Priam Vineyards ~ Colchester, Connecticut

April 18, 2009 by MTB

priam-vineyards-sign Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

After leaving Gouveia, I headed over to Colchester and Priam Vineyards; unfortunately, I made the mistake of Mapquesting my directions and sending them to my Onstar account before I left. Unlike the Litchfield Hills area of the Western Connecticut Trail, which is pretty much all county roads, Eastern Connecticut has several major throughways: I-91 running north-south, I-95 running east-west along the Long Island Shore, and Route 2 and I-395 which cut somewhat diagonally through the middle of the region. Mapquest, as I often forget, defaults to “shortest time” – which in eastern Connecticut usually means backtracking along the interestates, as I did that Sunday. Blithely following the directions beamed into my car, I didn’t clue into what was happening until I had gone far enough north on I-91 that it no longer made sense to turn around.

So I wound up heading back north about 25 miles, turning off onto Route 2 just before reaching Hartford and making my way southeast again towards Colchester. One of these days I will learn to either a). read a map again, so I don’t always rely on my GPS directions, or b). remember to program the GPS for shortest distance, not shortest time. Yes, I may have arrived more quickly, but part of the joy of the Win(e)ding Roads adventures is the exploration of new places and towns, something you miss when you’re flying down an interstate at 65 mph.

mapquest-wallingford-to-colchester

I eventually arrived at Priam Vineyards, but only 10 minutes sooner than if I had taken the “direct” route. Like Gouveia, Priam is easily accessible from the highway, being a quick two miles down Route 149 after exiting Route 2. The vineyard is set back on a side road, Shailor Hill Road, and when the trees and shrubs are in full bloom, the area will feel secluded and private – as if you’ve found your own private retreat.

The Tasting room is in the style of the old New England “red barns” and is built into the hillside near the front of the property. A large veranda with chairs and tables for outdoor seating dominates one side of the building, and despite the rain that was falling pretty steadily when I arrived, it was still a lovely area. I imagine it’s a great place to relax and unwind on a summer evening. I could definitely become addicted to spending lazy summer evenings at local wineries, enjoying the tastes, smells and sounds of summer in the “country” while viewing the stars shining in the clear night sky.

Inside, the tasting room area is U-shaped and dominated by the bar extending the length of the room; along the walls were photographs from Priam’s current exhibition of portrait photography, “Sit Down,” by local artist Jack McConnell. While there are no bar stools, it’s still a comfortable area, and when I arrived, I was greeted by both the staff and several “locals” who were there to hang out for the afternoon. Soon after I started my tasting, Gary Crump, the owner and winemaker, came out from the back to help pour the tastings and regale us with stories of the winery and his recent trip to Mexico (complete with pictures). Gary is a great host and really adds to the casual, friendly atmosphere.

The winery opened to the public in 2003 and currently produces 14 wines: 7 whites, 1 rosé, 4 reds, and 2 reserve/dessert wines (a port-style wine and a late harvest riesling). All of their wines are award winners in both regional and international competitions, and many of their wines have won multiple awards.

Priam produces about 5,000 cases a year, and while you can find Priam wines in a small number of package stores in the Southeastern Connecticut area, 90% of their distribution is direct from the winery. Gary confirmed that they will ship to every state which allows direct-from-winery shipments, and you can order wines directly through their website.

In addition to the wines, Priam is also a working farm, and every year, July through October, Priam hosts a Sunday afternoon farmer’s market featuring local produce, organic eggs, and local cheeses and baked goods. Other special events include private guided tours, summer barbecues co-hosted by Priam and Vito’s by the Park, and lunch and dinner deliveries from local restaurants, so you can enjoy a meal with your wine out on the veranda.