Eric Asimov in today’s NY Times. Small production, made from hybrid grapes (so they survive the climate). Hmmm… anyone had it?
Nope, but I did have a rhubarb wine made in Vermont that was tangy as spurs!
IIRC they make some pretty good (apple) cider. But wine from local grapes? We’ll see…
I’ve enjoyed the 3 or 4 wines I’ve tried from la garagista. If you enjoy new California or other geeky natural wines I bet you’d be pleasantly surprised. I was introduced to the wines in Vermont but I’ve seen them at various retail locations in nyc (frankly wines carries them and I think Astor might as well).
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IIRC there was a ciderhouse not far Okemo/Ludlow that I would pass quite frequently, but in all those years I never stopped in to sample anything.
That whole article is so precious though. It’s like a bobo in paradise fantasy for modern day Green Acres city refugees!
I suppose I need to disclaim that I know the winemakers, that I’ve visited and tasted at their farm (and was served lunch), and I’d call them friends. That I almost never see, but friends anyway.
They’re incredibly serious – but not serious – about everything they do. They’re lovely people and very passionate and incredibly hard-working. Their restaurant is the best in the area.
“bobo in paradise fantasy” is unfair. They really do believe in and work extremely hard at what they’re doing, and they’re the opposite of pretentious. (Also, “city refugees”? Evansville and Brattleboro? There are more urban gentry in the town where their restaurant resides than in either of their home towns.)
Frankly, having tasted pretty much everything made in New England over the course of a few decades, often professionally, I thought they were nuts to even try to do what they’re doing w/r/t wine. Their home vineyard, for example, would be about the last place any sensible person would think to plant grapes. Except that it’s working exactly as they’ve intended.
Not everything is good, or consistent – they’re still new at this, and the climate is what it is – and even what’s good probably won’t please someone with a palate oriented towards conventional wines. But some of their wines are extremely interesting, and I don’t mean that as a euphemism. The combination of climate-appropriate grapes and stylistic choices that mend most of the usual climate-driven issues really do work, and they work by intent rather than by accident.
I’d seriously urge anyone open to a range that’s full of pet-nats and skin-contact and defiantly farm-raised wines to give them a try. If you can find them, that is, because it’s not exactly a large-scale operation. But again, they’re really not for everyone.
I’ve had a few really excellent botrytized and ice wines, mostly from vidal. Snow Flake is the one winery I recall. Someone served that blind to a group of mine – filled with German wine lovers – and we went in on a case together.
Around Lake Champlain I think the climate is pretty similar to the Finger Lakes, and a similar latitude, so it shouldn’t be a big surprise that good wines are possible.
Do you have direct experience with the subjects of the article and what they are doing or is your comment just senseless snark?
Sounds interesting and worth tasting -thanks for pointing to this.
And having lived in NH and worked in VT there’s nothing precious about farming there - just lots of hard work.
Several years ago I attended a panel seminar headed by climate experts discussing how current trends in weather patterns are affecting wine production. After attending that, I would say no sane person should invest in Napa land on a long term basis (too hot) but might consider New England as up and coming .( tough not in my lifetime ).
Just snark … coming from a guy who has to tell his tenants in Grafton that their ‘bear problem’ is coming from them leaving the trash can out on the porch.
Woodstock is only about an hour from Grafton. Make a dinner reservation. http://www.osteriapaneesalute.com/
Caleb runs the kitchen and Deirdre handles up front and wine. The food is sensational and their wine list is predominantly artisanal. They are both really nice people and a delight to talk with. Make your reservation well in advance as it is very small and usually booked out weeks in advance. The restaurant is closed during harvest.