Zoll Vineyards of Gloucester prides itself on its award-winning wines and the farm-to-table deli menu it has available on a regular basis, but those items are only the start of what the winery offers.

It is also an up-and-coming event venue that has an intimate tasting room, an outdoor patio, and a 4,000-square-foot Great Room for large gatherings and special occasions such as weddings, receptions, engagements, anniversaries and other celebratory moments.

Owner Frank Zoll said he’s hosted such occasions as realtor receptions, craft fairs, and murder mysteries, and among the programs he has coming up are an animal adoption event, a Great Gatsby Dinner, a Bluegrass event, and a comedy show with local comedian Tom Holaday.

The tasting room is almost always open to the public whenever the vineyard is open, said Zoll, but the Great Room can be reserved for special occasions, with prices ranging from $750 for a four-hour reception during the week to $2,000 for an eight-hour reception on a Saturday. Zoll provides tables, chairs, linens, fruit water and tea.

The renter may have an event catered from off-site, or Zoll’s chef and staff will provide a range of foods for various prices, from Italian paninis such as garlic roast beef, truffle ham, and cream cheese with hot pepper jelly at $9 per person to spreads and dips such as smoked salmon with capers, Old Bay crab, lobster white truffle, and tuna wasabi at $35 a pound.

Whether the celebration calls for an Italian charcuterie, a bread and cheese board, or peel-and-eat shrimp seasoned with Old Bay, Wasabi Bloody Mary, or Sriracha Brine, Zoll said he offers the freshest food available, sourced locally whenever possible. For dessert, he can provide a buffet with a selection of cream pies, white and dark chocolate truffles, chocolate strawberries, Tiramisu, cheesecake, and mousse parfaits at $6 per person or provide any of those items alone at various prices.

Sometimes a customer might want something a little heavier, such as steak or barbecue, said Zoll, and he can accommodate those requests, as well.

“But our kitchen is great at what we do—deli food,” said Zoll. “And that makes me happy.”

For beverages, Zoll serves a variety of wines, ciders, meads, and sangria, as well as soft drinks and water. “We try to provide products for everybody,” he said.

Zoll said he’s become a member of the national RV association Harvest Hosts, which offers free overnight RV parking at over 4,000 farms, wineries, breweries and other attractions nationwide as long as the RVer supports the business. Zoll Vineyards is not a campground, and Zoll doesn’t provide hook-ups, he said, but members can visit his winery, enjoy a meal, and then park overnight free of charge. He said he had a group of RVers drive down from Washington, D.C., recently just to do a cooking demonstration on-site.

“That was a nice little weekend,” said Zoll. “It’s nice we can offer that—an indoor upscale experience followed by ‘glamping’ out back.”

Zoll said his Great Room is one of the largest such spaces in the area, and it offers more amenities than some other rental spaces. Since he purchased the property in 2018, he has worked hard, along with his father Frank Sr., his brother David, and his aunt Regina Schwartz, to turn what was once a children’s home, long neglected, into a top-notch destination venue.

“We saw the vision of the property and the opportunities we have,” said Zoll.

Over time, he said, he wants to tap into the full potential of the acreage he has, creating a more agricultural atmosphere in the area where he grows his Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Marquette and other vines and the cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, kale, beans and arugula he uses in his deli foods, and just generally planting more plants to “get the place blooming.”

“We want to grow what belongs here,” he said. “We want to use the property right.”

He also plans to develop walking trails through the wooded area on the back half of the property, where guests might catch a glimpse of deer, wild turkeys, tree frogs or the occasional bear.

Zoll said he’s learning what people like in the area, and he wants to develop activities for children, as well. He plans on installing a couple of disc golf targets in the near future, and he’s considered the possibility of a zipline.

“Not everyone is a wine connoisseur, but people can come for the food, the atmosphere,” he said. “If that’s not enough for them, you give them a show. We’re trying to address the needs of the community.”

But all plans for the future aside, Zoll said that what makes his venue unique is the service. He said his 76-year-old aunt takes the food orders and chats up the customers, while his bartenders bring customers their drinks and his chefs deliver the food themselves.

“It’s really what hospitality is,” he said. “You engage people who come out and share with you. People are spending their magic moments here, and it’s nice we can accommodate the experience.”

Zoll said he has 30 years of experience as a pastry chef and has been in the wine industry for 12 years, so he knows what it’s like to help people celebrate their special occasions.

“Whatever milestone you celebrate, we’re going to make sure it’s a really good time,” he said.

He said he goes over everything with those who rent his facility to make sure they’ve thought about it all—“even the little things that become important on your special day.” He said he encourages anyone planning a large gathering to get help, and he emphasizes that “scene work makes a dream work.”

“This is a cool property,” he said. “When I saw it, it was shocking to me that such a large building existed off a state highway and no one was willing to put the sweat into it. It was always supposed to be something good. For the past five years, I’ve been busting my butt trying to make it shine.”

To find out more, email Zoll at frank@zollvineyards.com.

SHERRY HAMILTON / GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Zoll Vineyard’s tasting room accommodates up to 40 guests at tables and booths, left, and at wooden bars, right, that were custom-made by owner Frank Zoll’s father, Frank Sr.