Wines of Vermont: A History of Pioneer Fermentation

Vermont’s extreme climate may not seem ideal for wine production, but industry pioneers are proving otherwise. For nearly half a century, local winemakers developed distinctive fermentation techniques and adopted select crops to withstand icy winters. In 1970, Frank Jedlicka used traditional recipes to make wine with apples, maple and honey. North River and Grand View followed with other orchard and berry fruits. Harrison Lebowitz planted French hybrid grapes on a Lake Champlain island in the 1990s, and soon Vermont hosted some of America’s first true cold-climate vineyards. Fresh tastes and resurrected flavors now symbolize the Green Mountain State’s ripening wine industry. Todd Trzaskos reveals Vermont’s identity as an innovative and maturing wine producer.