Do you ever just do a deep dive into your fridge? It’s full of surprises.
That tub of “homemade” tartar sauce from that time you made fish and chips back in ’18. A mystery plastic container full of a thick, black liquid that smells like soy sauce and other less definable stuff. Or a bottle of Worcestershire sauce that’s been in there for who knows how long.
The same thing happens with beer; sometimes, brews just get lost in there.
I opened my beer fridge in the basement, which is a perfect replica of the tiny fridge I had in my college dorm room, and discovered I was getting down to the bottom of the barrel, so to speak.
There were a number of seasonal brews that weren’t in season — at least not this year. There was a canned, ready-to-drink “Bellini” cocktail, several of my wife’s hard seltzers and just a bunch of other really, really random offerings. And also a Founder’s KBS? None of it made sense.
It made me think of the Saturday Night Live digital short with Bill Burr where he’s “sampling” Sam Adams Jack-O Pumpkin Ale and says, “This is the kind of beer somebody brings to a party at your house, and then it just sits in the fridge for, like, eight months….”
We all have those beers in our fridge, and sometimes those beers we’ve been passing over for months can pleasantly surprise you.
Here are three back-of-the-fridge beers that I ended up enjoying.
Merry Monks Belgian Style Tripel Ale by Weyerbacher Brewing Co. (Easton, Pa.)
I don’t know why I held off on drinking this one for so long and I don’t even want to think about how long this one has been in my fridge. I like Belgian tripels a lot so there was no real excuse for it but there’s just something about the labeling on this brew that made it really hard for me to take it seriously: There’s a couple of, you guessed it, monks carrying a barrel, and, I don’t know, you’ll have to make your own call. But I finally dove in and regretted waiting so long to get after this one. It’s incredibly flavorful — fruity, spicy, sweet and well-balanced, and full of warming alcohol. This style is just kind of exciting. This was perfect on a very chilly early spring day.
Blood Orange Wheat by Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers (Framingham, Mass.)
Crisp, refreshing and not overly “wheaty,” this is an excellent choice for a warmer day. I think I was scared of the blood orange but I needn’t have been; while you can definitely pick up the citrusy sweetness from the orange, it’s not overwhelming. I am still, admittedly, fearful of this style because I might have had too many Blue Moons back in college, if I’m being honest. This is clean, bright and easy.
Flannel Friday by Harpoon (Boston)
This is another one that has had a remarkable hold on the back of my fridge. This beer is entirely inoffensive. It’s a little hoppy but it’s got a little malt character too that catches you by surprise. This is like the coming together of a pale ale and maybe a red ale? You get some citrusy zip from the hops and then maybe a little caramel from the malts — not bad at all.
What’s in My Fridge Weekend Plans by Mast Landing Brewing Co. (Portland, Maine) “Oh yeah” was the first thing I said after taking a sip of this one. IPAs abound these days, as we all know, so when you grab one that jumps out at you as fantastic, you remember it. Mast Landing continues to grow on me with its array of quality offerings from stouts to IPAs. This is hazy and juicy and so easy to drink it’s full-on scary. It seems crazy-talk to refer to a single brew as the perfect IPA, but that declaration rang awfully true as I enjoyed this one on a relaxing late March Saturday afternoon with friends. Cheers!
Featured photo: Blood Orange Wheat by Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers. Photo courtesy of Jeff Mucciarone.
What to start growing this spring so you can feast this summer
If you want to enjoy garden-fresh fruits and veggies from your own backyard, now is the time to plant them. Local horticulture experts shared some tips on how to get your plants in the ground, care for them while they grow and harvest them when the time is right. And, if you need some inspiration for how to use your homegrown bounty in the kitchen, there’s some cooking tips and recipes to get you started.
Beets
Plant now: “Beets are a hardy crop and easy to plant,” Erler said. They can be sown from seed outside, even before the last frost. Plant the seeds around an inch deep, allowing for at least a couple of inches between each plant and around a foot between each row.
Watch them grow: Beets like a well-draining, sandy soil, Erler said, and a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight. Water the plant lightly, keeping the top inch of soil evenly and consistently moist.
Out to harvest: Beets can be harvested after six to eight weeks, ideally no later than June as they don’t grow as well in the summer heat. Use your best judgment, Erler said, and when in doubt, it’s better to harvest them too early than too late. “There’s a point where it will have gotten as big as it’s going to get, and if it sits in the ground too long, [the beets] get kind of tough on the inside,” she said.
Eat later: Beet smoothie
Recipe by Sara Oberle, Nutrition Connections Teacher, and courtesy of UNH Cooperative Extension.
Serving size 1½ cups. Serves two.
1 cup plain yogurt
1 frozen banana, peeled
1/2 medium beet
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1/2 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries)
1 cup ice cubes
1 cup water
Place all of the ingredients in the order given into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy.
Bell peppers
Plant now: As with tomatoes, you should plant bell peppers indoors if you want to start growing them now.
“Bell peppers take a little bit longer, probably about eight to 10 weeks, to go from seed to transplant,” Bernitz said. “They like very warm soil and warm weather.”
Watch them grow: As long as you give them the light and temperatures they need, Bernitz said peppers are a relatively easy vegetable to grow. As with peas, peppers should not be overfertilized.
“Some varieties of peppers benefit from staking,” he said. “Certain varieties are going to mature quicker than others. … A more advanced technique would be using black plastic mulch, like you might see on a farm. It helps to warm the soil.”
Out to harvest: According to Bernitz, peppers can be picked green and immature as long as they are full-sized and firm. They can be cut from the plant using clippers, scissors, pruners or a sharp knife and will have a short storage life of only one to two weeks.
Eat later: Peppers that are allowed to ripen on the plant, Bernitz said, will be sweeter and more nutritious. You can use them as ingredients in sandwiches or soups, or dice and combine them with tomatoes and other ingredients like garlic, onions and cilantro to create a dipping salsa for tortilla chips.
Carrots
Plant now: Carrots can be sown from seed directly outside. Since carrot seeds are so tiny, it’s easier to just sprinkle the seeds in a row rather than planting individual seeds; you can space them out as they grow, Erler said. “You pull out some of the little baby carrots in between [plants] to make sure they’re properly spaced,” she said. “You’re sacrificing a few, but you’re going to get nice, full-sized carrots.”
Watch them grow: Carrots like a soil that is rich, yet well-draining, such as a loamy soil, Erler said. They need at least six hours of direct sunlight and at least an inch of water per week.
Out to harvest: Carrots can be harvested after eight to 10 weeks, depending on how the tops look. “If that much time has elapsed and the top is really large, it’s probably done all it’s going to do,” Erler said. “You’ll just get diminishing returns if you leave it in longer, like the carrots will get hard and woody.” Ideally, you should be able to pull the carrots out of the soil by hand with little resistance, but you can loosen the surrounding soil with a garden fork if necessary. “Worst-case scenario, the top breaks off when you try to pull it out, and then you’ll just need to grab a tool to dig it out of the ground,” Erler said.
Eat later: Carrot dip
Recipe by Lisa Richards and courtesy of UNH Cooperative Extension.
