OUR STORY
Aaronap Cellars is a micro-winery located in Westford, MA. We focus on producing small volume, innovative, artisanal wines from the best vineyards and orchards in New England and beyond. Today’s wine is a result of centuries of trial and experimentation in the vineyards and wineries around the world. Where else is that history of wine experimentation best continued but Massachusetts, with its own history of innovation since the first days at Plymouth Rock?
Winemaker Noel Powell seeks to combine his passions for art and history, a scientific background, and his knowledge of traditional winemaking methods to produce unique wines not found elsewhere in Massachusetts. Noel grew up on a corn and soybean farm in southern Iowa but educational pursuits led him to pursue organic chemistry and pharmaceutical drug design & discovery. After an introduction to wine while living in Southern California, Noel first honed his winemaking talents during years of award-winning home winemaking, followed by professional enology studies at the University of California-Davis. In 2011, Noel established Aaronap Cellars in order to share his unique wines with a larger audience.
OUR VINEYARDS
Estate Chace Hill Vineyard
In 2017, winemaker Noel returned to his farmer roots and assumed oversight of the Chace Hill Vineyard in Lancaster, MA. Located a stone throw from Wachusett Reservoir, this 3 acre vineyard was planted in 2013 with Marquette and Arandell, followed by Chambourcin grapes in 2015, by Frank Zoll of Zoll Cellars. These northern varietals thrive in the warm central MA sunshine and laugh at the cold winter winds.
The Marquette grape is a cold hardy, red wine grape variety developed by the University of Minnesota in 2006. Think hearty “Pinot Noir” as this grape is loaded with cherry, blackberry, black pepper, and spice aromas with a full bodied finish.
The Arandell grape is a very recent varietal release from the University of Cornell in 2013. Developed as an extremely disease resistant grape, Arandell offers dark rich wines with intense berry aromas. We believe that we are the only vineyard in MA growing the Arandell grape.
Estate Coastal Vineyards, South Dartmouth, MA
Coastal Vineyards is nestled in the southeastern Massachusetts town of South Dartmouth near the seashore. Owner and grower Dave Nielsen purchased the land in 2004 and planting the first grapes in 2005 and 2006 on eight acres. Further plantings in 2014 expanded the vineyard to 10 acres. The prevailing sea breezes allow for grapes to thrive in this unique maritime environment, and Coastal Vineyards has become known as the premier vineyard in Massachusetts. In 2017, we began to source grapes from Coastal Vineyards to expand our line of MA-grown wines with exciting new coastal terroir flavors. In 2024, we took over management of Coastal Vineyards and incorporated this special place into a our estate vineyard portfolio.
Dufresne Sugar House, Williamsburg, MA
Our famous Forest Gold Maple Wine is crafted from maple syrup harvested from the maple covered slopes around Williamsburg, MA in the Berkshire Mountains. Dufresne Sugar House is renowned for producing some of the highest quality maple syrup in the country.
Lanza-Musto Vineyard, Suisun Valley, CA
For varietals that simply will not grow well in our New England climate, we turn to our partner Lanza-Musto Vineyard in California’s Suisun Valley. Located just to the southeast of the esteemed Napa Valley, this vineyard offers a perfect location for growing Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec grapes under the warm Californian sun. After being hand-picked, the grapes are chilled and quickly shipped to Westford, where winemaker Noel crushes the grapes and turns them into your favorite delicious red wines!
