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.

Historical Society to Screen Three Films on Civil Rights

The Litchfield Historical Society, along with the Torrington Historical Society and the League of Women Voters of Litchfield County, are pleased to introduce three documentaries with riveting new footage illustrating the history of civil rights in America. These three organizations will offer a series of programs once a month from January–March in 2014.

Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities that uses the power of documentary films to encourage community discussion of America’s civil rights history. NEH has partnered with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History to develop programmatic and support materials for the sites.

The Litchfield Historical Society is one of 473 institutions across the country awarded a set of four films chronicling the history of the civil rights movement. Each film is available on the historical society’s website to view before each formal program led by local humanities scholar. The schedule of films is as follows:

Thursday, January 16, 2014 7:00 pm, Litchfield Historical Society: “Slavery by Another Name”

Join us as Stephen McGrath, Litchfield Historical Society board member and history professor at Central CT State University, kicks off the first film discussion in our series. Steve will feature clips from the to challenge the belief that slavery ended with Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Thursday, February 20, 2014 7:00 pm, Torrington Historical Society: “The Loving Story” Our second civil rights film discussion will take place at the Torrington Historical Society. Led by Tom Hogan, former lawyer and legal history professor at UConn, we will take a look at a groundbreaking case that dealt with the legality of interracial marriages. The documentary brings to life the Lovings' marriage and the legal battle that followed through little-known filmed interviews and photographs shot for Life magazine. Participants will view film clips from the HBO documentary. Thursday, March 20, 2014  7:00 pm, Litchfield Historical Society: “Freedom Riders” Litchfield blogger and history professor Pete Vermilyea brings to light the activities of the freedom riders in the last of our film series. Freedom Riders tells the terrifying, moving, and suspenseful story of a time when white and black volunteers riding a bus into the Deep South risked being jailed, beaten, or killed, as white local and state authorities ignored or encouraged violent attacks. The film includes previously unseen amateur 8-mm footage of the burning bus on which some Freedom Riders were temporarily trapped, taken by a local twelve-year-old and held as evidence since 1961 by the FBI.

 

Each of the films was produced with NEH support, and each tells remarkable stories of individuals who challenged the social and legal status quo of deeply rooted institutions, from slavery to segregation. Created Equal programs bring communities together to revisit our shared history and help bridge deep racial and cultural divides in American civic life. Visit www.neh.gov/created-equalwww.neh.gov/created-equal for more information. 

The Created Equal film set is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

These programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required—please register by calling (860) 567-4501 or emailing registration@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.

For more information on these programs, please check our website, www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/tours/createdequal.phpwww.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/tours/createdequal.php or call 860-567-4501.

Learn the Most Embarrassing Things about George Washington Through Improv

On a one dollar bill, George Washington may appear to be an imposing figure, but did you know that he, too, was embarrassing sometimes? Join the Litchfield Historical Society in welcoming Christina Frei on Wednesday, January 8 at 3:00 pm as we explore the Top 10 Most Embarrassing Things about George Washington!

No need to sit in front of a screen on this half-day—using games, magic, and comedy improvisation, participants will learn all about our first president. Through this funny and interactive program, your kids will learn all sorts of new and embarrassing historical facts to share at the dinner table. No stage experience is necessary!

Christina Frei is a motivational youth speaker and performer from Connecticut. She uses stories about the Founding Fathers and their “Revolutionary thinking” to turn children into confident leaders. A master at storytelling, Frei has also written a book, 5 Rockstars of the American Revolution: Surprising Stories and Big Life Lessons of the Founding Fathers. She has been featured on the History Channel, the Today Show, and NBC News.

This event is open to kids ages 9 and up, and is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Registration is required—please register by Monday, January 6 for this event by calling (860) 567-4501.

The Litchfield History Museum is located at 7 South Street, Litchfield, CT. For more information about this or other programs, please call (860) 567-4501 or www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.  For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Swedish Music and Culture at Washington's Gunn Library Nov. 17

At 1 p.m. on November 17, the Gunn Historical Museum in Litchfield Hills will present Swedish Music and Culture: A Musician's Journey Through Scandinavia in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Library in Washington Connecticut. Katie Trautz, a native Vermont fiddler who has toured nationally and internationally sharing traditional music and original folk songs, will give a performance of Swedish music playing fiddle, guitar and banjo crossing genres with her varying ensembles.

Gunn Historical Museum

Trautz's bands include: Mayfly, Wooden Dinosaur, and Kick 'em Jenny Stringband. She has studied with some of the greatest fiddle players in the US, including Dirk Powell, Pete Sutherland, James Bryan, Jimmy Tripplett, and Bruce Molsky. Katie has played alongside and shared the stage with many well-known bands including: Aoife O'Donovan Band, Brittany Haas & Lauren Rioux, Dirk Powell and Riley Baugus, Deadly Gentlemen, Sheesham and Lotus, David Wax Museum, Matt and Shannon Heaton, Rusty Belle, Michael Chorney and Dollar General, Brown Bird, Devil Makes Three, 4tet, Pete Sutherland, Brown Bird, and many others. Katie is also the co-founder of the non-profit folk music school 'The Summit School of Traditional Music and Culture' based in Montpelier, VT.

