Litchfield Hills Winter Wine Trail

The "Winter Wine Trail" was started in 2009 by a group of farm wineries to show off the beauty of the Litchfield Hills in the winter and to remind consumers that Connecticut wineries in the hills are open year-round.

 The customers are given a "Trail Card" that lists the six participating wineries and upon visiting each winery the card is then stamped. Once stamped by all six wineries, completed cards are then handed into the wineries and entered into a drawing for prizes. The drawing will take place early April 2014.

The participating wineries for this season are:

DiGrazia Vineyards  located on 131 Tower Road in Brookfield was founded in 1978 with the planting of a  forty-five acre vineyard. The winery was founded in 1984, with an initial release of four brands of wine. Over 15 wines are offered, ranging from dry to sweet, using estate grown grapes, local fruit and honey. DiGrazia Vineyards grows premium French Hybrid grape varieties exclusively.

Haight-Brown Vineyard  is located on 29 Chestnut Hill Rd. in Litchfield. More than two decades ago, Haight Vineyard planted Chardonnay and Riesling on the slopes of the Litchfield Hills, near the historic town of Litchfield. In 1978, the State Legislature passed a Farm Winery Act and Haight Vineyard became Connecticut's first established winery. The Haight-Brown Vineyard and Winery is situated on ten pastoral acres, representative of a New England farm winery. The Tasting Room includes a custom built wine bar for tasting each of the nine vintages, guided by the knowledge of educated and friendly staff, an upstairs patio and downstairs terrace for sipping wine on lazy summer days, and two stone fireplaces for lingering during chilly ones. 

Hopkins Vineyard is located on 25 Hopkins Rd. in New Preston and is set on the northern shore of Lake Waramaug.  Hopkins Vineyard is a family-owned Connecticut Century Farm, that proudly maintains a tradition of making fine wines of award-winning quality. In 1787 Elijah Hopkins, returning from the Revolutionary War, chose this rich and fertile site on Lake Waramaug to settle his family and start the Hopkins Farm. The unique location of Hopkins Vineyard makes it the only vineyard in Connecticut with a microclimate influenced by an inland lake; this allows an extended growing season and successful growing of grape varieties, which ordinarily would not thrive, in our northeastern climate. Classic grape varieties are grown on 30 acres adjacent to the winery.

Jerram Winery is located on 535 Town Hill Rd.  in New Hartford and is a small vineyard that was planted in 1982.  The conversion of an old horse barn and an impossible dream led to the opening of the winery in 1998. Located in the historic Town Hill section of New Hartford at an elevation of 1000 feet, the vineyards enjoy a longer growing season that enables the vines to produce well-matured grapes and wines of complexity and enjoyment.  The winery is situated among vineyards and gardens with patios and decks for guests to relax and enjoy a glass of wine with a picnic lunch. Tasting and tours are available. Currently, eleven wines are in production, both white and red ranging from very dry to sweet; pure varietals and a variety of blends.

Miranda Vineyard is located on 42 Ives Rd. in Goshen and was planted in 2001. Miranda was first opened to the public May of 2007. Its bright and airy tasting room and large exterior deck make an excellent place to sit, relax, have a glass of wine and enjoy the company of good friends. The Vineyard is two hours from New York City and only an hour from the Hartford area. A visit to the area with its famous autumn foliage, historic sights and many wineries makes a great day trip or romantic weekend getaway. Vintner, Manny Miranda, has taken Old World techniques passed down through his family for generations and perfected them by applying the latest modern technological advances. The results are handcrafted, small batch wines for the discerning connoisseur. 

Sunset Meadow Vineyards is located on 599 Old Middle Street in Goshen several miles from the center of Litchfield. Originally a working farm purchased in 1996 by George and Judy Motel, Sunset Meadow Farm, as it was known, raised beef cattle and hay. In 2003 Sunset Meadow Vineyards was established. Overlooking the captivating sunsets of the Litchfield Hills, the vineyards lie on 50 acres of rich and fertile soil that has a long tradition of agriculture dating back to the 1800's.  The vines here are hand pruned, hand harvested and maintained with extreme precision. Visitors can take a step into the past while enjoying the warm and friendly atmosphere of the historic tasting room. The winery is located inside a 1800s German Bank Barn that has been used to support the properties numerous agricultural operations over the years.

Each winery is required to be open from December through March, with their hours posted on the trail card.

Prizes for this year's wine trail includes:

An overnight stay and breakfast for two at the Interlaken Country Inn and Resort, www.interlakeninn.com located in scenic Lakeville Connecticut 

A  5 hour, 6 passenger limo tour to wineries by Gateway Limousines, www.gatewaylimos.com located in Waterbury, CT  

Two tickets to a concert at Infinity Hall, www.infinityhall.com in Norfolk CT.

2nd Annual Wine and Chocolate Holiday Party at White Silo Winery

White Silo Winery has organized its' annual end of the year holiday party...around chocolate and wine on December 17th! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with a wine and chocolate pairing featuring Guittard chocolate selections imported from all over the world!

There will even be a chocolate expert from Guittard Chocolates on hand to help guide participants through the chocolate and wine pairings and answer any chocolate questions that are asked. Cheese, fruit, and White Silo mustards and jams, and other finger foods will also be served.

The event offers three separate tastings, one at 12 PM, one at 2PM and one at 4PM. Spots are limited at each session to 40 guests so it is suggested that you reserve your spot early to be on the safe side.

Tickets are $10 per person and must be purchased on-line in advance. For more information and to purchase tickets go to www.whitesilowinery.com and select the tab Gallery/Events then click on the Dec 17th event.

A performance by Leesa Sklover-Filgatece will be featured at the 4 PM event. She will be performing songs from her new CD.

CT's White Silo Farm--Annual Asparagus Festival May 14 & 15

This is the fourth year that this small specialty winery is holding it's popular Annual Asparagus Festival on May 14 and 15 from 12 PM - 5 PM in the bucolic village of Sherman Connecticut  just outside of Danbury.

Visitors to this festival are in for a treat as White Silo's culinary experts will be serving dishes prepared from their farm fresh asparagus, freshly picked the morning of the event.  Some of the mouth-watering choices include: truffled asparagus crostini, asparagus soup with fried asparagus shavings, and asparagus latkes, along with a few other items.   There will be  $5-6 charge per small plate.

A forte of White Silo Farm and Winery is their selection of specialty wines that include "Blackberry Sangria", Raspberry, Black Currant, Rhubarb, and Blackberry, all made with fruit grown at the farm. Throughout the season as fruit ripens, White Silo offers pick-your-own berries, asparagus and rhubarb.

To round out the festivities live music, winery and field tours, and farm museum tours will be held throughout the day.  The farm tour is especially exciting because you experience the charm of an earlier era when touring the old barn where the winery is located. The tour will also take you to visit the fermentation, bottling, and corking rooms where the classical art of wine making has been preserved. This event is perfect for a fun family spring outing. Admission to the event is free.

White Silo Farm & Winery is located on 32 Rt 37 East in Sherman, CT 06784 and can be reached at: 860 355 0271 or visit them at www.whitesilowinery.com.