Richard Caplan Purchases New Jersey Winery with Plans to Expand the Enterprise
Natali Vineyards, LLC, a long-time staple of the southern New Jersey winery scene, is under new management.
In or about 2000, Alfred Natali, the founder of Natali Vineyards, acquired a 22-acre property on Route 47, 17 miles north of Cape May, and commenced to grow an expansive variety of European wine grapes. Within a few years, he was making and selling fine wines. Subsequently, his passion for “wine growing” and considerable technical expertise prompted him to spearhead the successful effort to have the “Cape May Peninsula” federally declared a unique American Viticultural Area. The winery has since grown to be a significant member of Cape May County’s burgeoning wine industry.
The new owner of Natali Vineyards, Richard L. Caplan, was the founder and majority shareholder of the acclaimed Twin Brook Winery, which flourished in Lancaster County, PA for nearly 25 years. Timothy Jobe, the CEO and winemaker at Twin Brook, will become the VP at Natali Vineyards, taking on the responsibility of grape and wine production. Mr. Jobe has won hundreds of medals for his winemaking, a significant number of which were awarded in national competitions.
Even though Caplan intends to make big changes to the 20-year-old winery, several of its current employees have chosen to join the new management team. Principal among them, David K. Urquhart, who has been with Natali for 8 years, and who will now serve as the VP of sales and administration. “The collective expertise and loyalty to the brand of these employees has contributed mightily to the past success of Natali Vineyards and will be instrumental in implementing the winery’s expansion,” Caplan said.
Caplan’s unequivocal commitment to a bright future for Natali Vineyards is best evidenced by his simultaneous purchase of a 37-acre farm in Pittsgrove, NJ. Caplan intends to plant at least 25 acres of vinifera grapes on this property, thereby providing the winery with up to a fourfold increase in “home grown” fruit for wine production.
Natali Vineyards will still feature a broad selection of its most popular current wines, while gradually introducing new products. The goal, Caplan said, is to “offer the wines people love the most, while developing new ones that can appeal to an even broader customer base and thereby encourage regional distribution and online traffic.”
Keep pace with Natali Vineyards’ exciting evolution by following its website: natalivineyards.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Located at 221 N.Delsea Drive (Route 47), Cape May Court House, NJ. Call 609-465-0075 for more information. Hours: Sunday-Thursday 10am – 6pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-7pm.