Serves 6
6 carrots, shredded
1 1/2 cups nonfat yogurt, plain
1 clove of garlic, mashed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
18 4-inch celery strips
24 cherry tomatoes
Wash, peel and grate carrots. Add garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt to yogurt. Stir. Add carrots to yogurt mixture. Mix well. Serve with celery, tomatoes and other vegetables, if desired.
Herbs
Plant now: Some culinary herbs can be planted outdoors now or in the next one to two weeks, while for others you’ll need to wait until steadier warm weather arrives, according to Maria Noel Groves, owner of Wintergreen Botanicals in Allenstown and author of the book Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies. If you’re starting from seeds, you can usually find information on the seed packet on how long it will take the crop to germinate (when the seedling pops out of the soil) and mature (when it’s ready to be harvested). This can take a few weeks to a month, depending on the plant.
Watch them grow: Culinary herbs can be grown and harvested on their own, while some can thrive when paired up with others. Local experts say it all comes down to the ecosystem each one prefers.
“If you’ve got Mediterranean herbs like rosemary and thyme that like lots of sunlight, then they would be OK to go together,” said Jessica LaBrie, owner of Blackbird’s Daughter Botanicals in Barrington and a past president of the New Hampshire Herbal Network. “You might keep herbs that like a lot more watering together, like parsley and dill.”
Thyme and mint, Groves said, are among some of the herbs that can handle a bit of colder temperatures. Others prefer warmer or drier conditions.
“Mediterranean herbs are not going to survive outside right now,” she said. “Rosemary is definitely one of the ones that likes it more dry. Basil likes a hot, rich soil and lots of sun.”
Out to harvest: LaBrie said it’s a good idea to let your plants get established before you begin regularly harvesting — you can usually tell by their smell or their feel.
“With a lot of herbs, if you pinch off the new growth it will grow back even bushier,” she said. “It’s like giving them a little haircut every couple of days.”
Eat later: Groves said she likes to use her herbs in all kinds of ways in the kitchen, from simply adding them to a glass of seltzer water to using them as ingredients in a variety of dishes.
“If I’m making a nice savory breakfast, maybe with eggs, I could have them with basil or sage,” she said. “If we’re making Mexican food, like tacos, then I’ll use a lot of cilantro, oregano and parsley. I also like to do some Korean and Thai-inspired meals like bowls or stir-frys with herbs.”
Kale
Plant now: Kale can be sown from seed outdoors, or it can be started inside and transplanted outdoors after around four weeks, when it gets its first sets of leaves. “Both [ways to plant] are options, but if you plant them directly in the garden they probably aren’t going to get quite as big and are going to take a little longer before you can harvest them [than if you start them indoors],” Earler said.
Watch them grow: Kale “isn’t too fussy” with its growing requirements, Erler said. Just give it a well-draining, sandy soil, at least six hours full sun, and water whenever the soil feels dry. The biggest concern with growing kale, Erler said, is pests, such as cabbage worms, aphids and certain kinds of moths. “You want to make sure you’re looking closely at the plants and scouting for insects often, at least a couple times a week, to make sure that nothing is getting out of hand,” she said. If you do find yourself with an insect problem, she said, consult your local garden store about an insecticide or a row cover.
Out to harvest: “Kale is nice because you can harvest it as you go along,” Erler said. Simply remove the leaves as desired, using a pair of gardening scissors or by twisting them off by hand. Always pick the oldest leaves first, growing from the base of the plant.
Eat later: Kale chips
Recipe by Caitlin Porter and courtesy of UNH Cooperative Extension.
Serves 4.
1 bunch kale, red or curly
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Wash and completely dry kale leaves, remove stems. Tear into medium to large size pieces, place in a medium to large bowl. Add all the other ingredients and toss until kale is coated. Line a baking sheet with foil, coat with non-stick cooking spray. Spread kale onto baking sheet in a single layer. It might take two baking sheets. If using two baking sheets, make sure to rotate them halfway through the cooking time. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Lettuce
Plant now: Any type of lettuce you can buy at the grocery store is one you can also grow yourself — the easiest to grow is loose leaf lettuce, as it is the quickest to mature at about four weeks.
“Lettuce … can withstand light to moderate frost and will tolerate some shade, but it really prefers a lot of sun,” Bernitz said. “Loose leaf lettuce is really good for planting in the spring, for both containers and raised beds. … You’re planting in early to mid-April, and harvesting all May and June long if you’re planting it successionally.”
Watch them grow: Depending on your variety of choice, from smaller loose leaf lettuce to larger heads, Bernitz you might need a little extra space between each for them to grow.
“Lettuce is something you don’t want to plant too deeply. The seeds should be just below the surface of the soil,” he said.
Out to harvest: Most varieties of lettuce take about 40 to 50 days and then can be harvested over and over throughout the season, according to Munroe. Like spinach, Bernitz said, lettuce is best harvested at cooler temperatures. You can harvest individual leaves or alternatively cut the entire plant at or just above the surface of your soil.
Eat later: Most lettuces can go great in salads, sandwiches or wraps. Romaine lettuce, according to information from the New Hampshire Farm to School’s Harvest of the Month program, is typically viewed as the most nutrient-rich.
Onions
Plant now: If you’re looking for a “big, supermarket size” onion, Erler said, there are two ways to plant them: You can start them from seed in a container indoors, then transport them outside after several weeks when they’ve sprouted, or you can grow them from an onion set, a tiny, immature onion bulb, which can be planted outside. Plant the seeds or sets no deeper than an inch, allowing several inches of space between each plant.
Watch them grow: Onions grow well in a rich, loamy soil, with a full day of direct sunlight. They like having plenty of water, Erler said, so make sure the soil stays consistently moist.
Out to harvest: The growing time for onions is longer than that for most other vegetables, Erler said. Expect to harvest at the end of the summer, around three to four months after planting. You’ll know they’re ready once their tops start to yellow and fall over.
Eat later: Onion casserole
Recipe by Sara Oberle, Nutrition Connections Teacher, and courtesy of UNH Cooperative Extension.
4 large onions, diced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup long grain rice, cooked according to package directions
⅔ cup milk
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
Cook rice according to package directions and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a skillet add olive oil and diced onions. Sauté for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. In a large bowl add the sautéed onions, cooked rice, milk, black pepper, salt, and ground allspice; stir until blended. Pour into a lightly oiled casserole dish. Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese on top. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 5 more minutes until cheese begins to brown.
Peas
Plant now: Peas are considered cool-season veggies that should be planted now, according to Nate Bernitz, home horticulture outreach program manager for the UNH Cooperative Extension.
“In order to get a good crop of peas, you’d want to plant them early in the spring, to give them time to mature before it gets too hot out,” Bernitz said. “Their ideal temperatures are between 60 and 75 degrees. … I’d also recommend planting peas successionally, which means making additional plantings every week or couple of weeks rather than all at once. It guarantees you a good continuous harvest, because peas are veggies you want to eat soon after they’re ready.”
Watch them grow: Bernitz said peas do best when growing on something they can climb on — you can use some kind of trellis, or make your own using chicken wire, sticks or other materials. Peas shouldn’t be overfertilized, either.
“They really thrive when given that space,” he said. “I would also say that peas … do really well when grown with other crops. So peas and spinach, for example, go really well together. Peas are kind of slow growing, whereas spinach grows quickly.”
