September, 2003
In early August we spent a week in Vermont on a family vacation. Between
touring the Ben & Jerry’s factory and driving the rural countryside, we visited a
handful of Vermont wineries. And while weather and history work against
these winemakers, they are making progress and producing some
interesting and improving wines.
Vermont is a pretty cold place to grow a crop as susceptible to frost as wine
grapes. As a result, most of the local grapes are hybrids created to be hardy
in cold weather. So you frequently find unfamiliar wines made from Seyval
Blanc, Baco Noir and Cayuga. These grapes are also found in other cold
weather regions including Michigan and Wisconsin. These wines are not
particularly elegant or age-worthy, but they can be pleasant enough and add a
local flavor to a visit.
Many of the Vermont wineries also produce wines from fruit other than grapes.
Wines such as cherry, dandelion and cranberry may have a bad reputation,
but we tried several that while different, were still tasty.
The winery highlight of the trip was Snow Farm Winery located on South Hero,
an island on beautiful Lake Champlain. From a small stage off the back of
the winery a local band, the Rhythm Rockets, played oldies while 200 locals—
and a few tourists — danced and enjoyed the wine and a picnic. It was a
great summer evening.
Back to Wine Regions.
Back to Wine, Food & Travel.
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