Win(e)ding Roads: More From the Connecticut Wine Trail

By Marguerite Barrett,
VinoVerve Contributor

Photos by MT Barrett

The Winery

The first stop on my Connecticut Wine Trail adventure was the Heritage Trail Winery. Located in southeastern Connecticut, this family-owned winery is tucked into the hills of the Quinebaug and Shetucket River Valley National Heritage Corridor, one of America’s most scenic destinations. Regardless from which direction you approach the winery, the drive is beautiful and quintessential New England.

The Winery itself is situated on 38 acres. Set slightly back from the road, the main building, which is also the family’s home, is a 200+ year old New England farmhouse.

The vineyards extend back beyond the house and barns, and turning into the driveway there’s a feeling of stepping back in time – or at least leaving the world behind you.

The tasting room is located in an addition built onto the back of the main farmhouse. The tasting area is small but cozy – at the entrance to the room there is a small kitchen with a fridge for storing the wines available for tasting. Across from the kitchen is a large stone fireplace and there are tables and chairs for visitors to sit and relax while they enjoy the wines. The windows all look out on the gardens and the vineyards, and even in winter the views are magnificent.

The Wines

Heritage Trail bottles 5 wines – three whites and two reds. Given the local climate, it’s not surprising that CT wineries in general produce more whites than reds – however, to many people’s surprise, the state does have its share of Reds.

(http://www.heritagetrail.com/wines.html)My tasting included all five wines :

The Chardonnay is made from 100% estate grown grapes, while the other two whites are blends of estate-grown and imported grapes. It’s smooth with a slight buttery taste. It’s a good Chardonnay, but I preferred both of the other whites.

The Quinebaug White, Heritage Trail’s newest wine, is light and slightly dry. I found it very interesting. It would be a good wine to pair with lighter chicken or fish dishes, or with salads in the summer.

The Heritage Sweet Reserve White Table Wine was my absolute favorite. It’s a sweet wine, which could certainly be paired with dessert, but it’s not necessarily a dessert wine. I found it similar to a Gewürztraminer. It’s a smooth wine, with a nice balance of fruity flavors and not cloyingly sweet. It would be fabulous with strong cheeses at the end of a meal. However, it also is a great casual drinking wine – I bought a bottle after my tasting and opened it several weeks later, and enjoyed it over several days.

Overall, I found the reds to be less impressive than the whites. It felt as if both were a bit young, and they didn’t have the body that I was expecting. The Shetucket Red, which is a hybrid of French and American is a lighter red and would be a good table wine. I decided to buy a bottle to put in the wine cellar for a couple of years just to see how it ages. I suspect in a year or two the flavors will be a bit more robust, and it will be a more interesting wine.

The Cabernet Franc was my least favorite – like the Chardonnay this is an estate wine with all the grapes grown on site. A blend of cabernet franc and merlot grapes, it has more body than the Shetucket Red but I found it to have a slightly sharp aftertaste and just a hint of pepper.

Overall an interesting little winery, and certainly worth a stop. The Tasting Room is open May through December, Friday – Sunday, 11-5. January – April, they are open by appointment. You can also call them to have wine shipped directly to you.

Note: Since my visit in late December, the Winery has been put up for sale. If you’re interested in owning a winery, this may be your chance!

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This entry was posted on February 11, 2008 at February 11, 2008 and is filed under Connecticut, Marguerite Barrett, Win(e)ding Roads. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.