Out to harvest: Peas will flower and produce pods that can be picked when ready to be harvested. Depending on the variety, this can take around 50 to 60 days from when you plant it, although some may produce pods sooner than others, according to Justin Munroe, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Grow Nashua.
Eat later: According to Bernitz, peas will taste sweet, tender and non-starchy when ready to be harvested. Peas or pea pods can be enjoyed as a side vegetable to a protein, while pea shoots can be added in dishes like pastas or potato salads.
Radishes
Plant now: Radishes can be sown by seed outside in the spring. Plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep in the soil, spaced a couple of inches apart and in rows about a foot apart. “They need space,” Erler said. “If you aren’t really careful in the way that you space them, you may need to thin them out a bit [as they grow].”
Watch them grow: Radishes prefer a well-draining, sandy soil and at least six hours of full sun each day. It’s very important that radishes get enough water, Erler said, as that can directly affect how the radishes come out. “They tend to have a milder flavor and be more tender when they’ve had plenty of water,” she said. “[If they haven’t] they can end up pithy or woody and really spicy.” Give them at least an inch of water a week, more if conditions are hot or dry.
Out to harvest: Radishes have a quicker turn-around than most vegetables, Erler said, reaching maturity in as little as two to three weeks. Simply pull them out of the soil by hand.
Eat later: Radish stir-fry with sugar snap peas
Recipe by Shirley Clark of Nutrition Connections and courtesy of UNH Cooperative Extension.
Serving size ¾ cup. Serves 8.
1 tablespoon. oil
1/2 cup shallots, diced
3 cups sugar snap peas, chopped
2 cups radishes, sliced
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Wash your hands and fresh ingredients. Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add snap peas and cook 3 minutes. Add radishes and cook 3 more minutes. Stir. Add orange juice and dill. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Serve and enjoy. Refrigerate leftovers and use within 2 to 3 days.
Spinach
Plant now: Like peas, spinach is another cool-season vegetable you’d want to start planting now, according to Bernitz, and is another one he recommends planting successionally.
“Spinach is a great one to plant not only in the spring but also in the fall as well. Peas tend not to be great for the fall because they are a little slower to mature,” he said.
Watch them grow: Spinach will prefer shade over full sun and cooler temperatures over warm. In fact, Bernitz said spinach that has been exposed to a little bit of frost will change its overall taste.
“It tastes somewhat sweeter when exposed to some light frost and harvested in cooler temperatures,” Bernitz said.
Out to harvest: According to Bernitz, single leaves of spinach should be harvested as soon as they reach a usable size, at cool temperatures if possible. Spinach has a short shelf life, lasting just a few days in the refrigerator. It should be run under cold water and immediately refrigerated after harvest, he said.
Eat later: Spinach cooks very quickly and can go great when sauteed with other greens like collards and Swiss chard, on its own or added to dishes like scrambled eggs or soups.
Tomatoes
Plant now: If you have the space indoors, you can start planting tomatoes now. Otherwise, if you’re looking to plant seeds directly into the ground, those will need to wait a little bit longer.
“Tomatoes you don’t want to plant or transplant outdoors until the danger of frost has passed, because they will not tolerate frost,” Bernitz said. “They are veggies that people typically start growing indoors. … We recommend starting them from seed indoors under grow lights for about six to eight weeks before you transplant them out.”
Watch them grow: Tomatoes need a lot of room for their roots to grow, so if you are starting them indoors, Bernitz said, they need pots or containers at least five gallons in size.
Varieties of tomatoes are either determinate or indeterminate — indeterminate varieties will continue producing new tomatoes throughout harvest season and until the threat of frost, which is normally around October but could return earlier or later than that, depending on the year and what part of the state you live in, according to Bernitz.
“Indeterminate tomatoes are common,” he said. “Determinate tomatoes are much shorter and bushier, and they produce all of their tomatoes at once, which is not really what some people like if they want to be enjoying fresh tomatoes off the vine all summer.”
Out to harvest: In general, Munroe said tomatoes can take around 60 to 75 days to be ready depending on their size, and there may be additional harvesting time depending on when the first fall frost occurs. Tomatoes should then be stored at room temperature, out of direct sunlight.
“Our seasons have been getting longer and longer,” he said. “We’ve been growing strong through the end of September, and even this past year we were a week or two into October.”
Bernitz said some tomato varieties will drop when ripe, whereas others will cling to the plant. Most will come off the plant easily when they are ripe or close to ripe.
Eat later: A fresh homegrown tomato can be eaten by itself, Bernitz said, or cooked alongside some homegrown basil or made into a sauce for meals like pastas. Frozen tomatoes will keep for about eight to 12 months.
Tree fruits
Apples, pears, plums, cherries and certain varieties of peaches grow well in southern New Hampshire.
Plant now: Fruit trees can be planted in the spring once the snow has completely melted and the soil is thoroughly dried and workable. The best way to start growing a fruit tree, according to Emma Erler, Commercial Horticulture Field Specialist for UNH Cooperative Extension, is to plant a “grafted” tree, a branch that’s taken from a parent plant and attached to its own root system. “You could certainly try to grow [a fruit tree] from seed, but you’re probably not going to end up with a very delicious fruit,” she said. To plant the grafted tree, dig a hole that is deep enough to accommodate the full height of the root system and wide enough to spread the roots out. “Ideally, the part of the stem that’s just above the roots will be sitting just above soil level,” Erler said. “You don’t want [the stem] of the plant to be covered by soil at all.”
Watch them grow: Fruit trees need direct sunlight — around six to eight hours of it a day — and a well-drained soil to thrive. “A shaded area or low-lying area where water tends to pool and form puddles is not the spot for them,” Erler said. “You want a nice, open, sunny spot where the soil can dry fairly quickly.” The young tree needs water — by rain, sprinkler or watering can — at least a couple times a week. Each watering should be enough to soak at least 8 to 12 inches down into the soil. “You want to make sure you aren’t just flooding the upper inch or so of soil,” Erler said. “You want to water enough so that if you were to dig into the soil near the plant you’d see the water.”
Out to harvest: The yield from fruit trees takes some patience, Erler said; you probably won’t see any quality fruit until the tree is at least 3 to 5 years old. “The tree needs to be structurally strong first, so it’s not likely to break under the weight of the fruit or from snow or ice,” she said. One of the biggest mistakes people make when planting fruit trees, Erler said, is trying to harvest the fruit prematurely. “It’s tough to do, but you should actually be removing any fruits that start growing during the first couple of years,” she said. “When the tree is producing fruit, it’s taking energy away from the growth of the roots and the tree.”
Eat later: Fruit crisp
Recipe by Christine Parshall, Nutrition Connections Teacher, and courtesy of UNH Cooperative Extension.
Serving size 1/2 cup. Serves 6.
4 cups fruit, like blueberries, pears, apples, peaches (frozen, canned or fresh)
2 tablespoons. white or whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 stick softened margarine or butter
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Wash hands with soap and water. Grease an 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan. If using canned fruit, drain juices and rinse. If using frozen fruit, thaw and drain. Scrub firm produce like apples and pears with a clean vegetable brush under running water. Gently rub tender produce, like peaches, under running water. Rinse fresh berries under running water. Slice fruit, if needed, and put in the pan. Add 2 tablespoons flour to fruit and stir in. Spread fruit evenly in pan. In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients together with a fork or hands until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit evenly. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and fruit is tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm.
