Our Story
About the Vineyard & Winery
Located in Buckingham Townships Agricultural District, The Vineyard estate has been in the family since 1920 and consists of about 65 acres of fertile soils. Until about 1955 the land was farmed to support the family pork business where smoked ham, bacon and sausage were made daily and delivered to many country stores in Pennsylvania & New Jersey. Since about 1965, the land has been farmed almost exclusively for the production of sod. Over the last 40 years, the deep subsoil aeration practices of sod farming, which adds supplemental limestone to our acidic eastern soil, has resulted in a uniform soil structure quite unique for eastern vineyards.
In 1999, the first test planting of classic Vitas Vinifera vines were made to determine the rootstock most suitable for our soils. After subsequent plantings, we now have about 10 acres of classic Vinefera and French Hybrid varietals in various stages of maturity. Another way of looking at it is, that if the vine rows were laid end to end, it would be a six-mile walk to inspect all the vines.
Our hope is to modestly expand the vineyard acreage without sacrificing the personal touch that a family vineyard offers.
History of the Land & Family
Our great (great-great) grandparents purchased Keystone Farm April 10, 1920, after selling their homestead, Elford Farm in Newtown, PA. Keystone Farm was founded as a pork farm, and expanded into Lambertville, NJ in 1938. The Farm operated until the 1950s, serving the Trenton and Philadelphia area markets.
Over the last fifty years, the farmland was leased to local farmers, with some acres sold to friends and family. In 2000, the remaining 61 acres was placed into preservation and the family decided to plant a vineyard on 9 acres which has become the winery we operate today.
Life on the farm during The Great Depression wasn’t easy but our family was resourceful and survived. Being creative with what we have available is our birthright.
Currently, three generations from three out of the five Elliot children remain firmly planted on the orginal footprint of the farm, with plentiful cousins nearby. We share an important common bond of having come from a hard working farm family whose values we carry with us to this day.
