Posts Tagged ‘ Gouveia Vineyards ’

Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

I was on my own during this recent foray into Connecticut’s Eastern Wine Trail.  Christy, my normal wine trail buddy, had out of town guests that weekend and had to take a pass, and I found myself feeling more than a little lonely as I headed down I-91 to Wallingford.

But fate, if not the sun, was smiling on me that day, and I arrived at Gouveia just after another couple. They had just started their tasting, so I was able to quickly join in to both the tasting and the conversation.  Turns out they, like me, are also recent relocatees to Connecticut, coming from California, where he used to work for Gallo.  Unfortunately, I didn’t write down their names, but we spent a very pleasant 45 minutes talking about the joys of discovering your new home state one winery at a time.

Having finished the whites, we then all proceeded on to the Reds; Gouveia produces 4 Reds and 1 Rosé, but that afternoon’s tasting menu had only two of the reds available.

Stone House Red   Gouveia’s most popular red wine, the Stone House Red is a blend of zinfandel, merlot and cabernet franc grapes, aged for 12 months in American and French oak.   A dry wine, the nose has lovely notes of black cherries with their crisp tang and hint of sweetness.  Medium-bodied, the wine has nice notes of fruit, black cherry again and perhaps blackberry…  It’s nicely balanced, and the oak adds a touch of “toast” that gives the wine an interesting finish.   The Stone House Red is also a 2008 Big E Gold Medal Winner.

Cabernet Franc  A full-bodied red with lovely notes of cherry.   The color is a medium-ruby color with a slight matte finish.  The nose is bright with strong notes of cherry and other berries.  In the mouth, the wine is nicely blended, and the fruit notes are pleasant without being overpowering.  The wine is aged for 16 months in American and French Oak.  This is a very nice wine, and my favorite of the afternoon.

While not available on the tasting menu that afternoon, Gouveia also produces a Merlot, “a deep purple-colored wine with complex aromas and a touch of spiciness and blackberry”; and the Whirlwind Rosé, “a semi-sweet, crisp blend of … Cabernet Franc, Seyval Blanc, and Chardonnay.”

As I headed off to the next winery, I sent Christy a quick text letting her know we needed to come back – with dinner – some Saturday evening.  Soon!

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

The tasting started, as all tastings do, with the Whites.  Gouveia produces five whites, 3 of which were available on the tasting menu the day I stopped by.  First up was the

Chardonnay Oak  This is a dry Chardonnay aged 12 months in American Oak.  The color is a pale yellow – almost, but not quite straw.  The nose is delicate with pleasant floral notes which set a nice tone for the wine without being overpowering.  In the mouth, the wine is slightly buttery and has a slight acidity which balances the wine nicely.  The oak is a nice complement, producing a faint smokiness which rounds out the wine without overwhelming it.

Gouveia also produces a Chardonnay that is aged 12 months in stainless steel; the tasting notes indicate is a “non-traditional varietal.”  Unfortunately it wasn’t available the day I stopped by, but I plan on stopping by some Saturday evening soon and buying a bottle of both the oak-fermentation and the stainless steel fermentation and sampling them back-to-back.  I’m always fascinated by the contrasts between similar wines produced by the same vineyard.

After the Chardonnay, we proceeded to the

Cayuga White   Cayuga is a popular grape in Connecticut.  Originally developed in the Finger Lakes region of New York, it is a hardy grape that grows well in colder climates, like Connecticut.  Gouveia’s Cayuga is a semi-dry, crisp and refreshing white wine.  Like the Chardonnay, it is also a pale yellow, almost straw color.  The nose has lovely notes of citrus, particularly grapefruit, and peach.  In the mouth, the citrus and the peach provide a really nice balance – the peach smoothing out some of the acidity and sharpness of the citrus while also providing a touch of sweetness. 

And the whites finished with the

Stone House White  A semi-sweet wine, the Stone House White is a blend of Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc and Vignoles fermented primarily in stainless steel.  The color is a lovely light golden-yellow, and the nose has notes of grass and hints of green pepper.  The wine is definitely the sweetest of the three whites I tried that day, and while the wine is nicely blended in the mouth, I found I preferred the drier Chardonnay and Cayuga wines.

While not available for tasting on the day I visited, Gouveia also produces a Seyval Blanc, “a crisp, white wine with a hint of fruit”; and the Chardonnay Steel, “a non-traditional varietal aged for 12 months in stainless steel.”

With that we rinsed glasses and palates and moved on to the Reds…

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

My first stop on Connecticut’s Eastern Wine Trail was Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford, CT.  About 30 minutes south and slightly east of Hartford, Gouveia is easy to reach from the I-91 highway.  The vineyards are owned by Joe and Lucy Gouveia, who purchased the property in 1999 and opened to the public in the Fall of 2004.  There are currently 24 acres under cultivation, and the winery produces approximately 60,000 bottles (5,000 cases) per year.  Gouveia produces nine wines, 5 whites, 1 rosé, and 3 reds, and feature seyval, chardonnay, vignoles, cayuga, cabernet franc, zinfandel and merlot grapes.

The Tasting Room is very large, and I learned later that the original space was expanded in 2007.  As you walk in, your eyes are immediately drawn to two things: the gorgeous views through the almost floor-to-ceiling windows that line the outer walls of the room, and a massive stone double-sided fireplace in the middle of the space which serves as a divider between the two rooms.  The main room, which I believe was the original space, takes up the back 2/3 of the Tasting Room.  The interior is designed in the style of a lodge – a high post and beam ceiling, which means no nails were used in the construction, and walls trimmed in the same golden yellow oak as the beams in the ceiling.  With enough tables and chairs to seat at least 60 people in the back room and probably another 40 or so in the front room, and a sofa and some comfortable chairs for relaxing near the fire, this is one of the most charming tasting rooms I’ve ever seen. 

The outside walls of the room, as I mentioned above, are all glass – large glass windows that run almost floor to ceiling and take advantage of the beautiful views overlooking the fields and the vineyards.  Even on a gray, rainy early Spring Sunday afternoon,  the windows framed the stark beauty of the fog hovering low over the neat rows of vines just waiting to wake again with the green buds of Spring.

The space was designed to be a place where people could come, relax and spend a few hours; a “little, private country club,” if you will.  This is definitely a recipe for success – on the weekends, Gouveia can easily fill the large space with people, many of them regulars, who bring dinner or snacks and come to hang out with the owners, meet other people and generally just have a great afternoon and evening.  According to Lucy Gouveia, Fall is heir most popular time, as people come as much for the views of the Fall colors and sunsets as for the wine and company.  Each Saturday from 4-7, Gouveia offers live music, and often people will clear floor space for dancing.  

Gouveia sells their wine only through the winery, but they do accept orders through their website.  They also recently started a wine club, and you can contact them directly for more details.

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