Just in time for Portland Wine Week, the Maine Sunday Telegram has published an article about the developing New England wine industry.
New England wine used to mean pouring yourself a small glass of fruity sweetness. But a growing number of winemakers in the region are now turning out bottles of wine that pair better with a piece of fish or beef than a slice of pie. Some, like Manley and Maine-based Bluet and RAS Wines – which are producing bright, dry blueberry wines – are focusing on native fruits, while others are growing and fermenting cold-hardy hybrid grapes that can survive the region’s below-zero temperatures, are more tolerant of local pests and diseases, and in the end, drink more like classic dry wines than dessert wines.
Visit portlandwineweek.me for the full PWW schedule, and be sure to check out the panel discussion taking place Monday morning if you’d like to learn more about New England wines. Margot Mazur will be leading a panel that includes Dan Lutjens from Bluet, Dan Roche from RAS Wines, Morten Hallgren from Ravines Wine and Brian Smith from Oyster River. They’ll be discussing the Past, Present and Future of Winemaking in the American Northeast.