Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

In addition to being voted Best Connecticut Small Winery at the Big E competition, Connecticut Valley also won the distinction of being the Sisters of the Connecticut Wine Trail’s favorite winery.  The whole group loved both the winery and the wines – and trust me, they are not an easy group to please!

The tasting menu starts off with the

Chardonnel A hybrid grape, the result of grafting Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc grapes together, the result is a lovely, crisp, refreshing white wine – one of my favorites across the Connecticut wine trail.  Like all of the Connecticut Valley wines, the Chardonnel has only a light touch of oak.  A pale yellow color with a soft, lightly fruity nose with notes of apricot and peach, the wine is soft and silky in the mouth with light notes of peach and bright citrus and a soft buttery finish.  The Chardonnel would pair well with a wide variety of foods, but I prefer it on it’s own – lightly chilled, it’s a perfect wine to relax with at the end of the day.

Dolce Vita An estate-grown Cayuga White, Dolce Vita is proprietor Tony Ferraro’s favorite wine, according to his son, Jason, who was my host for my third and most recent tasting.   The color is an extremely pale straw.  The nose is soft and both fruity and floral with lovely notes of orange blossom.  In the mouth the wine has subtle notes of pineapple and touches of melon.  On my most recent visit, the gentleman next to me during the tasting said he was picking up watermelon.  I took another sip and thought about it and could get just the barest hint of the watermelon he was experiencing, but for me the overall impression was that of pineapple.  Regardless, it is a lovely wine.

The next three wines, the Specialty Wines, are all fruit-infused wines, and as Jason Ferraro described them “the dangerous wines.”  First up is the

Just Peachy 75% Chardonnay and 25% Seyval Blanc infused with a peach essence, the result is a delightful, soft, eminently drinkable table wine.  The color is a soft gold.  The nose is soft and peachy, but not overpoweringly so.  In the mouth, you realize at once this is not a fruit wine – the Chardonnay/Seyval base produces a dry, lightly oaked table wine and the peach essence provides a depth of fruit that blends beautifully with the notes already present in the grapes.  The result is a delightful, not-sticky-sweet, wine that would pair well with spicy dishes, chinese and even pork.

Raspberry Delight Like the Just Peachy, the Raspberry Delight is a white table wine infused with raspberry essence.  The result produces a very pink wine.  The nose is soft raspberry; a more subtle nose than I had anticipated.  In the mouth, the wine is also more subtle than I anticipated.  There are strong raspberry notes, but rather than overpowering the wine, they produce a bright, crisp, tanginess at the start that smooths out to a lightly sweet finish.   I definitely preferred the Just Peachy to the Raspberry Delight, but the Raspberry Delight has it’s charms.

Orange Delight This is vintner Jason Ferraro’s favorite wine, as well as one of my favorites, to my great surprise.  I did not anticipate liking this as much as I did.  As it was being poured and described, I expected the orange to be too strong a flavor, overpowering the wine altogether.  I have never been so pleased to be proved wrong.  A 50/50 combination of Orange Muscat and Vidal Blanc grapes, this is a semi-dry wine.  Like the Dolce Vita, the color is a very pale straw.  The nose is soft with strong notes of orange floral.  In the mouth the orange, rather than being too sweet, has a slightly bitter/tart edge that balances the fruity sweetness and creates some depth and complexity in the wine that is really interesting.  Overall it’s a very different wine, and not the kind of wine people will be on the fence about – you’ll either like or you won’t.  Regional wine judges and critics do like it, and it’s won multiple medals in competitions, including a perfect score at the Fingerlakes Wine Competition.  One judge liked it so much that after the competition, he called the Ferraros directly to tell them how much he loved the wine – now that’s a fan!

Connecticut Valley also produces two sparkling whites:  the first a blend of chardonnel and cayuga and the second a spumanti produced from the orange muscat grapes.  Like all sparkling wines, neither is included on the tasting menu, but I’ve promised myself I’d stop back and pick up a bottle of each.

Next up: The Reds, including the only wine in the Northeast allowed to bill itself as a Chianti.

