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FORGET NAPA VALLEY
ALICIA B. SMITH |
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Connecticut has its own award-winning wines
The old theory has been that New England was simply too cold. But it has been proven wrong over and over again, especially here in Connecticut.
Find the right spot, and grapes really can be grown in the Nutmeg State.
In 1978 the state passed the Connecticut Winery Act, making it legal for wine to be produced commercially. Since that time, entrepreneurs have researched, planted, and now, literally, stand by the fruits of their labor. The wine-making industry is now a significant agricultural entity for the state. Connecticut wines have been labeled world class and continue to be made with the highest quality and care by the wine makers.
“Gradually people are beginning to understand the East Coast has great wines,” said Edmee DeWitt, business manager at Chamard Vineyards in Clinton. “Gradually people shifted focus from French wines to California wines, as the years developed and most recently, Long Island has been doing wonderful things, they’ve been making beautiful wines.”
Long Island, however, is not alone. There are fine wines being produced by a number of vineyards right here in Connecticut, several of which have been doing so for many years.
Location is key for any vineyard, and finding property here that supports the grapes and lets them be somewhat protected from the elements is of the utmost importance. Many vineyards have found what is referred to as a “micro climate,” an area with the appropriate weather conditions for growing grapes.
For Chamard, the perfect climate was found in what had been a wooded lot just two miles from Long Island Sound. Its proximity to the shore provides warmer temperatures than those just five miles away. The vineyard also uses vinefera grapes, French vines that were grafted to American root stock. Ms. DeWitt explained this is a tougher vine that can withstand Connecticut’s climate.
“It’s incredibly challenging because of the unpredictable weather,” Ms. DeWitt said, adding that the vineyard has withstood everything from snow and hurricanes to long, hot and dry summers, conditions that the grapes do the best in.
Hilary Hopkins Criollo agreed. “Often people think it’s too cold here,” said Ms. Hopkins Criollo, of Hopkins Vineyard in the northwest corner of the state in New Preston. “Grapes do well here. We’ve situated grapes so they get good exposure.”
The micro-climate for Hopkins Vineyard is tapped by planting grapes along the slope of a hill where they receive the warm breezes coming off Lake Waramaug, located at the bottom of the hill. “In Connecticut, we’re the only one who has that,” Ms. Hopkins Criollo said of the lake. “It helps ward off an early frost that can damage the crop.”
Despite the freezing temperatures and extensive snow cover this past winter, Ms. Hopkins Criollo said “it’s looking to be an excellent year. We’re pleased with the winter being as harsh as it was.” She explained that the consistent cold this winter was best for the grapes as opposed to having varying temperatures that went from cold to warm to cold again. The snow, too, behaved as a type of insulator that further protected the vines.
The search for the ideal location for Catherine Vollweiler and her husband Steven, owners of Sharpe Hill Vineyard in Pomfret, was a long one. For 15 years the native New York couple looked for property from Long Island to Pennsylvania before finding what they consider to be the perfect place for growing grapes.
“We found it on a slope of 110 feet here in Pomfret,” said Ms. Vollweiler. “The hill and lack of valley creates a micro-climate that allows us to be 20 degrees warmer in the winter.” This particular climate helps to alleviate two things that vine growers fear most: an early bud break or a late frost. “Good wine is extremely scientific and you have to have good luck with the weather,” said Ms. Vollweiler.
Another shoreline winery, Jonathan Edwards in North Stonington, is fairly new to the business. Owners Jonathan Edwards and his wife Rachel opened their winery in May 2002 after six years of searching for the right spot on the East Coast. The vineyard is located on a hill with an elevation of 420 feet, just nine miles from the coast. The hilltop location also allows more sun to reach the grapes, helping to grow “good fruit, good flavor and good wine,” said Mr. Edwards. “Having Long Island Sound keeps you warmer in the winter.”
Across the state in Fairfield County, Paul DiGrazia, owner and wine maker of DiGrazia Vineyards in Brookfield, said the “micro-climate” concept is not what is important, as there are several factors that influence the growth of grapes. These include elevation, the slope of the land, the type of soil and the type of vine that is being grown. His vineyard, which was planted in 1978, grows a vinefera hybrid of “cold hearty grapes.” He said the chemistry of grapes grown in the Northeast is different from that of grapes grown in California. His thought was that Connecticut vineyards should grow grapes that will grow here and not try to imitate the types of wines being produced elsewhere. “Hybrids produce quality wines,” Mr. DiGrazia said.