It’s spring and perhaps Mother Nature may cooperate and provide us with continued spring-like weather. The sun warms the soil, the snow banks are receding, and a few trees are already beginning to set buds. The perfect pairing for springtime fare is a chilled rosé wine.
Our first wine is an Italian sparkling rosé, Val d’ Oca Extra Dry Sparkling Rosé, originally priced at $15.99, reduced to $7.99 at the NH Liquor & Wine Outlets. It is a bright sparkling wine with a light pink color and floral, strawberry and raspberry aromas. The nose of the wine carries through to the palate, with a short but pleasant finish. This is a wine that is perfect as an aperitif or with fresh seafood or grilled fish. It is also ideal to be served opposite soft, young cheeses. Produced in Veneto, the northeast region of Italy and home to prosecco, this wine is also made from the glera grape, used in the production of prosecco. But added to the glera grapes are pinot noir grapes, bringing along their color and a fuller mouth to enhance the wine. Val d’Oca is under the Cantina Produttori di Valdobbiadene, a group of nearly 600 growers within about 2,500 acres of vineyards. The making of this wine consists of separate vinification for the glera grapes and the pinot noir grapes, including soft pressing and fermentation for the glera grapes and red maceration for the pinot noir grapes. Blending of the two happens before the second fermentation, employing the Charmat method (trapping bubbles in the wine via its own carbonation in large, cool steel tanks).
Our next two wines hail from the south of France.
Château Montaud Côtes De Provence 2019 Rosé (originally priced at $17.99, reduced to $12.99 at the NH Liquor & Wine Outlets) has a pink color approaching amber. It has a subtle nose, but to the mouth there are notes of peach, strawberry and citrus, followed by a mineral finish. It is refreshingly both smooth and crisp. It pairs well with vegetarian, fish, shellfish, pork and poultry, quite a diverse offering. This wine may not be complicated, but it is still lovely and can go beyond a dinner pairing wine to one that is enjoyed on the deck or patio in the warm spring sunshine with some cheese. This wine is a blend of grenache, cinsault, syrah and mourvedre.
Gérard Bertrand 2019 Cote Des Rosé (originally priced at $17.99, reduced to $15.99 at the NH Liquor & Wine Outlets) is from the Languedoc region in the south of France, just west of Provence. Bordering Catalonia Spain and the Pyrenees Mountains, the region is known as the largest wine-growing region in the world and produces one third of France’s wines. It has a soft coppery-pink color and a nose of cassis and red currant, along with some floral notes. The palate is light, but with a ripe fruit character and some spiciness. Citric notes provide a lengthy feel and interest to the mouth. A blend of grenache, syrah and cinsault, this wine is different from the Pierrefeu rosé. There is more acid to the tongue, coupled with a taste of oak and tangerine rind.
Any, or all, of these rosés are a great way to celebrate spring.
Featured photo: Val d’ Oca Extra Dry Sparkling Rosé
The snow is gone. We’ve switched over to daylight saving time. My road is a morass of muddy ruts. The air smells like fresh soil and stale dreams.
I like to think I’m jaded and world-weary, but I’m not immune to spring.
I’ve been giving my wife what passes for a saucy look. I’ve been practicing smiling knowingly and raising one eyebrow, which is much harder than it looks. Every time I think I’ve got it nailed, my wife will ask me if I’m feeling OK.
“What?” I ask. “Don’t I look sexy?”
“More like constipated,” she replies.
In my book, that must mean it’s Cocktail Time.
There are, of course, several cocktails that we associate with springtime — mint juleps, for instance, or creative hipster drinks infused with snap peas, or variations on summer drinks named after flowers, honeysuckle margaritas or hyacinth highballs, maybe.
Personally, I’ve been pretty fond of a Sunshine cocktail lately — a classic made with equal parts white rum, pineapple juice, dry vermouth and hope, with a small amount of grenadine for color and sweetness. It is bracing, not too sweet, and a lovely rosy-orange color. It is thoroughly delightful. And yet….
As much as I like a blisteringly cold Sunshine, as delicious as it is, it doesn’t taste very springish. The flavors all go together well, and it looks lovely and respectable, but it’s restrained and self-contained. It wears a tie and a vest and tips the staff generously but reasonably. It greets you with a firm handshake and asks after your family. It does not dash through the wildflowers, strewing rose petals and singing, “Hey, Nonny, Nonny,” on its way to meet a secret lover. It doesn’t demonstrate enough questionable judgment, in my opinion.
So let’s mess around with a classic cocktail that’s just minding its own business and not hurting anybody.
White rum is a good base for a drink. It doesn’t have a pronounced flavor, which makes it a good starting point for a cocktail that won’t offend anyone — vodka with a passport. (In fact, I made some dynamite banana-infused rum last week with white rum that would — but I digress.) Since we’re looking to put some backbone into our spring cocktail, let’s swap out the white rum for golden rum — not too dark — something caramel-colored that knows who it is. In this case, I’m using Rhum Clement, but anything golden will work.
I’m leaving the dry vermouth as is. It is a solid utility player that can support the rum.
Maybe the biggest change I’m going to make is swapping out the pineapple juice for passionfruit cocktail. We’ve talked about this before; you’ll find it in the juice aisle at the supermarket, probably just out of reach on the top shelf. It’s like pineapple juice, if PJ was perfumy and slightly dangerous-tasting.
Let’s replace the grenadine with homemade strawberry syrup. The strawberry goes well with the passionfruit cocktail and is a little more springy.
I’ll leave the hope as is.
Effulgence Cocktail
(I looked it up in a thesaurus, and it’s a synonym for sunshine. I like the sound of it.)
1½ ounces golden rum
1½ ounces dry vermouth
1½ ounces passionfruit cocktail
½ ounce homemade strawberry syrup (see below)
Combine all ingredients in a shaker half-filled with ice.
Strain into a chilled coupé glass.
Drink while making direct eye contact with a stranger.
This tastes similar to its cousin Sunshine, but with a few striking differences. The Effulgence’s golden rum is firmly in the driver’s seat. It lets you know who you’re dealing with, but it also lets you know that it is a professional and knows what it’s doing. The passionfruit adds a note of exotic devil-may-care vernality. The vermouth and the strawberry are background singers in this very nice spring-like mixed metaphor of a cocktail. Hey, nonny, nonny.
Strawberry syrup
• An undetermined quantity of frozen strawberries (Make as much or as little of this recipe as you like. The frozen berries will give up their juice more willingly than fresh ones; they’ve had their hearts broken by ice crystals.)
• An equal amount (by weight) of sugar
Heat berries and sugar in a small saucepan.
As the berries thaw and start to give up their juice, mash them with a potato masher.
Bring to a boil (to allow the sugar to dissolve completely), then remove from heat.
Cool, then strain into a small bottle and label.
Eat the remaining berry jam left in the strainer on toast or chocolate ice cream.
Featured photo: Effulgence Cocktail. Photo by John Fladd.
IPAs are so popular right now I almost try to avoid writing about them, not because I don’t enjoy them, but, look, they’re almost too trendy. And I don’t want to inundate people with IPAs all the time.
I think I may have overcompensated a bit, though. Let’s be serious; IPAs are far and away the most popular craft beer style in the country. You walk into a brewery, any brewery, and you know you’re going to have several IPAs to choose from and probably one or maybe two each of any other style they offer. That’s just the reality of the craft beer scene.
