Newport Vineyards Executive Chef Andy Teixeira is growing more than just grapes at the 120-acre farm in Middletown, Rhode Island.
Teixeira, a James Beard Award semifinalist, is cultivating a sustainable culinary program that includes housing for culinary students, four kitchens, and plans to grow bananas and figs.
“We’re trying to be sustainable. We’re trying to be the business model of the future,” Teixeira said during an interview at a James Beard Foundation event in New York City on July 18.
The vineyard, which Teixeira describes as the largest winery in New England, grows about 20% of its produce on-site. This includes a two-acre garden and four greenhouses.
Teixeira’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond produce. The vineyard practices full animal utilization and employs five full-time bakers and a butcher.
“We really try to think of how your grandmother cooked in 1900 New England,” Teixeira said. “We do a lot of preservation, we do jarring.”
A lemon tree, which was 5 feet tall when purchased 18 months ago, now stands at 14 feet and is producing fruit.
“We have about a dozen lemons on it, and they’re about the golf ball size,” Teixeira said.
Teixeira plans to make Newport Vineyards the largest producer of figs in New England.
“We propagated 40 fig trees this year and we have six that are loaded with figs,” he said.
Teixeira revealed plans to grow bananas. The vineyard has sourced a cold-tolerant variety that can withstand temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
“We’re hoping in a year or so, we get a crop of bananas,” Teixeira said. “We just want to be able to give everybody everything we can.”
The vineyard houses up to 12 culinary students per semester, providing them with hands-on experience across its four kitchens.
“I grade them as part of their education,” Teixeira said. “They get to really figure out what type of chef they want to be when they come to us.”
More from the James Beard event in NyC
Chef Peter Carvelli reflects on culinary honor, celebrating Foglia’s second anniversary
Giusto Chef William Reitzel reflects on Newport’s culinary evolution
Yagi Noodles’ Chef Basil Yu: From pop-up to James Beard finalist
Newport chefs dazzle NYC with ‘Classic Coast’ culinary showcase
