Alliance Historic Model Vineyard

Following the success of our Alliance Historic Model Farm, we are expanding our project to grow a kosher organic Model Vineyard on the Levin family's historic farmland in Pittsgrove Township, Salem County, New Jersey, the site of the first Jewish farm community in America. We have partnered with vintner Eli Silins to steward the land for his own kosher winery, Camuna Cellars in nearby Philadelphia.

Together we will produce “vine to bottle” kosher wine from the oldest family-owned Jewish farm in America.

ACRe is hosting educational community events about our local history and agriculture, and all things related to kosher wine. We will continue to host Jewish holiday celebrations, especially those in which wine and fruit play a special role, including Purim, TuB'Shvat and Passover.

Our farmland property is located in Alliance, part of the greater area of Vineland, New Jersey, so called for its grapevines.

Thomas Welch of Welch’s Grape Juice got his start in Vineland, NJ in 1869.

The Levins’ farmland has been in the family for five generations and is part of the Alliance Colony, the first successful Jewish farm community in America, established by Russian Jewish immigrants in 1882.

ACRe co-founder William Levin’s great great grandfather Moses Bayuk grew grapes on their family farmland in the early 1900s and sold kosher wine in Philadelphia.

A handful of vineyards operate just a few miles from our own property, where the newly dubbed “Outer Coastal Plain” of New Jersey is gaining a reputation for grape growing.

There are very few organic—and no kosher organic—vineyards on the East Coast.

ACRe have partnered with co-founders William and Malya Levin to grow Alliance Historic Model Vineyard on their historic family farmland. Eli Silins of Camuna Cellars is overseeing the creation, stewardship and maintenance, experimenting with biodynamic and permaculture methods. Together they are working with local vineyard management company Vinetech to install and maintain.

ACRe has already begun hosting seasonal holiday events with Eli Silins, introducing their model vineyard to the public with educational tours and wine tasting. ACRe will also publicly share social media and data collected during their organic trials.

Starting with a half acre of 4 choice hybrid varietals—Itasca, Regent, Marquette and NY81.0315.17—we plan to use as few chemical treatments as possible if 100% organic proves impossible. We installed our first 11 rows of grapevines the week of April 10, 2023 and hosted a wine tasting gathering.

After about 3 years, Eli will harvest and use the grapes for production of his kosher wine at Camuna Cellars.

• Grow orchard fruits and berries for other fermented beverages.

• Expand onto adjacent acreage of historic family farmland.

• Restore the Victorian era Moses Bayuk House to function as a winery and tasting room.

• Spin off a commercial vineyard or winery.