Grapeless Wine on Connecticut’s Wine Trail

Wine without grapes? Shelley K. Wong investigates this special Connecticut Winery in her article No grapes, but fruit. Wineries in Connecticut have more than doubled in the last six years, so it might be interesting to check out one that is quite unique. This article was found in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette.

“White Silo Farm and Winery isn’t very big or elaborate. There are no 300-gallon fermentation bins, no oak barrels for aging, no fancy corking or bottling machinery. In fact, there are no grapes. Not one single grape.

Instead, there are raspberry and blackberry bushes, black currant shrubs, cherry trees and rhubarb plants. That’s because the small, family-owned business is a fruit winery, tucked away along the border of Connecticut and New York. And in the last five years, it has become part of a sharp growth of specialty and traditional wineries in Connecticut and across the nation.

Nestled in Litchfield Hills, the specialty winery is part of the Connecticut Wine Trail, a series of 16 wineries promoted to lure tourists into the state. Gorman says business has steadily grown since his business joined three years ago.

Though Connecticut is a long way from being a Napa Valley or Bordeaux, a visit to the specialty winery offers a quick getaway that’s unique and aesthetically appealing.”