A Tale of New Hampshire Wine
“Hey, this wine is actually good!”
Whenever we hear this phrase (and we hear it a lot!), we wish the “actually” would just vanish. Like many underrated wine regions, New Hampshire suffers from tainted consumer (and industry) perception. Yet also like many underrated wine regions, producers in the Granite State are pumping out unique, high quality, terroir-expressive masterpieces that slip by under the radar. We hope to change that and give these wines the spotlight they deserve!
NOK Vino | https://www.nokvino.com/“But where are the vineyards?”
New Hampshire’s vineyards span the breadth of the south, and run up to the central lakes. Like its neighbor Vermont, much of the center of the state has Hardiness Zones of 5a and 5b, allowing growth of cold-hardy hybrid grapes like Marquette, Frontenac, and LaCrescent. However the growing region in the southeast has a much milder climate, placing it squarely in Zone 6. This allows for growing a wide spectrum of French-American hybrids such as the delightful Aromella, the unique teinturier Chambourcin, and the aromatic Louise Swenson.
NOK Vino | https://www.nokvino.com/vineyards“Are there producers making serious wine though?”
New Hampshire’s producers come in a few flavors: some ship in juice or grapes from other states for the bulk of their wine; others use a combination of estate-grown grapes (or grapes from New Hampshire growers) and imported grapes; still others have dedicated themselves to estate grown, produced, and bottled wines. The third category is arguably the most interesting.
Producers like Mike Appolo of Appolo Vineyards and Bob Elliott of Blue Heron Wines have been making wine from their estate-grown French-American hybrids in the southeast since the early 2000s. Mike also produces wines from imported grapes; Bob sticks to estate grapes only. Appolo and Blue Heron wines are typically dry, elegant, and beautiful expressions of the milder southeast climate.
A new generation of producers is now trying their hand (quite successfully!) at a different approach to making wine in New Hampshire, sourcing grapes (and other fruit) from Zone 5 vineyard sites that are farmed responsibly and regeneratively. Nico Kimberly of NOK Vino - and the consultant for Shara Vineyards) - trained at Vermont’s iconic La Garagista. He is now putting his phenomenal skills to work and creating incredible grape and grape-apple-pear wines that can easily hold their own in any US market. He sources from vineyards around central New Hampshire, Concord, Walpole, and the Hampton area; he also manages many of these vineyards which are farmed regeneratively. At a recent industry tasting at San Francisco’s The Barrel Room, Nico’s wines were some of the standouts and got a lot of attention from the Bay Area wine folks!
NOK Vino | https://www.nokvino.com/vineyardsSo yes, New Hampshire makes wine.
And with the direction climate change is pushing the industry, New Hampshire is poised for a serious growth in production, quality, and presence in the national market. We encourage you to taste them for yourself! Email us if you’d like to discover these fantastic producers and taste their wines.