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

Spring has been a bit “off” this year in New England with sharp weather mood swings from cold and rainy to hot-more-like-summer weather.  I’m not sure yet how or even if that will affect this year’s grape harvest, but it’s kept me off the wine trail for much of the last couple months.  As much as I like exploring new regions and discovering new wineries, contemplating a long drive through dreary, drizzly countryside has been somewhat demotivating.

Despite all that, the hallmarks of late spring/early summer have finally arrived ~ the days are warm and the nights pleasant, the grass, trees and hills are awash in rich, vibrant shades of green; the birds are driving the cat mad, taunting her from the trees and bushes right outside the kitchen window, and my neighbors have the air conditioner on.  Go figure…

With the improvement in weather also comes an improvement in my mood – and my motivation to hit the open road in search of new wine experiences – which led me to New Hartford and the Connecticut Valley Winery on a recent gloriously sunny Saturday afternoon.

This was actually my third visit to Connecticut Valley Winery.  I had stopped there shortly after Christmas, and returned a few weeks later with my Sisters of the Connecticut Wine Trail, Cheryl, Deb, Jean and Melissa.   My notes, however, stayed in a pile on my desk, waiting patiently for me to sit down and write them up.  By the time I finally unearthed them, I decided it was probably better that I make a third trip – just to refresh my memory, of course.  The fact that I had finished the last of the bottles that I had picked up on the previous trip did not play into my decision at all…

Connecticut Valley Winery is owned and operated by Anthony and Judith Ferraro with the full-time assistance of their son, Jason.   The winery was named Best Small Winery at the 2009 Big E Northeast Gold Wine Competition, at which they also won a record 10 medals for their wines, making it the most awarded Connecticut winery in Big E history.   In addition to the Big E competition, Connecticut Valley wines have won medals at the Finger Lakes and Grand Harvest wine competitions.

The Ferraros turned to winemaking upon their retirement, a story heard often from the region’s winemakers.  Their wines are produced from 15 varieties of grapes including Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Seyval and Cayuga, many of which are grown locally.  They use very few sulfites and chemicals in their wines, relying primarily on what’s found naturally in the grapes and the yeast.  As a result their wines are smoother, with less acidity than in many other wines.  They specialize in dry wines, although they do have some lovely specialty fruit-infused wines which are far more interesting than I expected.

From the outside the winery is unprepossessing; a large barn painted in primer gray sits on a slight rise a few hundred yards back from the road.  Grape vines line either side of the dirt and gravel drive and the vines are planted right up to the main road and continue around and behind the winery.  The front of the winery features a slight wrap-around deck with room to sit perhaps 10 people comfortably.     However, don’t let the barn’s exterior simplicity put you off – inside the tasting room is a charming, cozy and eminently comfortable space.

As with most tasting rooms the room’s centerpiece is the bar – a cornered-U-shape bar in the center of the room.  As you enter, you will likely be greeted by Judith, a permanent fixture behind the bar.  Judith is one of the highlights of a visit to Connecticut Valley – friendly, always willing to stop for a chat, she makes it easy to relax into your surroundings.  She keeps her tasting notes to a minimum for those who aren’t interested in more than basic details, but will answer any and all questions you may have about the wine and winery.

While there are no bar stools around the tasting bar, there are a few tables surrounding the fireplace, and guests who wish to linger are encouraged to do so.  On my second visit with my SOTS buddies, we brought a light lunch of cheese and crackers, tapenade (handmade by Cheryl) and a few other nibblers and settled in next to a roaring fire for a lovely hour  of wine, food and company.

The tasting room itself is not large, but the Ferraros use space in the fermentation and barrel rooms which are located just off the tasting room for large groups.  On my most recent trip, I had brought a book and was settled on the patio with a glass of wine when a large tour bus showed up.  This was actually the first bus I’ve seen during all my Connecticut Wine Trail travels, and I wasn’t sure how they were going to manage the tastings – until I saw them head into the barrel room.

In addition to the normal tasting room offerings, Connecticut Valley also hosts periodic wine/food dinners, inviting a local chef to prepare a sumptuous 5-course meal that they pair with their wines.  Costs are quite reasonable at about $125 per person, and they can accommodate 25-30 people at a dinner.

