The movie “Sideways” opened the eyes of many to the adventure of tasting wines at one’s local winery. It may come as a surprise that there are over sixty wineries in the New England region, many of which are open to visit, tour, and taste the wines made from grapes grown right at that vineyard. In this column I will begin by introducing you to the grape varieties that are grown and used to make the wines in New England. In future issues we will tour some of the vineyards and wineries of the Merrimack Valley and the surrounding New England states.
Viticulture is the science of growing grapes. There are many factors that determine which grapes will grow best at a particular site. These include climate, slope, soil, sun, rain, and disease pressure. By far the most important of these is climate, in particular how cold a site gets during winter, and how long the growing season extends over summer.
There are approximately sixty species of grape. The most important of these is Vitis vinifera, a species composed of over 2,000 varieties, including all of the premium varieties. Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah are but a few of the familiar names of this species. Vitis vinifera originated in Europe and Asia and was brought to the New World by the European settlers. Many of these varieties are cold tender, sustaining winter injury when the temperature drops below 0°F, or require a long a growing season to mature. Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir are grown in some of the more favorable locations of New England.
The other fifty-nine grape species are found in the New World. Vitis labrusca, one of the more common species, includes the varieties Concord, Niagara, Delaware, and Diamond. These grapes make excellent jelly and juice, but produce what most consider mediocre wines. However, they are more cold hardy, disease resistant, and ripen earlier than the vinifera grapes.
To counter some of the problems relating to cold hardiness, season length, disease pressure, and juice quality, French botanists crossed the European vinifera varieties with some of the American varieties and developed what are now known as French-American hybrids. These new varieties overcome many of the above problems. Examples include Aurore, Seyval, Vignoles, Vidal, Maréchal Foch, Leon Millot, and Chancellor. A number of the University Agricultural Stations, most notably Cornell, have developed hybrids including Cayuga White, Traminette, Noriet, and Valvin. Many of these varieties are grown extensively in central and coastal New England. Finally, there is a group of hybrids developed at the University of Minnesota that have opened the door to wine growing in parts of northern Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Two of these varieties include Frantenac and LaCresant.
Because of their cold hardiness, the hybrid grapes are the most widely grown varieties in the East. While the names of these varieties are unfamiliar to most readers, they do, however, produce high-quality wines in styles familiar to most wine drinkers. Aurore, an early ripening variety, produces a clean, crisp, dry white wine reminiscent of a Pinot Grigio. Seyval, one of the more versatile varieties, lends itself to many different styles of winemaking. Some winemakers ferment it to a dry, oak-aged white wine similar to Chardonnay. Others finish it as a semi-sweet crisp wine similar to a Riesling. Vignoles, a grape capable of accumulating very high sugar levels, is frequently infected with what is known as the noble rot, Botrytis, and produces a wine similar to a Sauterne. Vidal, a late ripening white grape, is allowed to hang on the vine late into winter, and produces a lusciously sweet dessert or ice wine. Traminette produces a white wine with a floral bouquet and a taste similar to Gewürztraminer.
Maréchal Foch is a red grape capable of producing wines in several styles. With it, some winemakers produce a hearty full-bodied red wine, rich in color and tannins similar to a Cabernet, while others choose to make a lighter red, rich in cherry fruit, similar to a nouveau Beaujolais. Leon Millot produces a full-bodied red, rich in fruit with soft, silky tannins reminiscent of a Merlot. Chancellor is a grape capable of producing a full-bodied red wine, rich in red fruit, similar to a Syrah.
Editor’s Picks: Springtime in the Merrimack Valley means milder days, but nights remain, for the most part, rather chill. What this translates to in my house is continued favor of the heavier red wines that quickly warm us up and complement many of the comfort foods we embrace during the colder months. Here are my latest picks for red wines with oomph and grace:
2 Brothers Big Tattoo Red,Colchagua Valley (Chile), 2004:
This is a fruit bomb of a wine, made up of 50% Cabernet and 50% Syrah. Smoky and chocolate-y on the palate, it is also a great bargain. Even better, 50 cents from each bottle sold goes to charities for cancer research and
hospice care in honor of the owners’ mother, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2000. Scored an impressive 86 points in Wine Spectator. 13.7% alcohol. .
Moon Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County, 2004:
We visited this winery on our honeymoon, drawn to it not only by its location at the top of a mountain (amazing drive and gorgeous view) but also because they follow the principles of organic agriculture. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon isn’t 100% organic, but the fruit comes from a variety of sources in Sonoma County, all of which follow sustainable practices. It is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, which makes for a well-balanced, rich wine with a long-lasting finish offering notes of chocolate and a somewhat smoky flavor. Paired well for us with filet mignon and a gorgonzola cream sauce. 13.9% alcohol.
