This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

Love Your Local Wine

With a seemingly ever-multiplying number of breweries and microbreweries popping up along the shoreline, Connecticut residents have a lot of choices when it comes to local beer. But what about local wine?

The answer, while possibly surprising to some, is yes, there are a fair number of wines made locally in Connecticut to choose from. According to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, there are 37 listed wineries in the state producing a variety of wines, some purely made from Connecticut grapes and some not. But what is out there to choose from?

Renée Allen, founder and director of the Guilford-based Wine Institute of New England, is a certified specialist of wine and a member of the Society of Wine educators. Allen said not all of the wineries in the state participate in the Connecticut Wine Trail, so the best thing to do is just go out around the state and start tasting.

"It is fun to do trips, you know take a day trip and go to a few wineries and taste the different wines that they have, and you will find out what it is that you like," she says. "If you have wines that you are drinking from out of state you can certainly find similar kinds of wine here in the state."

What is grown here in the state varies from other regions thanks to the climate. Due to the cold season, short growing season, and the humidity, Allen says growers here tend to focus on grapes that ripen quickly and then produce wines like merlot, chardonnay, or cabernet Franc.

"We do a lot of hybrids here because a lot of them are more cold hearty, and they are better tasting for the most part than the native grapes, and they are very prolific so they do produce a lot," she says.

As to what kind of wine to choose, Allen says it's all up to preference. For people that like fruit wines, Allen says Bishop's Orchards in Guilford does a nice job, but for pure Connecticut grape wines, the annual Connecticut Wine festival is a good place to start.

"They only invite people to pour wines that are made from 100 percent Connecticut grapes, so it a good way to find out what kind of wines are around," she says. "We have 37 wineries in the state, and 16 are at the festival this year."

Allen says she had the chance to sample some more wines at the festival this summer, and she came back with some suggestions.

"Jones Winery, Sunset Meadow Vineyards, and Hopkins Vineyard all place an emphasis on growing their own grapes," she says. "I selected wines from all three of these vineyards for my wine seminar. As far as wines made from something other than grapes, I was very impressed with both White Silo Farm (their dry rhubarb wine is delightful) and Holmberg Orchards. Those two would be my current picks for non-grape wines."

Allen says there is a definite interest in growing local wine, and she expects to see the industry continue expanding across the state. But with even more options now on the market, some consumers are left feeling even less informed about what they are buying.

Allen founded the institute back in 2010, which offers a variety of classes and events. For those wanting to learn a bit more about wine to feel more comfortable buying and tasting, Allen suggested her Uncork Your inner Wine Expert Class, which she says one student described as five months of education packed into two hours.

"It goes kind of A to Z how to taste wine and how we use our senses, and it kind of busts some myths," she says. "I tell everybody that I meet because so many people say 'I don't know anything about wine' and I say 'You know what, if you know what you like, and I am guessing you do, it is a matter of having the vocabulary and the confidence' and that is all you need because a little bit of knowledge in the wine world goes a long long way."

The key is really all about preference, Allen says. You can learn a lot about wine from the color, the smell, the grapes, and other factors but getting out and trying a few different wines is the way to go.

"Knowing about wine is always going to come in handy when you go and start tasting wine," she says. "But just going around to the various wineries and just tasting and seeing what you enjoy most and what you react to is really important and trusting your own pallet. Everybody is a little bit different."

Renée Allen Busts Some Wine Myths

Is all wine better aged?

"Over 90 percent of all of the wine produced in the entire world is meant to be drunk young. By that I mean within three to five years. Are there wines that benefit from age? Absolutely but the majority you can drink young."

Can you (or should you) chill red wine?

"Sweet red wines can take some chilling. Dry red wines I would almost never ever chill unless they are nicely high in acid and very low in tannin."

What temperature should white wine be drunk at?

"A wine at 38 degrees is too cold so if you are taking your white wine out and drinking it right away you are not tasting that wine. It depends on the style but, for instance, a sweet white wine or a sparkling wine like Champagne you are going to want to get closer to 45 to 50 degrees. For dry white wines you are going to want closer to 50 to 55 degrees."

Does price really matter?

"You can find $15 wine that is just as good as a $50. Are all $15 just as good as $50 wines? No. It is sort of a passion of mine to find wines under $20 that are excellent.

A bad good wine and a good wine you are going to be able to tell the difference but there are so many well made wines under $20 that I would be perfectly happy drinking and you don't need to spend $50, $60, $70 on."

Renée Recommends These Locally-Made Wines

Connecticut ChardonnayJohnathan Edwards Winerywww.jedwardswinery.com

North Stonington

"Crisp and bright with notes of green apple, pear, and soft oak."

Dry RhubarbWhite Silo Farm & Winery

Sherman

www.whitesilowinery.com

"Dry, crisp, and light."

Sachem's Picnic WhiteHopkins Vineyard

Warren

www.hopkinsvineyard.com

"A light, semi-sweet, low tannin red with bright raspberry , blackberry, and plum fruit"

Strawberry SerenadeJones Winery

Shelton

www.jonesfamilyfarms.com

"A blend of strawberries and dry chenin blanc white wine to create a sparkling wine."

Sunshine WhiteJones Winery

Shelton

www.jonesfamilyfarms.com

"A delicately sweet wine with scents of green apple and flavors of honeydew and pineapple."

Twisted RedSunset Meadow Vineyards

Goshen

www.sunsetmeadowvineyards.com

"A blend of cabernet, cabernet Franc, Lemberger, and Chamborcin. Aged on French oak with hints of blackberry, black cherry, and plum."