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Thursday, May 24, 2012

A History of Connecticut Wine

Since we are getting into the vineyard and winery business, I thought it behooved us to read this book: A History of Connecticut Wine Vineyard in Your Backyard written by Eric D. Lehman and Amy Nawrocki, published in 2011.
I found the book to be very interesting and well researched. The authors began the book with the early colonists who found wild grapes and made wine. Therefore, one could claim that the history of wine in Connecticut can be traced back to the earliest colonial times. By the mid-1800s there were enough grape growers that a Grape Growers and Vintners' convention was held in Meriden.
The Temperance movement and Prohibition took a toll on grape growing. Attempts to grow grapes in Connecticut saw a resurgence in 1974 with the planting of Chardonnay and Riesling by Sherman Haight in Litchfield. There is information on all of the thirty-one wineries currently operating in Connecticut as well as a map and the location of the wineries at the end of the book. There also are interviews with many of the winery owners and winemakers. If you are interested in learning more about the passion, dedication and philosophy espoused by the winegrowers in Connecticut, this is a good read.

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