Hopkins Vineyard
New Preston, CT

Mother's Day in New England brought gorgeous weather. After a stay in New York, we found ourselves driving back through rolling hills crowned with fresh-leaved birch and oak. One of the few Connecticut wineries left unvisited was Hopkins Vineyards, in New Preston, CT. A side trip was in order!

Hopkins is nestled into the rolling eastern Connecticut hills, past a lake ripe for canoing and fishing. Sitting alongside an inn which was doing a brisk dinner business, we pulled into the parking lot alongside the red barn-like building.

The downstairs area has the tasting bar and shop, while upstairs is a wine bar with cheese and bread. As we tasted, the vineyards were visible beyond the windows. The grapes for all wines except the Highland Estate and Sachem's Picnic are grown on location; these two wines come from grapes from the Finger Lakes.

We began with the Chardonnay. Aged in French and American oak, the wine was smooth, with a sharp apple tang to it, and a finish of herbs. This would go very well with cheese appetizers. We went with a red next, the Highland Estate. This is a blend of Baco Noir, Chancellor and another hybrid grape. It had a very fruity, rich flavor that was relatively strong - it would be best paired with roast lamb or another hearty dish.

The Cabernet Franc's description claims it "would benefit from some decanting if you have the time." Aging would do it more benefit - it had great potential for flavor, and was rich, but it definitely was on the young side.

The blushes were blends of Cayuga and other grapes, and intriguingly the Sachem's Picnic was in essence a Highland Estate with Cayuga added in to turn it into a "dark-white Zinfandel". It was light and fruity, with a very easy to drink flavor. This might be a wine to give to a white Zinfandel drinker who wanted to try getting into red wines.

We wanted to try their sparkling wine, which has won silver medals in various competitions, but they do not taste those. We were disappointed - there were quite a few people wandering in their shop, so it seemed like they might have done well to allow tastings on the wine, even if a small fee was assessed. We ended up buying a bottle to take home with us, and will add to this report when we open it up.

The shop had the usual jams and jellies found at most wineries, but the wine bar on the second floor was a nice, unique touch. The inn next door appeared to offer a delicious fare to weary travellers, and the vineyards themselves were nestled in amongst the rolling hills. If you're looking for a quiet getaway in western Connecticut, this might be just the thing!

Reviewed on 05/15/00

Connecticut Winery Review Listing