New Owners at Lincoln Peak Vineyard in New Haven

Lincoln Peak Vineyard, a long-standing winery in New Haven, has new owners. Kevin Bednar and Nichole Bambacigno will retain the business' name, bring production back to the winery and revive several of its popular wines, including the Ragtime line — all with a "fresh, younger energy," Bednar said.

Chris Granstrom founded Lincoln Peak as a vine nursery specializing in hybrid grapes in 2001, and its first wines hit the market in 2007. The vineyard has been owned and operated by Shelburne Vineyard since 2021.

Bednar and Bambacigno, both 32, met at E. & J. Gallo Winery in Bambacigno's hometown of Modesto, Calif. Bambacigno said they left that business — one of the largest wineries in the world — to "get our hands dirty" and "harvest hop" in New Zealand, Australia and Austria before taking jobs as head winemakers at competing wineries in New Jersey.

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