Episode Details

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This episode of Up+Adam lands in Hartford, Maine, at Bonaventura Vineyards, but the conversation quickly becomes about much more than wine. Adam sits down with Chad Casey and Jen Bonaventura to talk about the property they bought in 2015, the vines they planted themselves, the 1890s barn they cleaned out and later used for their own wedding, and the strange twist that came years later when they learned Hartford was still technically a dry town.

What followed was part farming story, part small-town civics lesson, part marriage-and-business adventure. Chad and Jen had to explain their vision to the community, put alcohol sales to a town vote, and ultimately earn overwhelming support to move forward. Along the way, the conversation gets into the realities of growing grapes in Maine, from humidity and mildew to robins with an eye on the Marquette, plus the challenge of making wine in a climate that does not always cooperate.

There is also a lot here about place. Bonaventura Vineyards sits above Little Bear Pond on a property that has become part vineyard, part gathering place, part event venue, and part home base for a dream that has taken years to build. Jen shares how the barn evolved almost organically into a wedding and event space, while Chad talks about learning his way through cold-climate grape growing and winemaking one season at a time.

And in a rare Up+Adam appearance, Lady-I-Fancy joins the conversation too, making this one feel less like a formal interview and more like being invited into somebody’s world for an afternoon.

• Bonaventura Vineyards: bonaventuravineyards.com

• Instagram: @bonaventuravineyards

• Facebook: Bonaventura Vineyards

• Visit: 355 Berry Road, Hartford, Maine 04220

• Phone: (207) 332-4140

• Email: bonaventuravineyards@gmail.com

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