White Silo Farm & Winery ~ Sherman, CT

December 29, 2009 by MTB

Marguerite Barrett White Silo Farm and Winery / Photo: Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

The White Silo Farm & Winery in Sherman, Connecticut is one that my wine-trail-buddy, Christy Sherard, had been saying she wanted to visit. The pictures in the Connecticut Wine Trail brochure present a lovely vista of a traditional red barn nestled in among farmland dominated by a large white grain silo, the inspiration for the name. There was something in the picture that seemed to call to Christy…

Unfortunately the weekend I managed to get out to Sherman, which is pretty much on the New York border in the far west of the state, Christy had other plans. She’s actually been pretty busy most weekends this Fall and what wine trips she has made are often with her fiancé, Jeff. We have the best of intentions of heading out together, but it just hasn’t worked out that way.

So one sunny Saturday afternoon I set off for the White Silo Winery – and their annual raspberry festival (my favorite fruit) – alone.

The winery lives up to it’s name – and it’s pictures. The tasting room is housed in a red barn that sits right next to the namesake white grain silo at the entrance to the property. The silo is painted a brilliant white and practically sparkles in the sunshine. Both are situated at the base of a small hill which has tables and benches for picnicking.

All of White Silo’s wines are fruit based, made from the four fruits grown on the farm: raspberry, rhubarb, blackberry and black currant. The property is surrounded by the fruit fields and raspberry bushes grow right up to the edge of the parking area.

The barn-cum-winery serves as both the tasting room and a gallery for the work of local artists. The space is open and inviting, and organized to maximize the wall space for the gallery. A large open bar sits on your left as you enter; the bar should hold between 10 and 12 people comfortably and there is space for tables and chairs for special events or large crowds. A small gift area in the back features gift boxes of White Silo wines as well as local foods and crafts.

The staff is very welcoming and friendly and go out of their way to make the atmosphere comfortable and inviting for the winery’s guests. They do a great job of keeping an eye on the guests at the bar and making sure that everyone’s tastings keep moving along, but they are also more than happy to stop and chat about the winery, the area, or whatever you feel like talking about. When I arrived I was placed next to a small group from New York who were weekending in the area. One of them manages a gallery in one of the nearby towns, and the conversation quickly turned to some of the local events that weekend, the upcoming opening of a new exhibit at his gallery and general news and gossip about the area. Everyone was in a relaxed mood and generally enjoying themselves.

White Silo produces eight wines, a dry and a sweet version of wines made from four fruits: rhubarb, blackberry, raspberry and black currant. A tasting includes your choice of five of the eight wines and as an added bonus, the tasting menu includes recipes for White Silo’s locally famous Blackberry Sangria and “Martini Madness.”

For a review of the wines, check back here at Vino Verve next Tuesday, January 5, 2010.

White Silo is open May through December 11 am – 6 pm on weekends (Fri-Sun) and holidays only or by appointment.

White Silo Winery
32 Route 37 East
Sherman, Connecticut 06784
860-355-0271