Press & News

Climbing Up on Acorn Hill

Daily Progress, Inc., Charlottesville VA.

They were supposed to just plant some grapes.

After all, the Sweelys were retired. They had sold the Medicaid service provider company they'd built, and enjoying the fruits of their labor in fruit form sounded like a lovely, relaxing activity. But Sharon Sweely should have known that letting someone else do the heavy lifting and merely enjoying a glass of wine now and then wasn't her husband's style.

"He never does anything in a small way," Sweely said of her husband, Jess Sweely.

And now here they are in Madison with 300 acres, 40 acres of vines and a plan to produce 25,000 cases of wine a year in the next several years at Acorn Hill Winery

by L.E. Andres / Sept, 26, 2007 / Full Article and Slideshow

From the Grape to the Glass

Star Exponent, Culpeper VA

MADISON — For Jess Sweely, it was a retirement adventure that blossomed from a love of wine and a dream to grow vines. Starting a vineyard and opening a new winery, however, requires money, hard work and a desire to produce quality — but top-of-the-line equipment doesn’t hurt either.

When the Sweelys approached Gabriele Rausse about starting a new winery, he had one question for them: Quality or quantity? Rausse, one of the founders of the modern Virginia grape industry, served as a consultant to Jess and Sharon Sweely who are opening Acorn Hill Winery in Madison County next summer.

“I said quality,” Jess Sweely said, “and he said, ‘Then, I’ll help you.’”

by Liz Mitchell / September 20, 2007 / Full Story

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