The tasting room is open year round on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-5.  The tasting menu includes all 11 wines, although on my first two visits in December and January, they were sold out of a couple of wines.  A tasting will run you $6, and you can purchase glasses of wine for $6 or include cheese and crackers for an additional $2.

Connecticut Valley Winery
1480 Litchfield Turnpike
New Hartford, CT 06057
860-480-WINE (9463)

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Kevin and I continued our exploration of local wines with the winery that sits on our 100 mile mark and at the very edge we discovered the Cedar Creek Winery.

In all fairness, we had a heads up on Cedar Creek.  Kevin had discovered the wine while at Mars Cheese Castle.  But the actual winery was new to us.  The funny thing is that we love a winery’s story and we had no idea of that from his trip to the ‘Castle’.  The trip to the winery… or at least the tasting room provided the rest.

The winery in Cedarburg, Wisconsin is one of a pair.  Cedar Creek’s sister winery is in Prairie du Sac and is within the Lake Wisconsin AVA (and now the Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA) which I will undoubtably illustrate for you later.  Because, when push comes to shove?  I am a map geek, and geography major, thus meaning that I know how to make maps.

Cedarburg, Wisconsin is one of those quaint little towns that is full of artists, antique shops, cute little restaurants and “general stores” .   Often they have no connection to the reasons that we consider them unique.  But in the case of Cedarburg, the town was home to largest wool mill outside of Philadephia in the 1800s.  In the 1890s the town began to produce electricity through a contract with the Cedarburg Light and Electric Commission.  The company still exists.  Now the town still contains its “quaint” antecedents while still moving into the 20th century.

This includes the winery.

The winery is owned by the same family that owns Wollersheim Winery in the Upper Mississippi Valley AVA and share a wine maker, Phillipe Coquard who has been with family since 1984 and is now part of the family having married owners Robert and JoAnn Wollersheim’s daughter Julie.  Because of the cold temperatures in Wisconsin, the vitis vinifera grapes used to produce Cedarburg’s Chardonnay,C abernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Pinot Grigio and Syrah are contract grown in California, Washington and New York.  The vineyard in Prarie du Sac grows hybrid grape varietals, St. Pepin and Lacrosse, which are used in some of their wines.

The winery produces 16 different wines, including a non-alcoholic champagne, an oaked and non-oaked Chardonnay (which is a nice contrast of flavors), a number of fruit blends and holiday spiced wines.  Additionally Beaujolais made by the winemaker’s Uncle Pierre is also available.  (The Wollersheim winery carries the wine produced by Uncle Jean’s Beaujolais as well as  Phillipe’s brother’s Lombardian Bonarda.

Cedar Creek Winery
N70 W6340 Bridge Rd.
Cedarburg, WI 53012
(262) 377-8020
1-800-827-8020
info@cedarcreekwinery.com

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

Tucked away in the farmlands and hills northwest of New Haven, Connecticut sits Savino Vineyards, one of Connecticut’s newest – and smallest – wineries.  Open for just over two years, Savino Vineyards is family-owned and operated and, like many of their sister wineries throughout Connecticut and the Northeast, specializes in wines made from American Hybrids such as Seyval Blanc, Frontenac, Cabernet Franc and St. Croix.

Despite being situated so close to New Haven, one of Connecticut’s largest cities and home to Yale University, the area surrounding Savino Vineyards is very rural with small farms and orchards lining the roads as you make your way into Woodridge from either Route 8 or the Merritt Parkway.  The terrain is not as hilly or wooded as the Litchfield Hills or the Northeast corner of the state, and also not as open as the farmland of the Southeast.  This is actually one of the things I love about Connecticut, the diversity in terrain.  There’s a “flavor” that’s all Connecticut, but there’s enough difference between different areas of the state that you feel as if you are discovering something new each time you head out.

Be careful as you head up to the winery – blink and you’ll miss it – I almost did.  Following the instructions from my GPS (which my wine trail buddies Deb Shaw-Esteves and Cheryl Grayson for some inexplicable reason call Shirley), you quickly come upon the house and the vineyards just beyond, which run right up to the large New England stone fence that lines the roadway.  The GPS was informing me that I was at the right location, but I couldn’t see any signs, and the house, while charming, certainly didn’t have the look of a winery tasting room open to visitors.