“It’s a new frontier in the Northeast,” Ms. Vollweiler said of the state’s wine industry. Aside from the business aspect of the area’s wineries, the vineyards throughout Connecticut have a large role in the social and cultural make-up of the state. They help to make wine more accessible to people who might not ordinarily be wine drinkers, and they help to preserve some of the state’s farmland while at the same time offering visitors a peek at some of the state’s most scenic areas.
“I don’t feel anyone is intimidated anymore,” Ms. DeWitt said, referring to the accessibility of wine to a variety of people, some of whom are wine connoisseurs and others who are more casual wine drinkers. In light of current events, many individuals have boycotted products imported from France, including wine. But there are plenty of wineries right here that offer comparable products, a situation that prompted Ms. Vollweiler to encourage people to break out of their “snob appeal” and try wines other than those made in France.
“We’re helping people to open up their scope,” she said. “The state of the art in taste was fine French wine.” This may no longer hold true as other wine regions are making a name for themselves. Australia and Chile have been making their own mark in the wine industry and the state of Connecticut is not far behind.
“We’re a new industry, but very dedicated,” Ms. Vollweiler said. “Connecticut is and will continue to be world class. I’m happy to be one of them.” All the wineries throughout the state are part of the agricultural industry.
There are varying opinions as to how supportive the state has been to agriculture in general, and specifically to the wine industry. “Connecticut is a tough state,” Ms. Hopkins Criollo said. “It doesn’t really promote agriculture. It’s important for me that this farm continues on. I want it here for my children and their children,” she added. “I guess you can say it’s in my blood.” Ms. Hopkins Criollo is joined by her family in operating the winery. Her father, Bill Hopkins, who started the business, is the wine maker, and her mother, Judith Hopkins, has a more behind-the-scenes role in the business and is responsible for the farm’s landscaping.
“It is the number one most difficult form of agriculture in America due to the intensity of the maintenance,” said Ms. Vollweiler of Sharpe Hill Vineyard. She explained that it can take up to five years for an acceptable crop to produce enough volume of grapes for wine production. A large part of caring for the fruit involves keeping it free from disease and animals that enjoy snacking on the grapes.
“The dedication involved, at every winery in Connecticut, is extremely intense,” Ms. Vollweiler said. “You have to understand it truly is a love affair to produce it.” Helping the many vineyards throughout the state is a small brochure with large, ripe grapes on its cover. This is the gateway to the Connecticut Wine Trail. Working in conjunction with blue state signs that point visitors to the many vineyards, the brochure provides a peek into what the state has to offer in terms of wineries and where to find them.
The information found in the brochure can also be accessed via the Internet at www.ctwine.com. The brochure is produced by the Connecticut Vineyard and Winery Association, as is the trail. The association is a non-profit organization made up of a group of Connecticut vineyards. The association works to promote the state’s vineyards in the larger wine market as well as lobbying for Connecticut farmers. In order to be a member of the association, vineyards pay a membership fee which entitles them to publicity in the association’s brochure, wine trail signs and listings on the association’s website. “The trail’s purpose is to educate the public,” said Ms. Vollweiler.
There is a lot of science involved in making wine and the process is a year-round venture. Each wine maker has his or her own unique procedures that impact the flavor and quality of the wine they are making. While each winery follows a technique for its wine, there are similarities in how the process evolves from the grapes on the vine to the wine you enjoy with dinner.
Simplified, the process evolves first by harvesting the grapes, which in Connecticut takes place in late summer or early fall. Some wineries use mechanical harvesting machines, while others use the age-old practice of hand-picking the grapes.
Next, the grapes must be skinned, unless they are of a red variety. Grapes are skinned to make white wine, but red wine grapes are skinned at a later stage in the process as the skin provides the color for the variety of red wines that are produced. Once the skin and seeds have been removed, the grapes are pressed, usually through a mechanical process. The grape juice is then placed in stainless steel tanks or barrels where yeast is added in order to promote fermentation. The wine will then be allowed to age for a year or more before being blended (a process that mixes various types of wine). After aging for a specified period of time the wine will then be bottled. This usually takes place with a machine that cleans, fills, labels and corks the bottles.
Located in a wooded residential neighborhood, Chamard Vineyards represents a classic New England look. The vineyard, located near busy Route 81 and only a few miles north of I-95, is set back from Cow Hill Road. The vines are surrounded by stone walls that were hand built by the vineyard’s owner, William Chaney, president and chief executive officer of Tiffany & Co. The vineyard itself is in the middle of the 40 acres owned by its proprietors.
