Vermont’s Wine Future

Topic of Discussion with Grape Growers OCT 30

There is a lot of buzz going on in Vermont grape growing circles, albeit still a concentrically small circle, but nevertheless growing as it hums about a newly released cold hardy grape varietal. On Friday, October 30th, Vermont estate winemakers will speak about the future of Vermont wine at a special dinner to be held at Hemingway’s.

Derived from the University of Minnesota Horticultural Research Center, the hybrid vine, Marquette, has been planted by at least two Vermont wineries with excellent results in barrel and now in bottle.

Withstanding temperatures as low as -36° F Marquette brings a ray of sunshine to what used to be a cloudy Vermont wine future. Not only does it survive cold, but also it is disease resistant and makes a quality wine. Time, terroir, and wine making skills will eventually distinguish Vermont wines from each other and from the rest of the world.

There is also buzz about maintaining integrity in wine labeling in our small state. A recently formed Vermont Grape and Wine Council has become necessary for the 20 or so wineries that now exist from 25 years ago. Some members are pushing for self-regulatory guidelines mandating that grapes be grown in state if labels proffer Vermont wine. They contend that blending or sole use of viniferous grapes grown in warmer areas should be specified and in limited amounts. (Vitus vinifera grapes are common European varietals such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot noir that have traditionally set the standard in producing excellent wines.)

Addressing this concern, Lincoln Peak Vineyard, for example, has this statement on their website about “Vermont wine, or ‘Vermont’ wine.

It's great to see the Vermont wine industry take off, but consumers should be aware that not all the wine that's sold by Vermont wineries is made from Vermont grapes. Some ‘Vermont’ wine isn't even made in Vermont. It's made in other states and simply bottled in Vermont. This wine may be perfectly delicious, and there may be situations where importing fruit is necessary -- when a new Vermont winery's own vineyard hasn't yet come into production, or when bad weather reduces the grape crop. But in the long run, I'm convinced that to gain identity and respect as a wine region, Vermont wineries need to grow and produce our own unique wines. As the largest grape grower in the state, I'm encouraging other Vermont wineries to produce the delicious wines that truly have the taste of our special place.

100% of the grapes in Lincoln Peak wine are grown here, and (barring weather disasters) always will be.”

We have held a series of harvest dinners at Hemingway's featuring local farmers since 1990, because we always enjoy educating the public to the pleasures of the table, and to the artful pairing of food and wine. Come taste, listen, learn, and enjoy with us!

Hyper Vine Longing for Sunshine: Ray Knutsen, Vermont Winemaker Part 1

We spent the afternoon with Ray Knutsen at his vineyard and winery in Benson, Vermont. He is enthusiasm on steroids--the epitome of the garage wine mechanic. Able to leap large ideas in a single bound, he planted his first vines in the mid-seventies, going through the maelstrom of trying to bring vinifera to Vermont only to emerge years later as a sort of Guru of hybrid varietals. Based on his extensive research, trial and error, and uncompromising honesty about what can really work on a cold hilltop in Vermont instead of the Elysium slopes of the Côtes d’Or in France.

Ourselves being Vermonters for 30 plus years (don’t say that to a local) our first question was what we thought the obvious one: “How much cold can these guys handle?”

Answer: “40 below.” Ray nosedives his hand and then levels off. ”No vines like a major change from say 20 degrees to 30 below, but these Minnesota hybrids do fine here.”

But it’s not the bigger deal here in Vermont this year. What is, is rot, WEATHER, rain, mold, mildew, numerous fungi. The University of Minnesota being the vanguard of hybridizing vinifera so places like there and here can grow grapes and make wine. We suspect they are working on fungi after Ray animates the plucking of weaker strains from the test beds.

Free association now from Ray, a vortex of information on lessons learned in Minnesota, the dizzying number of vines tested each year, their process of elimination, the how’s and why’s of The University of Minnesota’s snail pace when it comes to releasing new hybrid grapes. I mean we are mortal, so if you want to get a leg up and move forward in the Vermont wine world you may have to live to be 200!

We try some Le Crescent out of one of the stainless tanks, reminiscent of Riesling, but a bit edgier, with less of the petroleum nose we’re used to in some European Rieslings. Clean, tight, a food wine as they say. Then we spit and miraculously the three of us all begin to crow about chewable, flabby, cream-soda-like, monster, American Chardonnays with alcohol levels that could kill off a sumo wrester after two sips. And they are not all cheap wines!

Ride of the Valkyries: Ray Knudsen, Vermont Winemaker Part 2

The pirate Ray leaps towards a single barrel, “This may put us on the map!” He plunges his thief into the barrel. It’s Marquette (hybrids are named after towns in Minnesota) planted about three years ago. Wild cherries jumping out of the glass, spice and pepper with soft tannins. We think a softer version of a northern Rhone. There is only one barrel made.

“Wanna see the vineyards? Want this barrel? Wait. Dump. Wash. Here! Try this. It’s the base for my forthcoming sparkling." We get a fine Muscat aftertaste, yet of the clean finish in Champagne. Stay with this one Ray.

We follow Ray bouncing atop his ATV towards the vineyards. We’ve lived on the top of more than one mountain for near 20 years, yet Ray makes us feel suburban. At about 600 feet there is a sweep of land with 50 plus rows of grapes and a well-trodden road cut down the middle. The canopies, so familiar elsewhere, are different here--propped up along wires on posts that Ray has sunk himself over the years. They droop a bit, almost a cower compared to the vinfera vines that stand at attention and say, “I am the proud bearer of the fruit of centuries.”

“What’s going on Ray?”

“The hybrids grow down, vinifera grow up.” That simple.

“What happened to those few rows?” we ask, pointing down hill.

“Scrawny, huh? Minnesota thinks they may be too ugly or shabby or whatever. No official name yet. But it could be the future of red wine in Vermont.”

Okay one last thing. We storm back down to the winery, replete with a pile of rocks nearly blocking the door and raspberries ripe for harvest just an arms length away.

“Don’t think I need to have a tasting room for everyone, what do you think?’

We agree. “You don’t need tire kickers.”

You Know Thaaat! Ray pops a small bottle of a chilled wine that looks like sherry, smells a bit like Marsala and tastes like almonds soaking in apricots and apples.

“I had these extra grapes and didn’t know what to do with them so instead of throwing them out I called my friend, Chris Granstrom, who is also a winemaker in Vermont. We decided to haul them upstate and for no good reason to rent some locker space and freeze all of them whole and deal with them later. Want do you think?”

“Ice wine?” we asked

“Ice wine … sort of. A wine taster from Spain came by after we bottled it told and said we were sitting on a treasure.”

“It would go great with the dessert course on our wine tasting menu at Hemingway’s.”

“Agreed.”

We took the last little sip of our “non-spitter” and invited Ray to do a Vermont winemakers dinner in October with a few of his fellow winemakers.

“Of course,” he replied.

We got into the car and drove down the hill towards Fair Haven and then across to Rutland thinking, "We're going to have fun at our end of October dinner!"