I had made up my mind that I must have missed something and decided to pull into the next driveway and turn around when I found the tasting room – in fact, it WAS the next driveway!  Just past the house and vineyards, set back from the road in a small cleared field, sits Savino’s Tasting Room.  There’s a Tasting Room sign at the end of the driveway, but it’s easy to miss if you’re looking, as I was, for the “Open” flags and large winery signs of the bigger wineries elsewhere throughout the state.

The Tasting Room is a small shed-like structure set back several hundred feet from the road.  Painted barn red on the outside and a warm and inviting creamy yellow on the inside, the room is probably 20′x30′ total.  As you enter, the Tasting Bar is on your left, starting just inside the door and running the width of the Tasting Room.  Altogether, the bar could probably hold 5-6 people.  The rest of the space is open, with space for small groups of people to stand as they complete their tasting.  As one of the newer and smaller wineries, Savino is not set up for visitors who want to come and spend a leisurely afternoon, but they are welcoming and inviting, and on the day I stopped by in early November one of the neighbors had stopped by to hang out with the staff for awhile and regaled us with stories of her dogs, her ex-husband and general neighborhood chatter.

Savino Vineyards produces five wines, a Seyval Blanc, a Frontenac, a Cabernet Franc, a St. Croix and a Merlot; all of the grapes, with the exception of the Merlot which are brought in from California, are grown locally.  Because I stopped by so late in the season, I missed the Frontenac and Cabernet Franc, which had already sold out, but was able to taste the other three.

2008 Seyval Blanc The only white Savino produces, the Seyval Blanc is a very pale straw color, with a lovely citrus nose with strong notes of grapefruit.  In the mouth the wine is crisp and dry, with grapefruit again being the predominant note.

2007 St. Croix This was my favorite of the three Savino wines, although it was a tough call between this and the Seyval Blanc.  A deep plum color, the nose is soft and fruity, and in the mouth the wine is more complex than I anticipated.  I tasted notes of both plum and cherry, and while a drier wine, there’s a light touch of sweetness which gives the wine sweetness.  The finish is smooth, and this wine would pair well with meat dishes such a s beef, pork, lamb or veal.

In 2009, Savino won their first medal, a bronze, for the 2007 St. Croix in the Amenti Del Vino International Wine Competition.  Congratulations!

2007 Merlot Produced from grapes that are brought in from California, the Merlot is both spicy and earthy.  A medium garnet color, the nose is sharp, with notes of spice, including pepper, and earthy.  In the mouth, there are notes of cherry combined with spices, again I tasted pepper, and a smoky earthiness.  The finish had slightly bitter notes, which when tasted on it’s own is a bit off-putting, but when paired with food may smooth out and add a depth and complexity that could be very interesting.

Despite it’s size, Savino Vineyards produces some very nice, very interesting wines.  I will definitely be returning early in the Season in 2010 (the winery opens to the public again in May) to sample the Frontenac and Cabernet Franc.   Don’t be deterred by the fact that the tasting room isn’t large enough to settle in and hang out all day, it’s definitely worth a stop.

Savino Vineyards
125 Ford Road
Woodridge, Connecticut 06525
203-387-1573
savinovineyards@sbcglobalnet
Savino Vineyards does not yet have a website

Open Saturdays & Sundays, 12:00-5:00
May 15th – December 15th

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

White Silo has been producing wines for 8 years, and has taken an interesting approach to their wines, creating both a dry and a semi-sweet, which they label “dessert” wines, version of four farm-grown fruits: Rhubarb, Blackberry, Raspberry and Black Currant.  This is the first time I’ve seen any winery create contrasting pairs of all their wines, and it makes for an interesting tasting.

A tasting includes your choice of 5 of the wines.   And, while I had missed Christy’s presence on the drive over, I found myself really regretting that she had been unable to make the trip once I saw the tasting menu.  If she had been with me, we could have coordinated a full tasting menu tasting all pairs (except the Raspberry as they were out of the sweet Raspberry wine that day).  As it was, I settled for a tasting of four of the wines (2 dry, 2 sweet) and a tasting of their Blackberry Sangria.

