By Ray Spaziani
Wine Talk
Ray Spaziani
Some 30 years ago I suggested to my oldest brother, who is a great home winemaker, let’s go into the wine business. His reply to me was, “Ray, there is one way to make a small fortune in the wine business. Start out with a large fortune.”
My brother is 20 years my senior, so I took his advice and kept my efforts to my garage winery. Thank goodness many people did not.
Connecticut now has 56 wineries. Trips to these wineries can make a wonderful summer outing. Winemakers love to have guests come and try their wines. The wineries without exception are beautiful, and the wines range from good to spectacular. Here is a list of some of my favorites.
Aquila’s Nest Vineyard is in Newtown and sits on a 40-acre estate. It has a large picnic area and the wines are great.
Arrigoni Winery is in Portland. It is located on a farm that dates back to the 1800s. It includes a restored barn, wine tasting room, a New England-style gift shop. There is live entertainment. It also has a picnic area, a covered pavilion and patio.
Bethlehem Vineyard & Winery is in Bethlehem. Visiting the winery is an invitation to visit the owners’ home. The tasting room is located in the basement. The wines are made from estate-grown grapes. The labels depict local artwork that promote the town’s people and heritage. This is Connecticut’s “Christmas Town.”
Bishop’s Orchards Farm Market & Winery is a fun stop for the whole family. Six generations of Bishops have been serving Connecticut. They have a great farm market, a pick-your-own fruits section, a great bakery and kitchen. And their fruit wines are award winners. They are members of the Connecticut Wine Trail and have daily vineyard tours and tastings.
Brignole Winery sits on 15 acres and is family owned. It has a gorgeous, newly-built winery located in East Granby on Hartford Avenue and is open Wednesday through Saturday.
Cassidy Hill Vineyard is in Coventry. It has a log cabin winery with wonderful views and that is open on weekends.
Chamard Vineyards is located on 40 acres along the shoreline. It has a state-of-the-art tasting room.
Marlborourgh features Chateau Le’ Gari’. It has two large picnic areas, a large tasting room and two lounges. The patios both have spectacular views.
Connecticut Valley Winery has a great old-world setting. The winery has a great tasting room, gift ship and a scenic vineyard. It is located in New Hartford.
Cristal Ridge is a winery located in South Glastonbury. It is also family owned and operated and has a great view of Hartford. It is open on Friday through Sunday and has a cozy tasting room.
In Preston is a winery that has won several international and domestic awards. Daliceeli Elizabeth is open from noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
DiGrazia Vineyard & Winery, located in Brookfield, is a popular family-run winery. It offers guided tours and tastings.
Haight-Brown Vineyard was established by Sherman Haight in 1975 as the first vineyard in Connecticut. They produced Chardonnays and Rieslings that were exceptional. Now it’s on a 20 acre estate that produces several wine varietals. It is located in Litchfield. They are great wine people willing to share their wine knowledge at all levels.
Litchfield Hills is nestled between the Berkshires of Massachusetts and the Hudson Valley. It features breathtaking rural scenery.
Joe Gouveia has a wonderful winery at the top of Whirlwind Hill in Wallingford. He is great guy who makes good wines, but his venue is spectacular. The view is so wonderful; you could be in the south of France. It is a great experience.
Hawk Ridge Winery is located in Watertown. They have award-winning wines, beer, food and 60 acres of land to enjoy.
Heartstone farm and winery is located in Columbia. It has a nice patio that overlooks the vineyard. You are welcome to bring food and enjoy.
Hopkins Vineyard is above the shores of beautiful lake Waramaug in Litchfield Hills. They have a unique micro-climate influenced by the lake that results in an extended growing season. It has been family owned since 1787. It offers a wine bar, picnic area and shopping.
Other wineries include Jerram Winery in New Hartford, Jonathan Edwards in North Stonington and Land of Nod Winery in East Canaan. In Lebanon there is Lebanon Green Vineyards, in Granby Lost Acres Vineyard and in Ledyard Maugle Sierra Vineyards & Winery. Paradise Hills Vineyard & Winery is in Wallingford, Preston Ridge Vineyard is in Preston and Priam Vineyards is in Colchester. Roabianca Vineyards is located in Northford and is doing a great job. Rose Vineyards & Winery is located in North Branford. Saltwater Farm Vineyard is in Stonington and rests on 100 acres.
One of my personal favorites is Savino Vineyards on Ford Road in Woodbridge. Genarro Savino is a great guy and his wines are good to terrific. The tasting room is great, and the staff is wonderful.
In Pomfret there is a vineyard called Sharpe Hill that is located on 100 acres. The wines are well-considered.
Then there is Orange’s own Stappa Vineyards off Route 34. It is a gorgeous location and the quality of the wines is improving. It has a great picnic area and wonderful picturesque surroundings.
You can go to CTvisit.com and find out the times the different vineyards are open and lots of other information. Go to our wonderful vineyards in Connecticut. The locations are spectacular. You’ll be glad you did.
Ray Spaziani is the chapter director of the New Haven chapter of the American Wine Society. He is on the tasting panels of Winemaker Magazine and Amate del Vino and is a certified wine educator and award-winning home winemaker. Email Ray with your wine questions or activities at realestatepro1000@gmail.com.