Our People
Hilary Hopkins Criollo
“Come for our views, our wines and most of all – our hospitality. We have visitors from all over the world who have heard about us through guidebooks, so chances are you’ll find someone interesting here. Our barrel tasting events have become a big local tradition – great food, great music, great wines – and great people. We have a wonderful, friendly staff. We’ve discovered over time – if we’re not having fun, then our guests might not be having fun. So, we all just have fun.”
JORGE “GEORGE” Criollo
My favorite time of year is fall when we get to harvest our grapes. After pruning our 30 acres of grape vines all winter, and nurturing them throughout spring and summer, we anxiously wait for the perfect time to pick and begin making a new vintage of wine.
Our farmland has been in the Hopkins family for more than 230 years. I take great pride in knowing that I am helping to preserve the land for the next generation.
My other pleasure is making the grounds here more beautiful. I am also a stone mason and contractor, who is fortunate to have created custom-built stone works of art in New England for the past 30 years. Please visit my website at www.stonewallsbygeorge.com
BILL HOPKINS
“If you’re going to sell wine, you really have to grow your own fruit. You build on your vines from year to year. If you don’t grow your own grapes, you can’t really be sure about what you’re getting. It can vary so much. We know our soils and our climate and we know our varieties. It makes for a better wine.”
JUDITH HOPKINS
“People thought we were a little crazy when we transformed our dairy farm into a vineyard almost 35 years ago. But we wanted to stay together as a family, work together as a family, and we wanted to keep the family farm going for future generations. We thought this was the way to do it. And, we’ve achieved what we set out to do. The family is together, the farm is still here, and we’ve created a wonderful legacy business that turned out to be very fulfilling.”
JIM BAKER
“I’m proud of the work we do in the vineyard. I’m proud that other winemakers come here and are impressed with how well our fruit looks, and want to buy our grapes. I’m proud when people come here and enjoy the wine. I like to see people smile. I enjoy producing a product that people enjoy.”
