Fun With Carbs

One of Haight-Brown's impressive reds

Family and friends of mine know that my hatred of New England winter is pathological. (I’ve been known to threaten groundhogs’ lives.) So from November to March, I’m always looking for something to distract me from subzero temps, snow and ice.

Lucky for me and other winter haters, several of Connecticut’s vineyards stay open year-round. If you’re not familiar with Connecticut’s wine trail, you should be. Spanning the entire state, from Canaan to Stonington, the trail offers exceptional wine and beautiful scenery.

We headed west to Litchfield County, stopping first at Haight-Brown Vineyard. HB has one of the prettiest and most inviting tasting areas, with comfortable couches and leather chairs in front of a blazing fireplace. Wooden floors and exposed beams invoke a ski-lodge feel, particularly with snow blanketing the vines outdoors.

Haight-Brown won me over as soon as I saw they offered artisan cheeses and chocolates with their tasting of eight wines. The tasting consultant presented us with a plate containing crackers and wedges of Brie, Capricorn cheese with tri-color peppercorns and a ‘drunken goat’ cheese soaked in Barbera wine. A dollop of curry-infused Stonewall Kitchen Old Farmhouse Chutney rested at the edge of the plate. We were also given three pieces of artisan chocolate, each recommended for pairing with particular wines. This ‘full tasting,’ at $15 per person, is a deal, and held us over until dinnertime.

Clockwise from left: drunken goat, Brie, Capricorn cheese

(I just need to point out that my goat-cheese-hating husband impressed the hell out of me by facing his fears head-on. It made it easier that this ‘drunken goat’ was a hard cheese, not your everyday chalky-textured chevre. But still!)

And then there were the wines: reds, whites, desserts and wines made from apples. Our favorites: the light and fruity Picnic Red, paired with a fruit-and-nut studded milk chocolate; the sugary Honey Nut Apple, reminiscent of apple pie; the bright and sweet Apricot Moon dessert selection; and my absolute favorite, the bold and spicy Morning Harvest. This red was paired with an ‘Aztec’ chocolate, made with cayenne, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds and peanuts. The spice simmered on the tongue, and exploded with sensation once paired with the wine. I couldn’t get enough.

We bought our favorite reds by the glass and relocated to fireside seats, listening to live music and finishing our remaining cheese.

After looking at a map, we realized that Sunset Meadow in Goshen was less than 10 minutes away. Sunset Meadow has won several medals for their wines, including their Sunset Blush rose, Cayuga White and Twisted Red (blend of Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Lemberger & Chamborcin.) We also tried their Pyrrha’s Passion dessert wine, which reminded us of a much less-syrupy sweet version of the Vinsanto we had in Santorini.

Hot mulled wine at Sunset Meadow, Goshen

But the nicest touch came at the end of our Sunset Meadow visit, when the tasting consultant poured us a sample of their hot mulled wine. Warm and spicy, it was the perfect winter defroster. They said that they also do a frozen wine concoction during the summer months. Oh, we’ll be back.

Haight-Brown, Sunset Meadow and four other Litchfield-area wineries are participating in the first annual Litchfield Hills Winter Wine Trail promotion through March 15. (Click here for more details.) Visit all six wineries and then enter into a Grand Prize drawing. Just be sure to call ahead, as the wineries’ hours of operation vary in the winter months.

Expect more CT Wine Trail posts on Fun With Carbs this spring and summer. This is one of the state’s most special attractions, and I suspect not everyone fully understands just how nice it is to have these vineyards in their backyards. Anything we can do to get the word out!