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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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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