Dry Wines

Rhubarb I wasn’t sure what to expect from a Rhubarb wine, but this was a pleasant surprise.  The nose is light and floral, and the wine while definitely dry has a light sweetness from the rhubarb which provides some character to the wine.  Both the aroma and taste of the rhubarb are subtle, although there is a very slightly bitter finish to the wine.  I’m not sure if that’s from the fruit or from the dryness of the wine.  It’s not off-putting, but it was present.

Raspberry The first thing I noticed about this wine is the color, a lovely rosy pink color which sparkles in the glass.  The nose has definite notes of raspberry but, like the rhubarb wine, is not overpowering.  In the mouth, the wine has a hint of sweetness from the raspberry, which, again like the rhubarb, is definitely present but not overpowering.  The wine finishes with a light touch of acid, and again, just a slight bitterness.  Having experienced this a second time, I suspect it’s a result of the dryness.

Semi-Sweet (Dessert) Wines

Blackberry A pale ruby color, with a soft nose with light notes of blackberry, the semi-sweet Blackberry is a crisp, pleasant, drinkable wine.  The notes of blackberry are noticeable but not overpowering, and the sweetness is balanced by a nice touch of acid.  I don’t know that I would call this a “dessert” wine, however; it doesn’t have the rich silkiness that I associate with sauternes, late harvest or ice wines, and while sweeter than the dry wines, it is not so sweet that it precludes it from being paired with food.  This would be a great sipping wine for a hot summer afternoon, and I wasn’t surprised to hear that White Silo uses this as the base for their Sangria.

Cassis This is the semi-sweet version of White Silo’s Black Currant wine.  A light garnet color, the nose is soft with notes of black currant and plum.  In the mouth the wine is soft, velvety and rich with notes of black currant and a hint of raspberry, interestingly.  This, more than the Blackberry, struck me as being a dessert wine – the black currants provide a depth and a richness that is very satisfying and would make a great finish to a meal.  White Silo also suggests combining this with Vodka for a Black Currant Martini.

Blackberry Sangria Billed as the “House Specialty” on the tasting notes, White Silo’s Blackberry Sangria is “1 part Dry Rhubarb and 1 part Sweet Blackberry Wine.”  The result was my favorite of the White Silo offerings that afternoon.  An interesting cloudy rose color, the Sangria is a nice blend of both the rhubarb and the blackberry with neither fruit overpowering the other.  Served chilled, this is a very refreshing wine and perfect for a summer afternoon.  White Silo bottles and sells their Blackberry Sangria in a special two-bottle gift pack.

White Silo sells all their wines through their website, and offers a 10% case discount and 1 cent shipping on purchases of 3 or more bottles.

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Recently, I ran across this question on a message board (if you can call LinkedIn that):

Should the “Eat Local” ethic apply to wine as well?

Not surprisingly alot of the commenters couldn’t see the point of extending that philosophy to what they drank. Some because “freshness” isn’t exactly a quality sought in wine, others because of economics of the restaurant business or the wine business. Naturally, I have a point of view. Here is what I wrote:

What would you think about a San Francisco restaurant that REFUSED to sell California wine?

That is exactly what local wineries all over the country face.

And by wineries, I am NOT referring to ambitious hobbyists making wine in their basement (like I do) but rather licensed and bonded wineries which exist in every state of our nation. Without retail and restaurant exposure these wineries remain undiscovered gems. “Local” may be seen as environmentally friendly and good policy when it comes to foodstuffs, but in the wine world has become synonymous with “inferior”. Why? Because there is no recognition for these wines because the distributors control all the marbles. Without distribution, the chances of a wine ending up on a restaurant menu or in your local liquor store are close to nil. And of course, without name recognition, most distributors won’t be bothered with a winery.

What bothers me are people who recognize the positives that come from supporting local producers but drawing the line a local wine. If you are going to promote locavorism then you should support locapourism too.

