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September 1, 2020

New winery prepares for fall debut 

PHOTOS | CONTRIBUTED Aquila's Nest Vineyards.
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

Whenever Albanian couple Neviana Zhgaba and Ardian Llomi visited a vineyard, they dreamed of one day owning their own.

After years of planning and hard work, that dream is coming to fruition. They bought 41 acres of vacant land at 56 Pole Bridge Rd. in Newtown in 2016. Since then, they have built a winery, planted and harvested grapes, and bottled wine.

Now, Aquila’s Nest Vineyards will be opening for guests in October, with a specific date to be announced.

“We are very excited to open,” Zhgaba said. “We found this beautiful land, and we fell in love with the property.”

They started planting grapes on just one acre. Today, vines cover seven and a half acres, and the couple plans to expand next year. The winery is almost ready, aside from some decorating and finishing touches.

“We built the winery at the top of the property, so it has a beautiful view,” Zhgaba said.

The Newtown area appealed to the couple because of its location, as it is part of Fairfield County but still close to New Haven and Litchfield counties.

Their red varieties will be aged up to 18 months, and include a red blend, cabernet franc and baco noir. The vineyard’s white wines, aged up to a year, include dry and semi dry riesling, muscat, cayuga white and traminette. The couple is also offering a dry rosé.

The couple grew up in Albania, and Llomi was exposed to fruticulture and farming in his youth. Once they moved to the United States, they say they enjoyed visiting Connecticut’s vineyards on the Connecticut Wine Trail. 

Llomi is a mechanical design engineer in Milford, while Zhgaba is a senior technical program manager for General Electric in Norwalk, and they’ll keep their jobs. They currently live in Naugatuck with their two young sons, but plan to build a house and eventually live on their Newtown acreage.

They will soon hire employees to host wine tastings and help manage the winery as it grows. The initial plan is for the winery to be open from Thursdays through Sundays.

“We love to connect and engage with people,” Zhgaba said. 

The name of their new business, “Aquila's Nest,” holds special meaning for the couple. Aquila is the Latin word for “eagle,” and the name of an eagle-shaped constellation. Albania is known as the “Land of the Eagles.” 

According to the couple’s website, they hope to create “a place of gathering for the community, where a glass of wine will be the perfect excuse to start candid discussions.”

For the latest on their opening date or for more information, visit their website at aquilasnestvineyards.com, or follow them on social media. 

Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com. 

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