Traditional Swedish music is known for the rich harmonies expressed by twin fiddles, lilting polska rhythms, and the thematic play on light and dark. These are the motifs that drew the Vermont-based fiddle player, Katie Trautz, to Scandinavia. Her travels landed her at an intensive musical immersion on a farm north of Stockholm, where traditional music and culture are still thriving. After a visit with one of the country's most renowned folk artists, a journey through the Fjordlands of Norway, and a stop at a small venue along the way to give a performance, Katie brings her travels to life with a demonstration of Swedish fiddling, storytelling and imagery.

Gunn Historical Museum is located on 5 Wykeham Rd. in  Washington.  For additional information call  (860) 868-7586 or visit www.gunnlibrary.org.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Coming to America: Washington's Swedish Immigrants

The Gunn Memorial Museum on 5 Wykeham Road in Washington Connecticut is exploring its' European roots with a new exhibit that runs through January 12, 2014 called Coming to America: Washington's Swedish Immigrants.  This exhibition shares the little-known story of Swedish immigration to this small New England town.

Known for their superior agricultural skills, 1.3 million Swedes immigrated to America during the 19th and 20th centuries, escaping conscription, famine, and poverty. Washington, Connecticut became one of their new homes, where many found employment as laborers and servants on local farms and estates owned by wealthy New Yorkers.

Beginning in 1870, over one hundred Swedish families settled in Washington and built two churches across the street from each other. One, the Salem Covenant Church, is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Swedes made up 22% of Washington's population in 1910, and many of their descendants still reside in town today. This exhibit tells their story.

The Gunn Museum is located at 5 Wykeham Road, at the intersection of Wykeham Road and Rt. 47, on Washington Green. The Museum is open to the public Thursday through Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday from 12pm-4pm. Call the Museum at 860-868-7756 or view www.gunnlibrary.org for more information.

Kitchen Tour of Litchfield Hills

The 11th annual Litchfield Hills Kitchen Tour to benefit the Housatonic Musical Theatre Society will be held Saturday, November 2, 2013 from 10 am – 4 pm.  This year’s tour will feature six kitchens in the towns of Kent and Cornwall.  

Kitchens on the tour will range in style and size to inspire a variety of approaches to the “heart of the home.”   This year's homes include a barn designed for entertaining with a large kitchen island and table with cherry wood from a backyard tree; an Early Modern House finished in 1939 for Pulitzer Prize winner Hatcher Hughes, recently restored by the present owners to its original splendor; a restored barn with two storybook cottages; a house built for large crowds and family get-togethers featuring a beautiful screened-in detached room with a massive stone fireplace; a center hall colonial that is a complete renovation featuring a large center kitchen island, a bar area and a traditional dining room.

To enhance the experience of Kitchen Tourists, local caters and restaurants will be offering a sampling of delicacies at each kitchen on the tour.  There will also be a number of raffle prizes offered. Advance Kitchen Tour ticket buyers will receive two complimentary raffle tickets for the various raffle prize drawings.

Tickets for the Kitchen Tour are $35 in advance and $40 the day of the Tour.  For information, go to hmts.org or call (860) 364-6022 or email hmtsct@gmail.com.

For  information on Litchifeld Hills visit www.litchifieldhills.com

Halloween Thrills and Chills in Litchfield Hills CT

It is that spooky time of year again and Bristol Connecticut in the Litchfield Hills is "spook central"! 

For chills, make haste to the Haunted Graveyard at Lake Compounce Family Theme Park in Bristol, which has been called "The granddaddy of the horrifically good time." 

An unholy order of monks keep watch over the graves in the dark caverns of the Catacombs here and a dark and misty fog envelops the graveyard where zombies and night stalkers have wakened from the dead. Some are real, others are amazing animatronic creations made by The Haunted Graveyard's crazed staff. Recommended for adults, teens and very brave children, the park opens at dusk weekends from from October 4-27, and runs to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, to 10 p.m. on Sundays. 

If you go to www.hauntedgraveyard.com you can download a $3 off adult combo admission that is valid on 10/18, 20, 25, and 27 that is good for up to 4 people. Lake Compounce will also be operating 17 thrill rides including Boulder Dash, Ghost Hunt, Down Time, and Zoomerang. Proceeds will benefit the American Diabetes Associations.  For information on Lake Compounce www.lakecompounce.com.

This will be the 47th year for the annual Witches Dungeon Halloween Classic Movies Museum in Bristol. The Graveyard Of Classic Ghouls sets the atmosphere as you enter the dungeon where accurate life-size figures of Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi, and others are featured in 13 scenes or dioramas based on the vintage movie chillers. 

Many of the figures are made from the actual life casts of the actor's faces, plus some original costumes or props, in a wax museum style setting with special voice tracks by Vincent Price, Mark Hamill, and John Agar. Many Hollywood props are on display and vintage films may be shown outdoors, weather permitting. 

Special highlights this year include a display of original movie props and weather permitting showing of silent horror classics on an outdoor screen.  Hours are Friday through Sunday evenings, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Oct. 18-20, 25-27 and Oct. 31 – Nov. 3. The Museum is not recommended for children under age 7.  For more information visit www.preservehollywood.org.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com