Think about the restaurants that you frequent. Do they serve local wine? Do they talk about “local” produce? If they do, ask for a local wine pairing. And tell us if they have one. I would love to start a listing of restaurants that carry local wine.

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

New Year’s Eve – the time to look back over the previous year and look ahead to the coming year.

2009 was a great year for us at Vino Verve: Gretchen became an officer of the Illinois Wine Consumer Coalition and was invited to participate on a panel discussion with Bill Daley, wine critic for the Chicago Tribune, and Anthony Terlato, President of the Terlato Wine Group.  I began branching out beyond Connecticut, exploring wineries in nearby New Jersey and Rhode Island, and along the way picking up new wine-trail-buddies, Christy Sherard and Maree Prendergast.  Kevin took advantage of his frequent business travel to discover wine venues in unexpected places, including discovering a new trend of locating upscale wine bars in major airports.  And while Rory has been relatively quiet with regards to Vino Verve, he’s been busy behind the scenes attending business school and keeping Kevin and Gretchen well-connected within the Chicago wine scene.

But most important, to my mind, 2009 was the year we truly found our voice.  Ever since Gretchen founded Vino Verve almost 3 years ago, there has been a focus on “local” – things we discovered, things we drank, winemakers or sommeliers we met, etc.  But as I look back over 2009, I can see a progression as we continued to define and refine exactly what we’re all about here at Vino Verve, a change that’s also reflected in the blog’s redesign, courtesy of Gretchen, our editor, and the creation of the Win(e)ding Roads and Better Know an AVA sections to help us organize our explorations.

I’ve seen a similar progression in myself  - what started as an occasional hobby has become a passion, something I look forward to and plan for.   In 2009,  I visited over 30 wineries and explored almost every nook and cranny of Connecticut along the way. Christy and I visited our first wine expo and participated in a phenomenal seminar, the Frescobaldi Grand Cru.  I joined Snooth and became the curator for the Connecticut Group page – although I have been lax and haven’t updated anything recently; need to get back to that. I attended some great Spring and Harvest Festivals at area wineries and met some great people, who now recognize me (and I them) when I stop by the winery.  And along the way I’ve learned a lot – I think my posts have improved over the year, and I know my palate has.

So with all that in mind, what’s ahead for 2010?

First and foremost, I’m on track to finish the Connecticut Wine Trail by March – there are just a few wineries left that I have yet to visit, one of which, Taylor Brooke Winery, I’ll be heading out to this afternoon before they close for the season.

Come January 23rd you’ll find me in Boston at the Boston Wine Expo for the Corton Charlemagne and Corton Grancey: The Great Grand Cru’s of Maison Louis Latour and the Alain Junguenet: A Collection of 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Super Cuvées seminars.  A locapour focus does not preclude one from taking advantage of opportunities to sample some of the world’s great wines when given the chance.  And the following Saturday will find me in southeast Connecticut at the Mohegan Sun Winefest and the Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay: It’s All About Terroir seminar.

By mid-March, once I wrap up Connecticut, it’s on to Rhode Island and then by early Summer, Massachusetts.

Come July is the Wine Blogger’s Convention, which Gretchen will be attending, and I, if I can afford it.  If not, then perhaps a long weekend in Philadelphia with day trips to explore southern New Jersey wine country or a trip up to Niagara Falls and a comparison of the Canadian Niagara wine region and the wineries of the US Niagara Escarpment.

And with the turning of the leaves, it’s Harvest Festival time.

Throughout the year I’m looking forward to my newest tradition – monthly wine excursions with some new wine-trail-buddies, a group of friends from work.  We call ourselves the “Sisters of The Connecticut Wine Trail” (SOTs for short), and we pick one Saturday or Sunday a month and head out to check out a couple of local wineries.  While we’ll spend most of our time in Connecticut, we are planning a long day trip to the North Fork of Long Island at some point – one of my favorite wine regions in the Northeast. If you’re in a Connecticut Winery and there’s a group of women off in a corner having way too much fun – that will be us!

I also want to continue to refine my focus – spending more time getting to know the winemakers and the history behind the wineries.  One of the things I’m considering for 2010 is a new series on the winemakers of Connecticut – we’ll see how it shapes up.

