A Fall Visit to Sharpe Hill Vineyard
by Chris Pedersen

Sharpe Hill Vineyard is situated on a hill that rises some 700 feet above the surrounding countryside with views of both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The vineyard consists of about 100 acres of rural Connecticut landscape and several restored eighteenth century buildings. Upon arrival we entered the main reception area which also serves as their inside tasting room. We were promptly greeted and asked if we were visiting for lunch or there to taste the wines. Sharpe Hill has an excellent restaurant that adjoins the winery in a restored turn of the century barn. But today would be for the outdoors, so we informed our host that we would first enjoy a walk through the vineyards on this gorgeous day. The hostess smiled and said that we were more than welcome to and that to our good fortune, today they were harvesting the Chardonnay grapes. We walked outside through the patio gardens and up a short grassy path to the hillside where most of the vines were growing. The setting was quite picturesque with the well-tended rows of vines cutting across the hill and surrounded by a tapestry of colors from the trees. 

A wide grassy path up the hill bisected the vines and today was littered with yellow harvesting bins full of grape clusters at the end of each row. A small tractor was there to collect and move the harvest down to the winery. As we walked up the path we could occasionally hear the voices and laughter of the people harvesting the grapes. For the wine fanatic like myself there is a special feeling one gets while looking at the grapes when they are ripe and still on the vine. I would catch myself gazing upon the clusters of green grapes with the sun shining behind them they became translucent and mystical looking. It is at this point that I can understand how one of nature's most simple fruits can be transformed into a complex and alluring wine.

As my wife shakes me back from a wine junkie's day dreaming she takes my hand and we continue up the hill. The short walk to the top is where you will find the Cabernet Franc vines, which were laden with clusters of small dark blue grapes. This location was well chosen as it allows the maximum amount of sunlight during the day to blanket the vines. With the relatively short growing season here in the northeast, this is critical for red grape varietals, which need several weeks longer to ripen than do white varietals such as Chardonnay.

After enjoying the view from the top we wandered back down through the rows of vines. My ever-observant wife noticed something quite odd. On the end post of each row of grapevines there was a bar of Irish Spring soap hanging on a string. With her curiosity now peaked we asked one of the people harvesting the grapes what the purpose of the bars of soap was. Seeing that my wife was quite perplexed by this apparent oddity, he smiled and said that the strong odor of the soap (supposedly) keeps the deer away. Satisfied with the answer to this mystery, we introduced ourselves to the gentleman who was quietly harvesting the Chardonnay grapes. He said his name was Steven Vollweiler and that he and his wife Catherine were the owners of the Vineyards. After a brief discussion (I could not resist) about the harvest and the potential of this year vintage we decided it was time to taste some their wines.

We walked back down the path to the garden seating area and sat down at a table next to a beautiful Weeping Cherry Tree. Our server arrived shortly to ask if we were ready to taste some wine, and without a seconds hesitation I said "yes!". Sharpe Hill produces a nice variety of wine. For whites, they produce three styles of Chardonnay, as well as a semi-dry white blend called Ballet of Angels, and a late Harvest desert wine made from estate grown Vingnoles grapes.

For reds, Sharpe Hill produces a Cabernet Franc made form 100% Cab Franc grapes in a Bordeaux style, their St. Croix - which is a Rhone style wine made from 100% St. Croix grapes and the "Red Seraph" - which is a blend based on the St. Croix grape.

Our server started us off with the Ballet Of Angles white, which is Sharpe Hill's best selling wine and has won several gold and silver medals in International competition. It showed a nice floral bouquet and is semi-dry with flavors of Tropical fruit and a pleasant finish.

Next we were offered their three chardonnays, all from the 1999 vintage. Their entry-level chardonnay was light bodied with a very delicate nose, it was well balanced showing subtle fruit flavors with a hint of oak. The Reserve and French Chardonnays were both very good. They each had a slightly different style but were very similar in their quality. They were well-structured, medium to full-bodied wines with a touch of elegance. Each showed an impressive complex nose and were well balanced with classic chardonnay fruit flavor and a nice touch of oak. Both of these wines could give similarly priced California Chards a run for their money.

Done with the whites, our hostess brought over the reds. First up was the St. Croix, which is made from 100% estate grown St. Croix grapes and is aged in oak barrels for 18 months. It is a dry red that is made in a Rhone style displaying a dark red color with a nose that reveled dark fruit and earth aromas with flavors of blackberry and cassis. The wine was smooth and had a medium to long finish.

The Red Seraph was presented next and was described as a dry red blend based primarily on the St Croix grape. This wine was a bit more robust than the 100% St. Croix offering. This red showed more spice in the nose and on the palate but was still soft with a smooth finish.

The Cabernet Franc was the last of their reds and was my personal favorite. The nose was classic cabernet with complex spicy aromas of white pepper. It was medium bodied and well balanced with a lean fruit style similar to Bordeaux reds. It had a nice medium to long finish and cried out to have it with food.

All of these reds are made to serve with food and should go well with hearty beef or lamb dishes. The last wine of the day we tried was Sharpe Hill's Select late Harvest and was the superstar of the tasting. This dessert style wine is made from estate grown handpicked botrytised Vingnoles grapes. With a bouquet of ripe peaches and apricots that exploded from the glass. The wine followed with flavors of fruit and honey that danced on the tongue. It had a very long finish and was simply a joy to drink.

As we sat in the picturesque garden patio after tasting the wines, I said to my wife "Does it get any better than this? A beautiful fall day, nice wines, great company and all only 30 minutes from home." So make your plans today……Sharpe Hill Vineyards in the fall is an activity not to be missed!