Watch out Sonoma, Wallingford, CT is catching up with not just one, but two wineries.
While that’s a bit far from the truth, it’s kind of nice that I can claim my hometown as the only town in CT with two stops on the CT wine trail. Paradise Vineyards opened its doors earlier this year down the hill and around the bend from Wallingford’s first vineyard, Gouveia Vineyards. Gouveia is best-known for their slightly sweet wines made from hybrid grapes such as Seyval Blanc and Cayuga White blended with a healthy dose of Chardonnay. Sticking true to the, erm, region, for the whites, you won’t find anything much different than that at Paradise Hills with the exception that most of the wines are a bit dryer.
Paradise Hills winery is reminiscent of a Spanish hacienda guarded by a few rows of vineyards. No doubt it will be a beautiful space once the construction equipment is removed from the back along with the clearly acreage and logs… however this may or may not be greatly affected by the horrendous Italian opera music they were playing yesterday evening. However, the bit of Frank Sinatra that came on afterward remedied this somewhat.
Back to the basics. For $6.00 the tasting room crew will gladly pour you a taste of the four wines that are not sold out which includes:
Washington Trail White: Dry wine made from Seyval Blanc and Chardonnay. Pleasantly fruity without a lot else going on. Could be easily enjoyed on a hot day with people of all palates. The Chardonnay is sourced from “out west.”
Chardonnay: Dry wine made from 100% estate grown Chardonnay. Although it was described to us as a Chardonnay that isn’t very oakey, I’d beg to differ. The oak isn’t overpowering and no, you’re not drinking a butter ball, but it’s definitely present. Nice tasting Chardonnay, however, and at $16.50 a bottle, it’s something we felt okay purchasing for the atmosphere.
Washington Trail Red: A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and the French hybrid Chambersin. This wine was my favorite, as I noted, it was light and full of spice and it was easy to drink yesterday despite the fact the humidity was reaching weekend-highs. Downfall: The wine’s aroma was reminiscent of alcohol despite the fact the abv was only 12.5% (at least according to the label.)
Vino Bianco del Paradisco: This is their semi-sweet wine made from a blend of hybrid grapes and Chardonnay. Although I’m not sure I could sit through an entire bottle, the sweetness in the wine wasn’t clawing and it was pleasantly blended into the fruit and citrus notes.
The winery also features two other wines: Cayuga White (white) and President’s Choice (red), but as I said they were sold out so it looks like we will have to wait until next year for a taste.
So why Washington Trail White/Red? Well, as our pal Gary explained to us, it’s because George Washington traveled through CT on his trip from Boston to New York. Makes sense to me.
I’ve read a lot of articles that state that Gouveia Vineyards and Paradise Hill Vineyards are not in competition in any way – but c’mon everyone needs a favorite. So here’s my verdict:
Gouveia has the advantage of the scenic overlook of the entire town.
Paradise Hills has the advantage of taste.