So here’s to a great 2010!

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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

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

As we pulled into Cassidy Hill Vineyards that September afternoon, we passed a couple of women who were walking up the road, presumably from nearby homes.  Comfortably ensconced on the porch was a group that also appeared to be local and knew the owners and staff well.  Cassidy Hill is obviously a local favorite, and the mix of “wine trailers” like us and “locals” hanging out for a bit on a Sunday afternoon helped create a very relaxed atmosphere despite the number of people in the Tasting Room that afternoon.  It was a nice contrast to the jostling crowds we had found at the larger wineries in the southeast corner of the state.

We were warmly welcomed as we walked through the door, and the staff immediately presented us with the option of standing at the bar or taking a table.  After opting for a table, the staff came over immediately with glasses, the tasting menu and the first wine of the afternoon…

2008 Riesling Overall a nice Riesling and, surprisingly given how many Connecticut Rieslings have been tending towards the drier range, with the familiar sweetness that I’ve come to expect from Rieslings.  I can best describe the nose as “pretty”: bright, floral with soft notes of melon.  In the mouth the wine is sweet with notes of honeysuckle and a nice balance of acid at the end.  While I’m not generally a big Riesling fan and found some of the drier Connecticut Rieslings more interesting, this is a pleasant wine and would pair well with a wide variety of food.

2007 Chardonnay Cassidy Hill Vineyards produces two Chardonnays; the Reserve Chardonnay (see below) which is oaked, and the Chardonnay which is unoaked.  Described by our host as fruity but dry, this wine had more complexity than I originally anticipated.  Crisp and refreshing, the nose is soft and light with hints of pear and in the mouth has grassy notes with touches of green pepper and pear.  The mouth feel is soft and silky with just a light tartness on the finish which provides a bit of depth.  Overall not a bad wine, and people who prefer “clean” (i.e. unoaked) wines should definitely like this one.  As for me, while I found it interesting, I definitely preferred the Reserve.

2007 Reserve Chardonnay Like the 2007 Chardonnay, the Reserve Chardonnay has soft notes of pear and a light tartness on the finish, but the oaking provides the additional depth of a buttery richness that balances the fruit nicely.  No one note is overpowering in either the nose or the mouth.  The nose is soft and light with just hints of apple and pear.  In the mouth, the wine is lush with nicely balanced notes of both apple and pear.   The oak is not strong and provides some depth that I felt may have been lacking in the unoaked Chardonnay.

Summer Breeze A blush wine, this is a blend of Cayuga, Vignoles, Trement, Sevyal Blanc and Strawberries – an interesting combination.  Upon hearing the list I was anticipating an overly sweet wine with strong notes of strawberry.  The result, however, was quite surprising.  If you didn’t know the blend included strawberries, you would from the nose, but while the strawberry aroma is distinct, it is not overpowering.  In fact the softness of the nose was one of the first surprises – the strawberry notes are delightful and almost floral in their delicacy.  The next surprise came with the first sip – while sweet the wine isn’t nearly as sweet as I had anticipated.  As with the nose, the strawberries are definitely present, but not overpowering, and there’s a pleasant tartness that balances out the sweetness.   This would be a great picnic or porch wine for a lazy summer afternoon.

Grandview This is the first of the two reds on the tasting menu that afternoon.  Made from estate-grown Chambourcin grapes, this was another wine that took me slightly by surprise.  I haven’t encountered many primarily Chambourcin wines, usually finding Chambourcin as part of a blend.  A medium-bodied wine, the nose is soft and subtle with notes of black currant.  In the mouth the wine is smooth and fruity with notes of black cherries, black currants and a touch of licorice from the oaking.  The finish is soft but there’s a brightness that I’m finding is very common in reds grown from cold-climate varietals and is a bit of the hallmark of northeastern US reds.   It’s difficult, if not impossible, to get the true character of wine from a 1oz tasting, and I was intrigued enough by this one to say that it’s definitely a wine I will be coming back to try again.

