Nutmeg Vineyards

One of the smallest vineyards in Connecticut, if not THE smallest, is Nutmeg Vineyards. Located in Andover, Nutmeg is run by Mr. Anthony Maulucci. He first bought the land in 1968, when it was full of boulders and trees. Slowly, he carved three vineyard areas out of this, planting chardonnay, baco noir, seyval, and other local grape varieties.

Driving to Nutmeg is a journey in itself - you move from the busy highways near Hartford down to quiet two-lane roads. You turn off Route 6 to a quiet country lane, lined with stone walls and old farmhouses. The turnoff for Nutmeg is a dirt road, and you drive beside his bass pond and gardens on the way to the house.

The winery is truly a one-man operation. Anthony met me in the downstairs area of his home, which is completely self sufficient. Logs for the stove were stacked up by the door, and solar panels on the roof provided electricity for the lights. He explained his pride in his lifestyle as we sipped the wines.

We began with his Chardonnay, which was light, fruity, and gentle. A great wine for sipping on its own, as well as one that would go well with light cheese or other appetizers. The Angel Wings changes with the seasons - it is Nutmeg's sweet wine. This year it is made of Chardonnay that has been sweetened to make it a smooth dessert wine.

One of my favorite red grapes is baco noir, and Nutmeg's "Red Table Wine" is a blend of mostly baco, with a small percentage of other grapes added in for balance. This was rich and gamey, with a smooth, non-tannic flavor. Great with wild game or rich meats.

Unfortunately the fruit wines were not bottled when I was there - Nutmeg also produces strawberry, raspberry, and cherry wines. There was only one bottle left of the Seyval Blanc, so I bought that and brought it home with me. It was lively and tart, great with a salad.

Nutmeg also makes spiced wines for the holidays, which are great when mulled. We sat and talked about winemaking for a while, with the wood stove keeping the room toasty against the fall rains that fell outside. Mr. Maulucci explained that he now had the winery and vineyards up for sale - that after years of maintaining the vines on his own, it was time to move on.

He felt it was interesting that what he had achieved here is what many in today's technological society dream of - a home off the grid, with plenty of garden vegetables, fish from the pond, and wines from the vineyard to keep a lifestyle going indefinitely. The wild turkey and deer nearby add to the idyllic scene. It was a difficult decision for him to consider selling the land, but age is catching up with him. The land is currently on the market for $500,000 - a bargain for a dream, if ever I've heard of one.

Photos from the Nov 2000 visit

Visited in November 2000

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