They are so popular because they taste so good. The bright hops feature big notes of tropical fruit, citrus and pine, and just an abundance of freshness. It’s incredible how flavorful they are.
With New England-style IPAs, you’re drinking a beer that looks like a glass of orange juice, and honestly, often doesn’t taste that far off from that.
It seems brewers have an almost endless supply of hop combinations to play with, and play with they do. The winners are the beer drinkers of this country.
It’s just that sometimes IPA culture is a bit much — this is the style of beer that causes people to do irrational things, like wait in really long lines just for beer. But that doesn’t change the way they taste.
Here are three IPAs I’ve had recently that reminded me how terrific this style is.
Hi, Jack New England IPA by Hobbs Brewing (Ossipee)
A friend handed one of these to me before we hit the slopes for some very late winter skiing and snowboarding, and I just couldn’t be more grateful. Yes, we can definitely talk about whether or not it was a great idea to have a beer before I tried to clumsily manipulate onto and then off of a chair lift, but I have no regrets.
I think a lot of the amped-up IPAs of today can be a bit much on the gut — I don’t know that I’d call them heavy but some of the big ones can bog you down, between the alcohol, the hops and, I think, the yeast.
This IPA is an explosion of fruity hop flavor but in a less robust package. It’s delicious and extremely easy to drink. What I’m saying is, you could have several of these, and I’m not saying you should, but I’m saying you probably will want to.
Donkey-Hoté Double IPA by Throwback Brewery (North Hampton)
Speaking of amped-up IPAs, here’s one. This is aggressive — aggressively hoppy and bitter — and yet surprisingly easy to drink, so be careful, as this comes in at 8.2-percent ABV. The pour is hazy and the flavor profile features big notes of citrus and apricot. I think a beer like this is your “reward” beer. Sit down, relax, put your feet up and enjoy this hop-bomb after you’ve accomplished something, such as an afternoon of yard work.
603 IPA by 603 Brewery (Londonderry)
I’m a little embarrassed to say that I don’t think I had ever had this beer before. Not sure what I was waiting for. This is excellent. In addition to tropical citrus notes, the brewery says the brew features notes of lime, orange and melon, and, yeah, that’s pretty much right on. I think you will pick up the lime, which just makes this brew especially interesting. This is a terrific “anytime” IPA.
What’s in My Fridge Green Head IPA by Newburyport Brewing Co. (Newburyport, Mass.) One of my all-time favorite IPAs, there’s just something about this beer. Maybe it’s just personal nostalgia or maybe it’s because I like the tag line, “The beer that bites you back,” but this West Coast-style IPA has just always been a winner for me — deliciously hoppy and bitter. Cheers!
Featured photo: Hi, Jack New England IPA by Hobbs Brewing. Courtesy photo.
Take a mini day trip and discover new flavors at New Hampshire wineries
Whether you know (or think you know) everything there is to know about wine, or your wine experience is limited to the glass of Champagne you had at your cousin’s wedding, tastings are a great way to experience local wines, learn about how they’re made and the best foods to pair them with, and explore the vineyards that are occupying more and more New Hampshire real estate.
“People come for a tasting for something [fun] to do,” said Al Fulchino, owner and winemaker at Fulchino Vineyard in Hollis. “When they find out they like the wine, they think, how [is that made] in New Hampshire?”
Local winemakers and vineyard staff answer our questions about their wineries, their tasting experiences and the wines they think you should try.
Appolo Vineyards
49 Lawrence Road, Derry 421-4675, appolovineyards.com
Photo courtesy of Appolo Vineyards.
Mike Appolo, owner and winegrower, talks about his vineyard, the outdoor tasting room known as #thecrushpad, and Firefly 2020.
From fruit to wine: We make only grape wines. We are focused on food-friendly wines, so you will not find anything overly sweet here — well, except for our port-style wine, and that has some special pairing recommendations. We have a small vineyard [with 1,500 vines] in Derry with nearly a dozen named varieties of grapes. We also source grapes from all over New Hampshire, New York and other places. We make a variety of wines from dry to sweet, red, white and rosé. We have still and sparkling wines, including a brand new naturally fermented pet-nat [called Wild Eyes] and a red pinot noir bubbly [called Barchetta]. Many of our fermentations are done using native yeasts that bring out the best of the varietal character of the grapes we choose. We were one of the first in New England to grow the grape Brianna, which is now grown extensively in Vermont and in vineyards across the region. We offer still and sparkling versions of this wine. We are constantly experimenting with new grape varieties and trying new styles of wine.
What makes us unique: We have an outside tasting room, #thecrushpad, a patio in the middle of our sustainably grown vineyard. We have fire pits groups can reserve in spring and summer. Dogs are welcome on our patio as well. As one of the closest vineyards to Boston and Interstate 93, we see many visitors getting away for the weekend.
The tasting experience: Our staff will guide you through a tasting of anything from our menu of [often 15] wines, including both sparkling and still wines. The staff is well-versed in how each wine is made. When the winemaking staff is available, we will meet with customers to talk about the process.
Popular pours: Firefly 2020 is our newest sparkling Brianna white wine and is quickly gaining ground as our most popular at the winery. The sparkling Bee Wild 2019 white blend is right up there with it. Blue Eyes [sauvignon blanc] is our best selling wine in the New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlets. Red One [a sweet sangria-like New Hampshire red blend] is our most popular wine in Market Basket stores throughout the state.
Personal favorite: Firefly is my new favorite. I love the way the Brianna vines and grapes grow here — expressing the minerality of the granite-filled soils. We don’t spray this grape or use pesticides anywhere near it. I have had Brianna wine grown in at least five states and at various places across this state. The grapes here are very different, and my preference.
Appolo opened on March 13 for the new season. Current hours are Fridays from 2 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., by reservation only (visit the website to book online or call for same-day reservations). The winery is also in the approval process for a new outdoor covered tasting space and an indoor tasting room that Appolo says he hopes to start building in late spring, with expanded hours upon its completion.
Copper Beech Winery
146 Londonderry Turnpike, Building 3, Unit 23, Hooksett 400-2595, copperbeechwinery.com
Photo courtesy of Copper Beech Winery.
Lin L’Heureux owns and runs Copper Beech Winery on her own, which means she’s also the chief fruit selector, winemaker, lab chemist, taste tester, director of bottling, web designer, social media manager, photographer, advertising manager, hostess, server, groundskeeper, gardener and more.
From fruit to wine: Copper Beech Winery is a small batch woman-owned boutique winery. … We make … wines from fresh fruit and grapes that are grown as locally as possible and choose organic fruits whenever we can. Each small batch is hand crafted with patience and attention to detail. … We opened our tasting room in March 2014.
What makes us unique: While many fruit wines are sweet, ours are on the dry side, with just enough residual sweetness to showcase the fruit character without overwhelming it. Yes, dry fruit wines, a pleasant surprise for many of our customers. In 2021 we’ll be adding some well-aged grape wines as well. Our wines are fermented in the traditional style and most are aged at least a year before bottling.