Zig Zag Zinfandel, Mendocino County, 2004:
This is a big, woody Zin with ripe fruit flavors, a hint of white pepper, and a scent of vanilla. Coincidentally, this also comes from organically farmed vineyards (71% organic, anyway), high in the mountains above the Mendocino coast. A blend of 94% Zinfandel, 5% Syrah, and 1% Petite Syrah goes into this complex wine, which weighs in at a hefty 14.5% alcohol. Paired well for us with a flatbread pizza. Yum.
Wine Notes – Exploring New England Wines – Spring 2007
Viticulture is the science of growing grapes. There are many factors that determine which grapes will grow best at a particular site. These include climate, slope, soil, sun, rain, and disease pressure. By far the most important of these is climate, in particular how cold a site gets during winter, and how long the growing season extends over summer.
There are approximately sixty species of grape. The most important of these is Vitis vinifera, a species composed of over 2,000 varieties, including all of the premium varieties. Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah are but a few of the familiar names of this species. Vitis vinifera originated in Europe and Asia and was brought to the New World by the European settlers. Many of these varieties are cold tender, sustaining winter injury when the temperature drops below 0°F, or require a long a growing season to mature. Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir are grown in some of the more favorable locations of New England.
The other fifty-nine grape species are found in the New World. Vitis labrusca, one of the more common species, includes the varieties Concord, Niagara, Delaware, and Diamond. These grapes make excellent jelly and juice, but produce what most consider mediocre wines. However, they are more cold hardy, disease resistant, and ripen earlier than the vinifera grapes.
To counter some of the problems relating to cold hardiness, season length, disease pressure, and juice quality, French botanists crossed the European vinifera varieties with some of the American varieties and developed what are now known as French-American hybrids. These new varieties overcome many of the above problems. Examples include Aurore, Seyval, Vignoles, Vidal, Maréchal Foch, Leon Millot, and Chancellor. A number of the University Agricultural Stations, most notably Cornell, have developed hybrids including Cayuga White, Traminette, Noriet, and Valvin. Many of these varieties are grown extensively in central and coastal New England. Finally, there is a group of hybrids developed at the University of Minnesota that have opened the door to wine growing in parts of northern Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Two of these varieties include Frantenac and LaCresant.
Because of their cold hardiness, the hybrid grapes are the most widely grown varieties in the East. While the names of these varieties are unfamiliar to most readers, they do, however, produce high-quality wines in styles familiar to most wine drinkers. Aurore, an early ripening variety, produces a clean, crisp, dry white wine reminiscent of a Pinot Grigio. Seyval, one of the more versatile varieties, lends itself to many different styles of winemaking. Some winemakers ferment it to a dry, oak-aged white wine similar to Chardonnay. Others finish it as a semi-sweet crisp wine similar to a Riesling. Vignoles, a grape capable of accumulating very high sugar levels, is frequently infected with what is known as the noble rot, Botrytis, and produces a wine similar to a Sauterne. Vidal, a late ripening white grape, is allowed to hang on the vine late into winter, and produces a lusciously sweet dessert or ice wine. Traminette produces a white wine with a floral bouquet and a taste similar to Gewürztraminer.
Maréchal Foch is a red grape capable of producing wines in several styles. With it, some winemakers produce a hearty full-bodied red wine, rich in color and tannins similar to a Cabernet, while others choose to make a lighter red, rich in cherry fruit, similar to a nouveau Beaujolais. Leon Millot produces a full-bodied red, rich in fruit with soft, silky tannins reminiscent of a Merlot. Chancellor is a grape capable of producing a full-bodied red wine, rich in red fruit, similar to a Syrah.
Editor’s Picks: Springtime in the Merrimack Valley means milder days, but nights remain, for the most part, rather chill. What this translates to in my house is continued favor of the heavier red wines that quickly warm us up and complement many of the comfort foods we embrace during the colder months. Here are my latest picks for red wines with oomph and grace:
This is a fruit bomb of a wine, made up of 50% Cabernet and 50% Syrah. Smoky and chocolate-y on the palate, it is also a great bargain. Even better, 50 cents from each bottle sold goes to charities for cancer research and
hospice care in honor of the owners’ mother, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2000. Scored an impressive 86 points in Wine Spectator. 13.7% alcohol.
.
We visited this winery on our honeymoon, drawn to it not only by its location at the top of a mountain (amazing drive and gorgeous view) but also because they follow the principles of organic agriculture. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon isn’t 100% organic, but the fruit comes from a variety of sources in Sonoma County, all of which follow sustainable practices. It is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, which makes for a well-balanced, rich wine with a long-lasting finish offering notes of chocolate and a somewhat smoky flavor. Paired well for us with filet mignon and a gorgonzola cream sauce. 13.9% alcohol.
This is a big, woody Zin with ripe fruit flavors, a hint of white pepper, and a scent of vanilla. Coincidentally, this also comes from organically farmed vineyards (71% organic, anyway), high in the mountains above the Mendocino coast. A blend of 94% Zinfandel, 5% Syrah, and 1% Petite Syrah goes into this complex wine, which weighs in at a hefty 14.5% alcohol. Paired well for us with a flatbread pizza. Yum.