Sanders Ridge has been in the Shore family for over 163 years. Neil Shore, the great great grandson of John Benjamin Shore who settled the original 800 acres in 1847, is the fifth generation of Shore farmers to work the land on Sanders Ridge.

Neil and Mom Kate in
the vineyard - 2004

In the late 90's, after 40 straight tobacco crops along with corn, soybeans, cattle, and timber, Neil conceded that the conventional farming of his day would not offer his children and their families the livelihood that it had once afforded him.  He researched alternative cash crops (grapes and organic vegetables) in hopes of preserving the land and all of the natural resources it supports (including his children and grand children!) for years to come...

Between 1999 and 2001, he laid the groundwork and established the vineyard for the Sanders Ridge Vineyard and Winery. (View photo diary). In December 2005, he began producing USDA certified organic vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers at the Farm at Sanders Ridge and in June of 2009 he opened the Winery &  Restaurant - in a rustic and towering post and beam structure built from lumber and stone he harvested right off the farm. 

Neil's goal has always been to make Sanders Ridge a place where folks can laugh, relax, and experience the farm and the special places within it. He and his family invite you to visit the Winery and Restaurant for a taste of a simpler time and place.  (and if you are so inclined, to wander... )

Nose rubbing definitely permitted
(and greatly appreciated!)