This past Saturday, March 28th there was an Instagram campaign running called #openlocalwine. The local wine I chose to highlight on the platform was Harvest Widow’s Revenge 2019 from Shelburne Vineyard, located here in Vermont. I have been visiting Shelburne Vineyard often over the years prior to making the Green Mountain State my permanent home, and I continue to enjoy their wines and tasting room now that I am close by.
Shelburne Vineyard has always been one of my favorite places to go for a quick tasting or a glass out on their patio overlooking their McCabe’s Brook Vineyard and Marquette vines. There are 15.5 total acres of vines across three separate vineyard sites where mostly Minnesota hybrid grapes are grown. The more well known of these include LaCrescent, Louise Swenson, Marquette, and Petite Pearl.
Harvest Widow’s Revenge is an off dry red blend of all Vermont grown grapes, primarily Marquette and Petite Pearl. In the glass it is pale ruby in color, with light intensity aromas of red fruit. On the palate it is medium bodied, with medium acidity, low tannins, and is high in alcohol at 14.5% abv. This wine has a ton of ripe red fruit, primarily red currant and red cherry with a hint of baking spice on the finish. This wine should be served lightly chilled and is a great red wine for the upcoming summer months.
To keep the local theme going we also opened another Shelburne Vineyard favorite, Celestial Louise 2018. This is a dry, sparkling wine made by the carbonation method. The blend consists of Louise Swenson, Prairie Star, and LaCrescent grapes. In the glass it is pale lemon in color and has light intensity citrus aromas. On the palate it is light in body, with medium plus acidity, and medium alcohol at 13% abv. I got really juicy green pear and light lemon flavors with a hint of minerality on the finish.
In addition to the two wines mentioned above, I also recommend Shelburne Vineyard’s Lake View White, Whimsey Meadow Rosé, and both versions of their wine in a can called Capsize. For natural wine fans, head winemaker Ethan Joseph has created range of natural wines under the Iapetus brand that are worth checking out. I had the opportunity to taste through four of his wines at a tasting this past winter and really enjoyed the Substrata 2017 and the Subduction 2017.
Shelburne Vineyards ships to most states so if you are looking to try the wines I have highlighted here head over to their website to purchase. Both the Harvest Widow’s Revenge and the Celestial Louise retail for $18.99 but they both consistently sell out so get them while you can. Cheers and stay healthy my friends!
