Ryan Williams, fruit farmer and winemaker at NOK Vino, displays an example of the terroir found at Poocham Hill Vineyard in Westmoreland. Photos courtesy of NOK Vino.
WHEN THINKING OF ESTABLISHED WINE REGIONS, France, Italy, California, and New Zealand come to mind. The French term terroir refers to the complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including soil, topography, climate, and winery microbiome. In this way, terroir connects a wine to its regional identity, as certain flavors can only be cultivated in distinct locations.
Ancient wine-producing regions like Tuscany or Bordeaux are deeply embedded in the minds of sommeliers and wine lovers alike. Some enthusiasts pore over the nuances of grape varietals grown in subregions of a single country, while others simply know they enjoy a crisp French white. Would those same people be open to a new wine region: New England? NOK Vino founder Nicholas Kimberly, along with many other winemakers in the Northeast, says “Absolutely.”
With New England’s focus on seasonal living, ethical farming, and local produce, regional wine has a strong foundation on which to thrive. Of course, New England wine isn’t an entirely new concept—after all, it takes decades to become an overnight success—but the region’s growing momentum for mindful consumption makes space for this emerging wine revolution.
Nicholas’s path to winemaking at NOK Vino wasn’t linear, but his passion for artisanal food ultimately led him there. After leaving the healthcare industry, he apprenticed as a cheesemaker at Cricket Creek Farm. Legal restrictions around raw milk cheeses left him searching for a craft with fewer limitations. While apprenticing with cheesemaking, he used to host wine and cheese demonstrations at a wine shop. One of the owners gifted him a bottle of Vermont-made wine, and he instantly fell in love with the flavors.
“I had an out-of-body experience trying this wine,” Nicholas recalls. “It was a profound moment. I emailed the winemaker and asked for a job, which led to a new apprenticeship in Vermont, making natural wine.”
That apprenticeship deepened his understanding of the craft and how significantly it impacts the flavor when you grow your own grapes, harvest, and ferment them. In 2022, Nicholas moved to New Hampshire and launched NOK Vino. Rather than importing grapes from more traditional wine regions and producing the wine locally—a fairly common and easier alternative—Nicholas chose to emphasize New Hampshire’s terroir by only using New England–grown grapes, most of which are cultivated at one of six vineyards around the state, including the oldest vines in New England, planted in 1969.
“NOK Vino follows the best flavors out there and expresses the landscapes of New Hampshire in an unfettered way.”
“NOK Vino follows the best flavors out there and expresses the landscapes of New Hampshire in an unfettered way,” Nicholas says. “Our culture has drifted away from real flavors. Our goal is to bring those back.”
Each year, NOK Vino produces between 15 and 20 distinct wines, re-creating fan favorites while also making space for small-batch experiments. Nicholas says, “When talking about the development of a new wine region, that also includes new styles of wine. Apple-grape wine is one of those styles.”
Due to the shorter, colder growing season, New England winemakers began fermenting apples and grapes together, initially out of necessity. The result? A unique, regional wine style that’s distinctly Northeast.
In addition to apple-grape blends, NOK Vino also produces 100% grape wines. Nicholas encourages tasters to approach them with an open mind. Grapes grown in colder climates yield tarter, more acidic wines, whereas our palates have been attuned to the sweeter wines of warmer regions.
“When you try our wine out of context, it might seem unfamiliar,” says Nicholas. “But pairing it with food really lets the flavors shine.” Not surprisingly, locally grown food makes the perfect companion. At home, those who’d like to experiment with NOK Vino can pair their fruity medium reds with pizza and pasta, or try their crystalline whites with oysters and other coastal seafood.
“It’s fun to make your own pairings,” says Nicholas. “The Northeast is a new wine region, so the future is wide open. People get to decide what they like, rather than being told what they should like.”
In the spring, NOK Vino opened a tasting room in Hooksett, New Hampshire. The adventurous can stop by to sample their lineup and take home a bottle (or a few). The tasting room offers an excellent space and opportunity to experiment with flavors and pairings and familiarize oneself with New Hampshire’s unique terroir. Nicholas’s work, the time the farmers spend in the field, the harsh seasons, the early frosts, the hardy grapes, are all part of the story told in the glass of wine in hand.
“A good wine should align with your taste and your values,” says Nicholas. “It’s important to me to know we’re caring for the earth and paying our employees a living wage. Wine has always been a community endeavor, and it takes a community to make a bottle.”