The tasting experience: Normally we have about 14 types of wines available, which vary throughout the year. When a local farmer has a smaller supply of fruit available due to a bad winter, lack of rain, etc., we may run out of that wine earlier in the year. … We appreciate the local fruit when it’s available to us, and because I grew up on a farm, I really like the opportunity to help support local farmers. Our tasting room is small and cozy. … I love talking to people about how the wine is made, where the fruit comes from and what’s new in the tanks. This year, we’re working on approvals for an outside tasting and seating area and hope to open it later in the spring.
Popular pours: These tend to sell out early every year: Autumn Harvest [a blend of New Hampshire apples with tart red cranberries]; Brilliant Cranberry; Country Crabapple [a limited-edition wine crafted from New Hampshire crabapples]; Massabesic Rose [made with locally grown strawberries and fresh rhubarb]; and Wild Blue [a dry oak-aged red wine made with low-bush blueberries from New Hampshire and Maine].
Personal favorite: I honestly don’t have a favorite, but in the cooler seasons I tend to gravitate toward the reds, like Wild Blue or Regatta Red. In warmer seasons, I like a chilled white wine, like Fresh Peach or Country Crabapple.
Copper Beech Winery is opening later this spring; visit its website for details and hours for wine tastings and tours.
Crazy Cat Winery
365 Lake St., Bristol 217-0192, crazycatwinery.com
What can you expect from a wine tasting experience with Crazy Cat owner Claudette Smith and winemaker Tim Smith? Five pours, a souvenir tasting glass and stories about winemaking and “the Haunted House of Bristol.”
From fruit to wine: Our wines are made from wine grape juices shipped in from California, Washington and Oregon, as well as from Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Italy, Australia, etc. and fresh fruit from New Hampshire. All of our wines are produced here on site. We have planted a small vineyard on site that we hope will produce wine-quality fruit in a few years.
What makes us unique: One of the factors that makes us unique is our rather large selection of wines and varied styles. We produce reds, whites, semi-sweet summer wines, fruit wines and several dessert wines. Our proximity to Newfound Lake makes us an especially convenient and fun location for visitors to the Lakes Region. This building was built in 1880 and the tasting room is in the original carriage house.
The tasting experience: Our tasting experience consists of five pours from our collection and includes a logo souvenir tasting glass. Tastings are done in our Tuscan-themed tasting room. During the summer months, we also offer outdoor seating and service. One of our favorite things to do is to meet and talk to our customers, talk about the wines and winemaking. We also love to tell our story and tell tales about the building. It has been described by many locals as “the Haunted House of Bristol.” On many occasions, we love to sit with customers talking about our unique and weird experiences since moving into this building. Lots of unexplained happenings!
Popular pours: Popular pours would be our Reserve Merlot, juice sourced from Washington State; Whisker White, our special blend of three whites; Beach Peach semi-sweet summer wine and the Chocolate Espresso dessert wine.
Personal favorite: Tim’s new personal favorite is our Grenache Rose — light, clean with a distinct flavor of fresh strawberry. Claudette’s favorite is the cabernet sauvignon.
During the cooler off season months, Crazy Cat is open Friday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. In warmer months it is open Thursday to Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Visit the website for current hours.
Flag Hill Distillery and Winery
297 N. River Road, Lee flaghill.com
Cassey Nickerson, brand ambassador for Flag Hill, talks about what the largest vineyard in the state has to offer.
From fruit to wine: Flag Hill sits on a 110-acre conservation easement, which preserves the property to remain in agriculture forever. The vineyard itself comprises two areas on the property totaling 14 acres, making Flag Hill the largest vineyard in the state of New Hampshire. We focus primarily on cold-tolerant white grapes, though we grow a total of six hybrid grapes, which consist of both whites and reds. The types of grapes are Minnesota hybrids and French-American hybrids, and varieties are Cayuga, vignoles, la crescent, Niagara, de Chaunac and Marechal Foch. While we do grow all of our grapes for our grape wines, and the corn and rye for whiskey, we do not grow our own fruits for our fruit wines, though we source these from within New Hampshire and the surrounding New England states as best we can.
What makes us unique: We are a true farm winery and farm distillery. Growing the grapes and grains here at Flag Hill means that we have control over everything, from the compost that goes into our soil, to the temperature at the time of harvest.
The tasting experience: We offer a guided public tour every weekend at noon with one of our staff. If you … miss the scheduled tour, we encourage you to explore the grounds via our self-guided walking tour, which has 18 stations to visit. Our tastings are $5 for five tastes, where you get to choose which wines, spirits or combination of those you would like to try. Small snack boards are available, as well as glasses of wine, … wine smoothies and other seasonal offerings. … We are looking forward to when we can return, safely, to bar service in the Tasting Room, where guests get a one-on-one with our staff. … We are [also] looking forward to the summer of 2021 with the addition of an outdoor patio [where] guests can grab a flight, a glass and a friend and enjoy the day under the pergola.
Popular pours: Aromatic white wines are certainly what we do best at Flag Hill, so our visitors gravitate toward those. Our most popular pour within this would have to be our Cayuga white. It is our fan favorite that pops with flavors of green apple, peach and pear, very similar to a Germanic-style riesling. If you are more of a bubbly wine drinker, give the sparkling Cayuga white a try! Add a dash of one of our fruit liqueurs and your day is made.
Personal favorite: La crescent. This is hands down our winemaker’s favorite. La crescent is intensely aromatic with notes of honeydew, pineapple and orange blossom; it is the perfect marriage of sweetness versus acidity at the first sip.
The Tasting Room & Gift Store is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, year round, with the exception of Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Fulchino Vineyard
187 Pine Hill Road, Hollis 438-5984, fulchinovineyard.com
For owner and winemaker Al Fulchino, winemaking has been part of his family’s history for nearly two centuries — so it only makes sense that he now has vineyards of his own.
From fruit to wine: We believe in simplicity. We have four vineyards within two miles. … We like to source what we use. Eighty-five to 88 percent comes from our property. We plant, pick, prune, we bottle, we label … we do all that. We believe in letting the wine speak for itself by staying out of the way. [We have] good vineyard sites to warm up and ripen the grapes. … We bought the land in 1991 and in 2007 planted the first vineyard. It’s a very successful piece of land for growing wine grapes. … Everything on this property, we built it.
What makes us unique: What makes us different, I don’t even want to know. All we can do is what we do. I think we make people happy.
The tasting experience: We cater to people who like wine, want to like wine or are curious about wine. We expect to exceed expectations with the wine person [and we] want to show people how to appreciate wine in a non-snobby way. I talk to everybody I can talk to, [and] we try to impart our knowledge on our staff. … [Tasters can try] five or six wines. … We try to give people information about the wine and what pairs well with it. [We want to] show people where the wine shines. … We try to have 18 to 22 [wines] on the table, but if we’re hit really hard there may only be 10 to 12 wines on the table. Right now there are 15 wines on today’s table. Things come and go.
Popular pours: Mirabella is our signature proprietary blend. It is a very full-bodied robust red that is meant to savor … with stone fruit notes, notes of chocolate, orange peel. It’s a crowd favorite, our No. 2 wine. No. 1 is a sister wine to Mirabella [where we] alter the aging process and we oak it differently: Cenare. It’s a French oak.
Personal favorite: If I just want a sip I like to go to my Mirabella. If I’m eating a certain type of dish, I might need my pinot or my chardonnay.
