Vermont's 11th Winery Opens to Public

There are now about 12 acres of grapes, yielding a consistent 4-5 tons per acre, Chris Granstrom told Wines & Vines. Now, Lincoln Peak is a bonded winery; the 2007 vintage, its first, was about 900 cases. Granstrom hopes to produce 2,300 cases this year, as some of his 3-year-old blocks come into production. He expects to top out at about 2,500 cases.

According to the winery's recently revamped website, all of Lincoln Peak's wines are estate-grown. Offerings, which are available for purchase online, all are proprietary blends, including Starlight Dry Rosé ($14/750ml bottle) and Nightfire ice wine ($35/375ml bottle).

Among the red varieties grown at Lincoln Peak are Marquette, Frontenac, St. Croix and its sister, Sabrevois; most of these are cold-hardy to between -25° and -30°F. White varieties include LaCrescent, a University of Minnesota release; Louise Swenson and Swenson White, Prairie Star, LaCross, St. Pepin, ES8-2-43 and Frontenac Gris, a natural variant of Frontenac with light red/gray fruit, ideal for rosé wines.

Choosing his grape varieties carefully has spared Granstrom some problems normally associated with cold-climate growing. "We don't do any special winter protection," he said. "Being this far north, we don't tend to get the false springs of more southern areas, so spring frost hasn't been a big problem for us. We have overhead irrigation from our strawberry days, so we can protect against frost on about half our acreage if needed." The strawberries left the soil exceptionally fertile, he said, so his newer vineyard blocks are trellised on Geneva Double Curtain to spread out vegetative vigor.
 
The Lincoln Peak line-up Granstrom said his main pest issues are powdery and downy mildew and black rot, and the grape berry moth is the most troublesome insect. He sprays four to five times per year. When his vines were young, the vineyard was protected by a baited electric wire deer fence. "The deer don't do much harm to the larger vines," he said. To control meadow voles, he keeps the grass short and applies a light mouse bait in October. "Wild turkeys can cause some serious damage, and I keep a shotgun in my truck after veraison."

Dr. Lorraine Berkett, a University of Vermont plant pathologist, "has gotten familiar with grape culture and has been a great help to our new industry," Granstrom said. "The Vermont Agency of Agriculture has been helping with marketing efforts. The state legislature seems sympathetic, and has changed some laws in our favor. I was awarded a Value Adder Producer's Grant from USDA, which has greatly speeded along the development of our winemaking and marketing."

Chris Granstrom and his crew built the farm structures themselves. Most of the wood in the tasting room came from butternut trees on the property, and the tasting room bar-top was crafted of planks from a single hickory tree in the woods. The winery takes its name from one of Vermont's Green Mountains, visible to the east from the vineyard. The winery is 32 miles south of Burlington.

Granstrom hopes to forge relationships with nearby cheese producers, bakers and restaurateurs to capitalize on the recent "locavore" trend. There is, he notes, great interest in local foods, production, and the "flavor" of a place.

The grand opening Saturday was "a big success, with perfect weather, great music and huge crowds and good wine sales," Granstrom said. He estimated that attendance was in the hundreds, about three-fourths of that local.

Lincoln Peak will be a host during the Tour de Farm in Addison County Bicycle Tour on Sept. 21. On Oct. 10, Granstrom will speak about "The Vermont Grape" at Mary's Inn at Baldwin Creek. For details, check Winery Events at lincolnpeakvineyard.com.