In the beginning, in 1984, Chamard had just over five acres planted with 4,570 Chardonnay vines. Since that time, wine maker Larry McCulloch has helped increase the vineyard to 20 acres and 17,200 vines, with Chardonnay taking up most of the acreage, along with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. By 1988 the vineyard was producing its first commercial vintage, a Chardonnay.
From the very beginning accolades have poured in, especially for the Chamards’ Chardonnay. Their 2000 Chardonnay and 1998 Estate Chardonnay were both gold medal winners in the Amenti del Vino International Wine Competitions. From 1998 to 2002 the vineyard was awarded the Best Wine and Best Winery honors from Connecticut Magazine.
Hopkins Vineyard has been operating as a farm and maintained by the Hopkins family since 1787. Throughout its history, at least until 1979, the farm’s owners have raised sheep, grain crops, tobacco and race horses. At that time the farm’s owner and wine maker, Bill Hopkins, decided to take his wine-making hobby to the next level and turn the family farm into a vineyard. The 19th century barn was converted into a winery and the first vines were planted on six acres. There are now 35 acres of vines.
“You get a lot of satisfaction of growing grapes and making some fine wine,” Mr. Hopkins said. “We’re producing really great wines,” said Ms. Hopkins Criollo. Among them are the vineyard’s Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery also produces a sparkling wine from the vineyard’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.
The first floor of the winery offers visitors a wine-tasting room and a shop where they can buy wine-related items and gourmet food products as well as the vineyard’s wines. On the second floor of the winery is a wine bar where visitors can enjoy a glass of wine and partake of a variety of cheeses, pate and fresh bread while enjoying the relaxing atmosphere.
Hopkins wine has won numerous gold, silver and bronze medals in national and international competitions. Ms. Hopkins Criollo explained that the vineyard’s Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc have a rating of 81 from Wine Spectator magazine.
Mr. DiGrazia began his winery in 1978 by planting 40 acres. Located just north of Danbury, the vineyard is a short trip off I-84. In 1984 the winery made 3,500 gallons of wine. Since that time, Mr. DiGrazia has been joined by his wife, Barbara, their two sons and an apprentice. The winery produces 23 different kinds of wine and has won numerous awards and recognitions, including a Gold Medal for its 1996 Blacksmith Port as well as a Gold Medal for its Evangelico, a pear dessert wine. The winery has the distinction of being the “Official Wine of Lime Rock Park,” and has produced a special label each year for the race track’s featured vintage car.
Wine connoisseurs traveling around Pomfret, in the eastern part of the state, are sure to come across Sharpe Hill. The first grapes were planted here in 1992 and the vineyard today consists of 15 acres planted with Chardonnay, Melon de Bourgogne and Vignoles for white wine and Cabernet Franc, St. Croix, and Carmine for red wine. Throughout its short history the vineyard has won numerous awards, medals and recognition. The vineyard’s Ballet of Angels, a white wine, has won 33 medals in international competition alone.
The vineyard is located on a country road where the owners have restored the property’s original 1760 house and barn, the interior of which is decorated in an 18th century tavern style. Visitors are welcome to enjoy their wine in the wine garden, which is off the tasting room and consists of small tables in a flower-filled patio. The vineyard also houses a restaurant (by reservation only) in the second floor of the barn and maintains the tavern-like feel of the tasting room. “We wanted to keep it as natural and subtle to the landscape,” Ms. Vollweiler said of the vineyard and its natural surroundings.
The vineyard is in the process of expanding its wine-making operations, with an addition to the wine cellar and bottling rooms. “Sharpe Hill is just a flourishing entity that is here to stay and intends to continue to make delicious and award-winning wines,” Ms. Vollweiler said.
Jonathan Edwards Winery, located at 74 Chester Maine Road in North Stonington, was created out of a former vineyard that closed in 1990. When the Edwards family purchased the property, they spent several years remodeling the interior of the winery as well as ripping out the old vines and planting new ones. The winery offers visitors a tasting room, complete with a fireplace.
The winery encourages guests to sit and stay awhile by providing a large deck on which to enjoy their wine as well as a garden patio and picnic tables. Guests are welcome to pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at the vineyard while tasting a glass or bottle of their wine. There is also a small art gallery and gift shop available.
The winery has not yet entered any competitions; however, it has sold out of three of the five wines it produces.
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Alicia B. Smith is the editor of Newington LIFE and a contributing writer to Connecticut LIFE.
Article reprinted by permission of Connecticut LIFE.
Alicia B. Smith
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