Hours now through March are Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., opening daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting in April.
Owners Sunny and Marshall Bishop offer tastings in the former home of a local legend.
Photo courtesy of Gilmanton Winery & Vineyard.
From fruit to wine: We have roughly 4 acres and six different kinds of vines: seyval, reliance, Concord, Marechal Foch, Marquette and aurore. We also make some of our wines from grapes that have already been pressed.
What makes us unique: Our property is just under 9 acres, and the house, which is attached to the business, was once owned by Grace Metalious, the author of Peyton Place. My husband, the winemaker, is a retired Marine and I’m a retired flight attendant, [so] we have a bit of memorabilia here.
The tasting experience: You get to taste at your own table, whether inside or outside, and we bring the flights of wine to you. We also serve [light bites, like cheese and crackers] and we do as much local as we can. My husband also loves to walk around and chat with everyone. … We also serve brunches every Sunday morning. We’re planning on doing picnics this summer.
Popular pours: Our most popular wines are Jack the Ripper, Green Apple Riesling and Blueberry Surprise.
Personal favorite: My favorite is Jack the Ripper. It’s from the carmenere grape and is a dry red wine.
Gilmanton Winery is open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1:30 to 5 p.m. for wine tastings.
Hermit Woods Winery
72 Main St., Meredith 253-7968, hermitwoods.com
Photo courtesy of Hermit Woods Winery.
Owner Bob Manley talks about the highly interactive experience you’ll have at a wine tasting at Hermit Woods.
From fruit to wine: Each of our … handcrafted wines is made from a unique combination of locally sourced fruit, honey and flowers, in some cases wild-foraged. Our process is … hands-on from vine to bottle, using old-world techniques. … The result is a wine with rich, complex flavors. All of our wines are vegan, with the exception of honey wines, gluten-free, raw and mostly organic to best management practices. … We get our fruit from farmers all over New England, and on occasion outside of New England when supplies are short
What makes us unique: Hermit Woods is crafting dry, barrel-aged, European-style wines, many of which can be laid down for years in your cellar, from fruit other than grapes. We are the only winery I am aware of with this focus anywhere. We also offer a farm-to-table restaurant at the winery and sell local cheeses, meats and other locally crafted food items at the winery. We will soon be offering a listening room, called The Loft at Hermit Woods, where we will be showcasing music from around the country and possibly the world.
Our tasting experience: Our tasting experience is highly interactive, providing guests with an in-depth knowledge of our wine, wine in general, and wine application. We do offer tours, [but] they won’t resume until we are 100 percent past Covid. We will also be offering a wide variety of advanced tasting programs. … A typical tasting lasts about 30 minutes and is one-on-one with our team. Our premium tasting experience will be a 45-minute presentation by the owners and management only.
Popular pours: Our most popular wine is Petite Blue and Petite Blue Reserve. [Petite Blue] is bursting with fresh blueberry aromas and flavors. An entire pound of wild low-bush blueberries is in each and every bottle of wine. Unlike many available blueberry wines, this dry blueberry wine embodies the characteristics of a more traditional dry red wine. We enjoy it slightly chilled. Petite Blue Reserve, a specially crafted vintage of our … Petite Blue, is fuller in body and finishes long and dry like so many fine Burgundies we have come to love. Like our Petite Blue, there is over an entire pound of wild low-bush blueberries in every bottle. Also very popular is our Winnipesaukee Rosé. … Cranberries and apples are blended together in this rich, sweet, and tangy wine.
Personal favorite: Our personal favorite is our Red Scare, a multi-berry melomel. Whole wild blueberries, organic blackberries and raspberries, and local, raw, unfiltered honey providing balance, structure, and long-deep flavors. This wine was aged in a French oak barrel for many months. A complex, dry wine with great aging potential.
Hermit Woods is open seven days a week, year round. Wine tastings are available at any time during operating hours, which are Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the winter. It stays open an hour later in the summer.
LaBelle Winery
345 Route 101, Amherst; 104 Congress St., Portsmouth; and coming in May, 14 Route 111, Derry, labellewinery.com
Photo courtesy of LaBelle Winery.
Michelle Thornton, director of marketing and business development, explains the winemaking process that happens on the grounds of LaBelle’s Amherst property and describes the winery’s most popular pours.
From fruit to wine: LaBelle Winery Amherst has seven different grape varieties planted on about 2 acres of land. … Varieties of grapes are chancellor, noiret, petit amie, seyval blanc, petit pearl and Brianna, and are all cold-hardy to withstand New England winters. The vines will be hand-harvested in the fall when the grapes reach the optimal sugar and acidity and will immediately be transported to the crush pad behind the winery. … LaBelle also sources grapes from the Finger Lakes region of New York, California, and Washington State to supplement our volume. Our fruit wine is produced using farm fruits from all over New England. … Ripe red grapes are crushed in a crusher/destemmer. Must [a juice containing the skin, seeds and vines] is placed in a container and a selected strain of yeast is added. In the fermentation process, yeast added to the grape or fruit juice converts sugar into both carbon dioxide, which is released into the air, and alcohol. … After being filtered from the other organic material, most red wines undergo a second, malolactic fermentation, in which sharp malic acids are converted to softer lactic acids. Racking and filtering follow when the wine is separated from any remaining solids. Clarified wine is placed in bottles and sealed. For white grape processing, instead of being crushed, white grapes are gently pressed to avoid juice contact with the skins or broken seeds and vines that give red wines that sharp, tannic taste. The juice is collected in a fermentation tank [either stainless steel or oak] and may be clarified once before a yeast variety is selected and added. Fermentation of white wines usually occurs at cooler temperatures and for more time than reds to maintain crisp, fruity aromas and flavors. Barrel aging and malolactic fermentation may occur for some wines [like chardonnay], followed by clarification and bottling.
What makes us unique: Amy LaBelle is the winemaker, founder and owner of the business, along with her husband, Cesar Arboleda. LaBelle processes over 40 tons of grapes a year, which will be doubling in 2021 with the Derry property’s addition. LaBelle is known for its friendly and inviting staff and incredible dining, shopping options and educational and fun events that complement the award-winning wine. LaBelle also hosts hundreds of private events a year, such as weddings, corporate and nonprofit events.
The tasting experience: Our expert tasting room representatives guide guests by sampling our wines, all produced in our … winemaking facility in Amherst. During a wine tasting, a guest can select from over 35 of our different wines to taste. … Tastings are first-come, first-served, and do not require a reservation. Our guided tours, which are approximately 20 to 30 minutes, provide an overview of the building architecture, vineyards and winemaking production cellar within our Amherst facility. Additionally, guests are welcome to follow our self-guided tour brochure at any time during operating hours. We also offer private tasting and tours, which require a reservation. Tour and tastings are highly interactive and educational. The LaBelle Winery Derry property will have a new structure built, named LaBelle Winery, home to a tasting room and a space where a new line of sparkling wines will be produced. The tasting room will wrap around the production and aging experience and will require additional equipment and riddling racks that we don’t have space for in our Amherst location. The new red, white and rosé sparkling wines will be made using the French Methode Champenoise, making the Champagne house at LaBelle Winery Derry the only one of its kind in New England.
