Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Lincoln Peak Vineyard's Take on the Nouveau Wine Tradition
Saturday, November 19, marks the release of Lincoln Peak Vineyard’s Marquette Nouveau — a dry, young and supremely fresh wine. Fittingly, says vineyard owner Chris Granstrom, it “goes great with a turkey dinner.”
“Nouveau wine is bottled the same year the grapes are harvested,” Granstrom continues. “Using an unusual fermentation technique called carbonic maceration, whole grape clusters are sealed in a tank, which is filled with carbon dioxide — no crushing, no yeast.”
The result is a low-acid, zesty wine with ripe-fruit flavor. The nouveau wine tradition is made famous by the Beaujolais region of France, which annually releases a crush of young Gamay reds, "Beaujolais Nouveau," in the third week of November. This year, Lincoln Peak brings the centuries-old custom to the Green Mountains.
"This is the first year we made a nouveau wine, and I'm happy with the results," says Granstrom. "We had such a big crop of beautiful grapes after a perfect growing season — the bountiful yield gave me some extra Marquette grapes to 'play' with. I played, and the results are really fun. And good."
A release party on Saturday at the New Haven winery promises Marquette Nouveau bottles and growler fills, plus local cheese, crackers and sausages for snacking.
“Nouveau wine is bottled the same year the grapes are harvested,” Granstrom continues. “Using an unusual fermentation technique called carbonic maceration, whole grape clusters are sealed in a tank, which is filled with carbon dioxide — no crushing, no yeast.”
The result is a low-acid, zesty wine with ripe-fruit flavor. The nouveau wine tradition is made famous by the Beaujolais region of France, which annually releases a crush of young Gamay reds, "Beaujolais Nouveau," in the third week of November. This year, Lincoln Peak brings the centuries-old custom to the Green Mountains.
"This is the first year we made a nouveau wine, and I'm happy with the results," says Granstrom. "We had such a big crop of beautiful grapes after a perfect growing season — the bountiful yield gave me some extra Marquette grapes to 'play' with. I played, and the results are really fun. And good."
A release party on Saturday at the New Haven winery promises Marquette Nouveau bottles and growler fills, plus local cheese, crackers and sausages for snacking.
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