Earlier this week, I shared a review of Elfs Farm Winery and Cider House, located in Plattsburgh, New York. I didn’t want to neglect Vermont, so we also stopped at Shelburne Vineyard in Shelburne, Vermont while on our trip. My review follows.
The story of Shelburne Vineyard goes back 35 years but the first vintage was not released until 2000, so it’s a relatively young winery. Growing hardy grapes that work best in cool climates, much like Elfs Farm, the vineyard’s main vintage includes Marquette, Minnesota hybrids and a bit of Riesling and Vidal Blanc.
The wines were crisp and clean overall. I enjoyed the whites much more than the reds, but that’s normal for me. I am not a huge fan of red varietals in this part of the country. They are too “dirty” tasting for me. My favorite wine, and one of the bottles we purchased, was the 2016 Louise Swenson dry white. While I enjoyed most of the whites, this one was unique, made from the grape of the same name grown at the vineyard.
My husband enjoyed one of the rose wines, the 2016 Whimsey Meadow Dry Rose, which is named after a meadow just down the road at Shelburne Farms. We actually had just finished hiking it prior to stopping at the winery! While the dryness surprised me, and not in a positive way (I wanted it to be less dry), that’s exactly what my husband liked about it. We purchased a bottle of that, too.
The winery itself has a gorgeous tasting room with floor to ceiling windows overlooking one of the vineyards. Live music is often featured and there is also a patio and mezzanine with tables and chairs for people to sit, chat and enjoy the wine. It was a pleasant, friendly experience all around. We’re glad we stopped!
Back to the Whimsey Meadow for a minute, below are some pictures from that hike, as well as a few others from our afternoon at Shelburne Farms, another highly recommended stop, if you travel to Vermont.