Popular pours: Rose, a dry, classic blend of the red grapes grenache and syrah, with aromas of watermelon, florals and strawberries; Americus, with a rich tannin structure and loads of pepper on the palate; petit verdot, a bold red wine with strong floral and fruit tones and a deep tannin structure; seyval blanc, a delicate wine with citrus tones and a crisp, clean finish; and malbec, a deep red rich wine that’s spicy and bold on the palate with a lush and balanced finish.
Personal favorite: Americus
LaBelle’s hours are changing soon; visit the website for the most up-to-date information.
Owners Lewis and Stacey Eaton live and work on their farm, where they offer a relaxed wine-tasting experience and a chance to walk around the vineyard. Lewis Eaton shared more about what you’ll find at Sweet Baby Vineyard.
From fruit to wine: We are a small family-owned vineyard and winery that grows six different cold-hardy grape varieties. Each year we expand our vineyard, with plenty of room to grow for the future. Our … fruit wines are all made with locally grown New Hampshire fruits. We source them directly from single source farms. … Our winemaking process is simple and natural with all-natural ingredients letting the wine express its own unique character.
What makes us unique: What makes us stand out is that we offer locally grown fruit, we are agriculturally driven and are very approachable. We live and work on the farm and love what we do. Coming to our farm is very relaxed and easy.
The tasting experience: Our tasting experience is super-relaxed and guided by our incredible tasting staff. Our winery sits in the middle of our 8-acre farm. We offer 25 different wines — fruit, grape, sparkling and fortified — [and] our tasting staff and winemaker will explain everything from where the fruit is from, how it is made and usually what their favorites are. Though there isn’t a formal tour, our grounds are open to everyone and we allow folks to roam through the vines and enjoy the beauty we offer. … We have both indoor and outdoor — in warmer weather — seating.
Popular pours: Some of our most popular wines are our blueberry wines — sparkling, port-style and still — and our varietals, like Niagara and Marechal Foch, that we grow on the property. The blueberry wines are produced semi-sweet and are made with locally grown low bush wild blueberries from Alton, New Hampshire. We do three versions of Niagara: sweet, sparkling and dry. These are grown on our farm. Marechal Foch is a dry red grown on our property and aged in American oak barrels for two years and is a dry medium-bodied table wine.
Personal favorite: My favorite is our Farm Stand White. It is a blend of la crescent, petite amie and aromella. Two of the grape varieties are grown here and the other we buy from [Flag Hill Distillery and Winery]. It is an off-dry aromatic white perfectly balanced acidity with melon and citric notes. This wine is incredible.
Sweet Baby Vineyard is open year-round from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday and noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Winnipesaukee Winery
458 Center St., Wolfeboro 455-0182, winniwinery.com
Heidi von Goetz Cogean, owner and winemaker, looks toward the future at her vineyard.
From fruit to wine: We are a New Hampshire farm winery, woman-owned and family-operated. We grow cold-hardy white grapes in our vineyard, [which] operated as a dairy farm from 1810 to 1942. … The vineyard was planted in 2018 [and] we expect a harvest in 2023. We source our cabernet sauvignon and merlot red grapes from the Lanza family vineyard in Sonoma County, California, and our award-winning carmenere from the Central Valley of Chile. Wild blueberries are purchased locally and rhubarb comes from Tuftonboro, New Hampshire, [and we make] both sweet and dry wine from these fruits.
What makes us unique: All of our red wines are classic European-style fully dry reds, aged in French oak barrels. We are currently selling vintage 2016 dry reds, [and] we are the only New Hampshire winery selling oak barrel-aged wine that is over four years old. We are [also] New Hampshire’s only winery and bed and breakfast. … We also have a huge barn full of antiques for sale … from April to mid October.
The tasting experience: We conduct a four-wine tasting, with [an] option to enjoy prepackaged snacks procured from Black- and woman-owned companies. [Visitors can] enjoy a glass of wine on the patio [or] a bottle of wine in our vineyard. Frozen wine slushies [and] wine cocktails with real fruit are … popular. … Most days the winemaker is serving customers. … Private tastings with [a] charcuterie board can be arranged after hours.
Popular pours: Wicked Good Red, [which is] 50 percent cabernet and 50 percent merlot, [is] our most popular wine. [It] pairs well with heartier fare [and has] balanced tannins and superb mouthfeel. [We are] selling vintage 2016 right now.
Personal favorite: Whatever I am currently bottling!
Winnipesaukee Winery is open May through October, Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Tom Zack, wine director, talks about the wines, the food and the woodwork you can find at Zorvino Vineyards.
From fruit to wine: Zorvino Vineyards is an 80-acre property in the middle of a Northern hardwood forest, which is composed of vines, fields, woodlands with trails, a pond and a beautiful post and beam manor house. … Our actual vineyard is now home to 1,000 vines, including la crescent, Marquette, petite pearl, St. Croix, Itasca, Valiant, Frontenac, Frontenac Gris and Niagara. Most of these are known as Minnesota hybrids. We have extensive gardens where we grow vegetables for our restaurant plus for winemaking and fruit trees that bear fruit for wine also. We source premium grapes from wine regions all over the world including California, Italy, South America and South Africa. Additionally, we start with local fruit from New Hampshire and then branch out to other areas of America depending upon production needs. Our wine is initially made in stainless steel drums and then the premium wines are transferred to American Oak barrels for aging and refining.
What makes us unique: We are one of the largest and busiest wineries in New Hampshire, especially during the summer months when our outdoor patio is open. … Our kitchen puts together a menu that includes creative sandwiches and flatbreads to pair with our options of six different flights where the wines rotate from week to week. The patio can seat up to 80 people but we allow guests to bring blankets and chairs and enjoy our beautiful property. We have our own sawmill and you can often see Jim Zanello, our owner, working on our own hardwoods to create tables, chairs and … whimsical items of all shapes and sizes.
The tasting experience: Our typical offering consists of six different wine flight options, where each flight includes four rotating wines of 3 ounces each. All our outdoor tables are reservation only, made through our website, and reservations are for an hour and a half each. During Covid we have suspended tours, but guests are welcome to wander the property and enjoy the scenery. We also have first-come first-served tables and benches near the pond and throughout the property if the patio is full. When you purchase your flight samples, our winery staff will fill you in on which wines you’ll be trying. Our … staff is always glad to take the time to answer any questions you may have about our wines or our history.
Popular pours: We make more different varietals than any winery in New Hampshire: white, red or fruit wines totaling over 40 this past year. … We are also known for our Z Wine Labs offerings, which are short-run wines that are released every two weeks and include … Peanut Butter & Jelly, Blackberry Bourbon Smash, Chocolate Hazelnut, Key Lime Pie, Field Day (watermelon) and many, many more. We also offer a new product that is quickly gaining in popularity. It’s called Good Boy Sparkling Seltzer. It’s unique in that it’s wine based and comes in at 7 percent alcohol. This means lower-calorie too because [there’s] less sugar.
Personal favorite: My current favorites are the Tempranillo Barbera Blend, zinfandel and tempranillo that are sourced from the Lanza Vineyard in the Suisun Valley of California. These are aged in American white oak for six months to a year or more and are our top reds. These continue to get better and better.
Zorvino is open daily year round, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours in the summer, usually until 8 p.m. There is indoor seating and a seasonal patio, which sometimes closes early for weddings and other functions.
Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Flag Hill Distillery and Winery.