2008 Merlot In all honesty, I’m always a bit trepidatious about Connecticut Merlots.  Merlot is not a grape that does well in our climate, and even with importing grapes, the results are usually are lighter-bodied and not as complex as the Merlots you’ll find from other, warmer, regions.   Still, for Connecticut Merlots this wasn’t bad.  The nose is dominated by strong notes of pepper.  In the mouth the wine is earthy and spicy, a nice change from the fruitiness that predominates in Connecticut reds.  The tasting notes indicate notes of dark plum and blackberry, and while present, they were very very subtle and balanced by the notes of spice and pepper.  The oak provided notes of smoke and licorice which provided some additional depth.  It’s still a lighter-bodied wine than you’ll find in a west coast Merlot, but it’s an interesting wine, particularly if given time to breathe.

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

Having finally finished writing up my notes from my various summer excursions, it’s time to turn our attention back to Connecticut.  I’m actually getting very close to completing my tour of Connecticut Wineries.

I started out following the Connecticut Wine Trail – first the wineries of the Western Trail situated primarily in the Litchfield Hills, and then on the Eastern Trail where most of the wineries fall along the coast.  Along the way I discovered that the Connecticut Wine Trail is not comprehensive – in fact, there are about 10 wineries in the state that aren’t listed on the Wine Trail.  Turns out, inclusion on the wine trail requires a monthly membership fee, one which some of the newer and smaller wineries have opted not to pay at this point.

That’s the case for today’s winery, Cassidy Hill Vineyard.  During general conversation, I learned that membership in the Connecticut Wine Trail runs about $200 per month, and in Cassidy Hill’s case, they weren’t yet convinced that the Wine Trail website drove enough extra traffic to member wineries to justify the expense.  All wineries, whether they are part of the Wine Trail or not, are listed as part of the Connecticut Farm Trust and included in the Passport program which the Trust runs every year.  Which also explains why there were more than 30 wineries listed in the 2009 Passport but only 26 listed on the Wine Trail website.

Located in Coventry, Connecticut – about 20 minutes from Hartford and close to the University of Connecticut’s main campus at Storrs, Cassidy Hill is tucked away down a long country road.  Surrounded by farmland and vineyards, the tasting room and winery is a log-cabin inspired building with a shape that evokes the tobacco barns that still dot the central areas of the state.   A long patio stretches 1/2 way along the front of the building and has outdoor seating for a good 10-15 people.

Inside the space is light and airy with wood-paneled walls, high oak beams along the ceiling and a welcoming mix of comfortable chairs and bistro tables for guests who want to relax and stay awhile.   A large L-shaped bar is tucked into the back corner of the main room; the bar could hold 12-15 people and the tables set up around the room could easily hold another 30 or so.   That afternoon I had managed to entice Christy back onto the wine trail with me, and as we entered we greeted by a very friendly staff who, despite the fact that they were fairly busy that afternoon gave us the option of having our tasting at the bar or at one of the tables.  That was a pleasant surprise – many of the other wineries aren’t able to accomodate tastings at the tables unless the winery is absolutely dead that afternoon.  But not only was it an option, but the staff was able to keep up with the demand and as far as I could see no one had to wait long in between the individual pourings.

The afternoon we visited the tasting menu included 6 wines, 3 whites, 1 blush and 2 reds.  The tasting, which includes all six wines, is $5 and you can purchase the logo glass for an additional $3.  Glasses of wine are $5 and the the winery provides a 10% discount on a case of wine.  For details about the wines we tasted that afternoon, check back here on Christmas Eve.

Since we’ve stopped by in early September, they’ve added some new wines to their menu, including a Late Harvest Vidal, and have 3 new wines scheduled for 2010 release.  Definitely worth a trip back, particularly given Coventry is practically my backyard!

If you’re planning a trip to Cassidy Hill, I also recommend a stop at Dmitri’s restaurant, also in Coventry – a Greek-American bistro, it’s quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in Connecticut, and they have the best gyros I’ve had outside of Chicago’s Greektown.  If you’re coming from Hartford or points west, Dmitri’s is right on the way.

Look for “The Wines of Cassidy Hill” here at Vino Verve on 12/24.

Cassidy Hill Vineyard
454 Cassidy Hill Road
Coventry, Connecticut 06238
Tasting Room Hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

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