Thursday, February 26, 2015

Gouveia Vineyards- Wallingford, CT

The snowy vineyard
One can hardly expect to visit a winery in the middle of winter but while visiting a friend in Wallingford, Connecticut recently I found myself doing just that!  My friend and I met in culinary school and bonded over a love of wine and wine tasting.  We did not let the fact that the Northeast had gotten slammed by yet another snowstorm that weekend deter us from exploring the local winery called Gouveia.

The winery is situated approximately 10 minutes from downtown Wallingford and we reached it by way of a beautiful meandering road flanked by huge snow drifts.  When we arrived the winery was already hopping, most likely from cabin fever acquired by harried New Englanders who have been buried under snow all winter.  The inside can be acquainted with that of a ski lodge; it is wooden and inviting, with a log cabin feel and lots of long picnic style tables.  Two wine tasting bars flank either end of the vineyard.  You can do a tasting at the vineyard for just $10 for 5 wines, however, my friend and I chose to have a glass of wine each for $7 each instead.
Tasting the Stonehouse Red

We tried the Cayuga White which is their house semi-sweet wine. This wine is the hue of summer light on the wheat fields at dusk.  It smells like honeysuckle and honey.  It is light and tastes of apricot and apple.  It finishes long and crisp on the palate.

We also tasted the Stonehouse Red which is a luscious dark maroon color.  It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.  It tastes of dark fruit as well as hints of cherry and cranberry.  It has a long finish and smells of oak and fruit.


 Afterwards, we had a lovely stroll through the Connecticut vineyard where we enjoyed the view of cascading hills in the distance and vineyard fines dusted with snowdrifts. What a unique and refreshing experience to have wine in the winter!  A definite must-see if you are in the New Haven area and have extra time to spare.