Jones Winery cemented its status as Connecticut”™s “best” vineyard, taking top honors among readers of Connecticut Magazine a second straight year.
In all, more than 50 Fairfield County organizations were picked tops in varying categories, the vast majority centered on foods and restaurants but also some service companies working their way into the mix.
Westport remains the runaway leader for establishments on the list, with 17 in all, ranging from Tengda for sushi to Trader Joe”™s for “the munchies.” In all, more than 240 establishments statewide received mention in the September issue of Connecticut Magazine, whose main offices are in Trumbull (home of Poricelli”™s Market, voted best store-bought sushi in Connecticut).
For its part, Jones Winery plans to host a gathering for five winners next door in Shelton, which include most of the necessary elements for a repast, if including double dessert: Liquid Lunch for soup, Pasta Fina for fresh pasta and sauce, Oronoque Farms for apple pie and Stockbridge”™s Gourmet Cheesecakes.
That was not the only confab scheduled at Jones Family Farms for this month ”“ on Sept. 11 the operation hosted a “celebration of Connecticut farms” event, a benefit for the Connecticut Farmland Trust.
The Shelton winners have a familiarity with each other, each with a presence along Rt. 110 that runs north from Liquid Lunch”™s downtown Shelton shop, then east through the White Hills to Jones Family Farms and its affiliated winery. They know each other in other ways as well ”“ for instance, Liquid Lunch served up soup at Friday farmer”™s market held this summer at Jones Family Farms (the Aug. 26 date featured “hurricane special” grapes plucked on the eve of Tropical Storm Irene).
Most companies on the Connecticut Magazine list were scrambling in the wake of Irene to get back up and running amid prolonged power outages. At Jones Family Farms, a tree toppled onto two of the nine grape trellises the winery uses, according to Christiana Jones, whose spouse Jamie Jones started the wine operation after graduating from Cornell University.
Aside from that, however, the farm”™s cornucopia of harvest offerings survived the storm intact, she added, with pumpkins ripening on the vine (including “Jamie”™s giants”) followed by the holiday seasons for Connecticut”™s largest grower of Christmas trees.
Jones Family Farms has added to its menu in other ways in recent years ”“ in 2007, Jean Crum Jones launched the Harvest Kitchen cooking studio, offering classes to experienced cooks and amateurs alike, including for children on Mondays.
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