chance to build a business.
“It was just kind of an opportunity that fell upon us,” said John, a former business reporter.
John brought on board his younger brother, then a landscaper considering law school, and the two purchased the winery known as Vinland Wine Cellars and rechristened it Newport Vineyards – a slight misnomer because the winery actually sits in Middletown.
In short order, the brothers turned this sleepy winery unknown to many locals into a powerhouse. In 1998, they purchased more than 22 acres of land behind the winery slated for 80 houses. Then in 2002, they bought 40 acres of adjacent land from their cousins to almost double the size of the vineyard to 60 acres. Newport Vineyards is now one of the largest grape growers in New England. This year they expect to grow about 250 tons of grapes – or enough to produce more than 156,000 bottles of wine.
The brothers say the secret ingredient to their success is smart marketing, careful analysis of customer trends and attention to detail. They established a program to reward customers that purchase cases of wine and keep them returning year after year for special “case club” parties.
They laid out their newest vineyard using a laser system to ensure vines were planted in rows nine feet apart and the space between the vines measured exactly 5 feet. The pattern ensures equipment can move up and down the rows with ease.
And Paul lives on the vineyard. From his bedroom he overlooks the grapes critical to the business and – by extension – his livelihood.
And in the winery’s office across the way, John studies Excel spreadsheets calculating just how many bottles of wine the grapes outside will produce.
And sometimes the brothers find themselves digging deep into their ancestry.
“The Irish and Portuguese are a good balance. The Irish can drink and the Portuguese can farm,” Paul said with a laugh.
And while the two brothers say they would never enjoy their product while on the clock, they are happy to see tourists take a sip or two. This year they partnered with a few local businesses to sponsor a shuttle between downtown Newport and the vineyard in an effort to draw even more tourists to the tasting bars.
They were disappointed when Newport learned in July it lost its bid to host the America’s Cup sailing race because it could have delivered thousands of visitors thirsty for wine.
But in a bright spot, the Newport Naval Station down the road is growing with the addition of new commands that the brothers suspect will bring more thirsty sailors, their spouses and the thousands of civilians that support them.
“You put all that together and we’re able to keep this going,” John said. •
COMPANY PROFILE
Newport Vineyards
OWNERS: John and Paul Nunes
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Winery
LOCATION: 909 East Main Road,
Middletown
EMPLOYEES: 25
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1988
(as Vinland Wine Cellars)
ANNUAL SALES: WND
Rhode Island's Market Has Changed. Developers, Builders, Investors and Sellers Must Change With It.
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