By Richard L. Gaw

When I first met winemaker Kyle Jones in the late winter of 2022, he was a few weeks removed from his purchase of the former Kreutz Creek vineyards on South Guernsey Road in West Grove. It was a blustery February afternoon, and the tasting room was a clutter of blueprints, guidelines and vision for what Jones imagined would become the social equivalent of gathering a private home for great wine, live music and culture and the camaraderie of friends. 

Now, three years later, the Acadian Wine Company has become a destination -- a near-nightly happening of kinetic energy sweetened by the winery’s varietals, from its Vidal Blanc and Pinot Grigio and Gruner Veltliner to its family of reds that include its Redbone, Tidal and Crown. 

Accompanied by a dinner of sushi and a few glasses of Acadian’s Sauvignon Blanc, Jones and I recently spoke about what the last three years have meant to him, and the juggling act of balancing the art of making wine with playing host at what has become one of the coolest and most delicious places to visit in southern Chester County.

Take me back to the moment when you first drove down the driveway of the old Kreutz Creek vineyard. What clicked in your mind?  What potential did you see?

Standing among the fall foliage and rolling hills I saw a good jumping point. It wasn’t a perfect hand-off in terms of wine variety but there was a certain amount of infrastructure, a certain amount of local buy-in to the idea of growing and producing wine, great geological growing conditions to continue the tradition here, enough tanks to begin to get the winemaking off the ground, and a beautiful place to exhibit it all. I saw the potential of having the basis for communicating what would become Acadian’s stories and experiences.

How important was “place” in your decision to establish your winery in Chester County?

The state has its different wine regions and to a certain degree, there is some untapped potential in Chester County because there are not as many large-scale viticultural operations as there are in other regions of the state. Having the ideal conditions viticultural-wise, there are those things here. I saw this property as an opportunity to practice the art of winemaking on a small scale and able to be close enough to a population who may be sympathetic to local wines was very important.

We are located in a small part of what has become one continuous region within the worldscape of wine. Wines of quality are able to maintain individual character. There is a uniqueness to our terroir, as well as unique beauty among the landscape, and history of Chester County.

It tends to be a prerequisite for every visionary no matter his or her pursuit to write down a list of goals they wish to achieve with a project or initiative. In terms of the Acadian Wine Company, what was included on your list as you began to sketch out your plans? 

I wanted to create another experience for the Pennsylvania wine consumer, to offer high quality wines in the location where they are made, and to create a space where people can feel in community with the product. That extends not only to growing a vineyard in a sustainable way and crafting products that maintain that authenticity but also offering a space where people can enjoy that product and be included with the storytelling of that product, as well as making this a part of their own memories.

How did you set out to retrofit your vision within the existing infrastructure of the business that was here before you arrived in 2022?

It’s always a work in progress, a path of transformation. Chief among my first tasks was to assess the viticultural resource that was left behind, which required a lot of work. Property wise, there were some areas that needed brush chopping, and others that needed some tlc, the property has a lot of natural beauty so doing things to highlight that part of the experience was important. It also involved fixing tools and winemaking equipment. I have done most of the work myself but there have been some weekends when relatives show up to help, but I grew up doing manual labor, so I continue to clear out dead trunks, repair trellises and manicure the property and pruning all of the grape vines.

In the tasting room, I applied a fresh coat of paint to its walls, I re-finished the floor, built the bar and plugged in some new refrigerators. All of that physical work was happening at the same time as developing labels and figuring out the licensing and transitioning. 

Perhaps the biggest untruth about being a winemaker is that it’s 99 percent romance – hosting wine tastings and wine dinners -- and one percent labor, when in reality, it’s exactly the opposite, according to what other winemakers have told me. Would you agree?

I tend to think of it the opposite way. It’s 100 percent romance, because if you lose sight of that, it’s only work. That could be with anything really. At its core, there are the nuts and bolts of running a farm, manufacturing, and hospitality business -- all things that require intense effort on the capitalist side to keep things progressing. However, all these efforts become hollow without the thru line of a romantic idea and understanding that there is a soul in the process.

What first led you to the art of winemaking?

I came from varied work experiences that all required a generalist’s mindset. I found myself drawn early to the practice of working with a living thing. The entire process requires consistent effort that involves the human beings engaged with the process. Winemaking is a uniquely human endeavor that requires a mystical cooperation with the natural world. You get to create a brand and a story behind it, and after you figure out a way to get it to the customer, it does its own thing for a couple of decades. The resulting liquid is never without a say in the process.

Acadian Wine Company is not only known for its wines, but it has also become a home that celebrates the art of conversation and company. You’ve hosted weddings, wine dinners, benefit events, gallery shows and a weekly calendar of live music. How has the social component of running this winery complimented the physical act of growing, cultivating and making wine? You are an artist, a winemaker and a social coordinator.

The social component is inherent to the enjoyment of the product. Every bottle is a conversation, whether it is shared among people during any of the events you’ve mentioned, or at a quiet table accompanied by a snack and a good view.

One of the things that I enjoy about speaking with so many of your colleagues is hearing that each one speaks highly about the brotherhood and sisterhood of winemakers in this growing wine region. It’s as if you’re all pulling along with the same current, would you agree?

Most of the time, we will see each other only at awards banquets or at yearly conferences, or if there is a direct business relationship. In the few times we get to interact, we always share things. We share wines. We break bread together, trade knowledge and commiserate with one another. That’s what pulls us all together, because while these wine operations are each their own organisms, we communicate with each other and in a sense, we’re pulling with the same tide or current. That’s what has made the success of the wine industry in Chester County possible. 

Do me a huge favor. Kill off the very last sentiment that I’ve heard from non-winemakers who claim that you can’t grow grapes in Chester County. It’s too rocky and the soil isn’t conducive for growing.

The people who make those comments have very little evidence. Those with any rudimentary knowledge of old-world winemaking are aware of the rocky soils the grapes are grown in. It’s a complex of variables as to what contributes to a vineyard’s health. You have to have a long enough growing season, the right climactic conditions, temperature, moisture, air movement, good draining soil, proper exposure and strong stock selection, etc.

You have to stay in tune with your growing seasons, instead of just planting something and 

making sure that it doesn’t become diseased. We all pay the same attention to our product. We figured out how to grow grapes here and it’s a benefit to know that grapes are survivors.

The Acadian Wine Company is part of the conversation when it comes to the emerging wine culture in southeastern Pennsylvania. Where do you see this winery – and in a larger sense, the local industry -- heading in the near future?

I see Acadian Wine Company continuing to produce healthy and beautiful vineyards that produce varietals that make exceptional wines. It’s always my goal to continually invest in the spaces that visitors come to enjoy. Creating a place that fosters community around love of the product and place from where it came is always part of the future vision. 

Industry wise, we’re still in the transition period. There are wineries deciding whether they will become second generation. There are still new wineries popping up and there are wineries that are closing. At the same time, we are developing a critical mass of people wanting to be a part of the winemaking business. The wine consumer has their pick of the lot, and so we feel fortunate that people are coming out to visit us.

The Acadian Wine Company is located at 553 South Guernsey Road in West Grove. Tel.: (302) 256-9788. www.acadianwinecompany.com.