The wines made in Vermont aren’t the typical wines you’re used to seeing on the menu, like Cabernet or Merlot.
Vermont wine grapes are different because they need to survive cold winters and flourish during a short growing season. Vermonters are a resilient bunch for braving the frigid winters, and so are their grapes!
Even though you might not recognize the name of a type of Vermont wine, the wine style will bring you the same (or more) enjoyment as wines imported into the state.
The wines made at Snow Farm Vineyard in South Hero, Vermont make up 8 of the 9 common styles of wine!
There is a type and style of Vermont wine for every taste, you’ll just need to get to know which one you like best. Plus, when you enjoy Vermont wines, you’re supporting a family-run Vermont vineyard!
When you try the wines below, you’ll experience the full range of flavors that Vermont wine has to offer.
Styles and Types of Vermont Wine
There are thousands of types of wine, but when you put them all together they can be grouped into about 9 different styles:
- Light-Bodied White Wine
- Full-Bodied White Wine
- Sparkling Wine
- Aromatic (sweet) White Wine
- Rosé Wine
- Light-Bodied Red Wine
- Medium-Bodied Red Wine
- Full-Bodied Red Wine
- Dessert Wine
If you’re looking to develop your Vermont wine palate, or just know what you like and don’t like – try the types of wine in these styles from Snow Farm Vineyard. We have wine types in 8 of the 9 styles. The only style we don’t offer is full-bodied white.
Light-Bodied White Wine
Light-bodied wines are some of the most popular to drink, especially in the summer. Ours are easy to drink, light, refreshing, and pair well with seafood or chicken.
Vermont Wine Types to Try:
Sparkling Wine
Meet the trendier, younger-sister to champagne. It’s a sparkling wine called Pét-nat — short for “pétillant naturel”— a French term that translates to “naturally sparkling.”
Pét-nat is a bubbly wine with a wilder flavor than champagne. It leaves behind the pretense and the price of champagne and brings a more exotic, daring feeling to your lips. Learn more about what makes Pét-nat unique.
Vermont Wine Type to Try:
Rosé Wine
A playful summer wine. The Snow Farm Vineyard Rosé is unique because it’s infused with aronia berries. While you enjoy a glass, try to name all the farm animals on the wine bottle label – they represent our deep roots in Vermont agriculture.
Vermont Wine Type to Try:
Aromatic (Sweeter) Wine
Aromatic grapes make you want to stick your nose in the glass and breathe in the delicious aromas. These are wines that can be enjoyed on their own or with many types of cuisine.
The names of our sweet wines, like our Snow White and Rose Red, give you a feel for what they’re like. Everyone knows the story of Snow White, but have you heard of her sister Rose Red?
In the Grimm Brothers tales, Rose Red adventures alongside her sister Snow White and is more outspoken and adventurous than the more reserved Snow White. We’d say the same about our Rose Red and Snow White wines.
Our Fox Hill Maple is made with real Vermont Maple Syrup from our very own maple trees!
Vermont Wine Types to Try:
Light-Bodied Red Wine
Light-bodied red wines are less common in the red wine world. They can be smoother than full bodied reds because they are low in tannins and acidity. Tannins are naturally occurring compounds mostly found in the skins of the grapes and they add dryness and deep color to wine. Light-bodied reds tend to be lighter in color.
At Snow Farm Vineyard, our wines are unique because our grapes don’t carry a lot of tannins in their skins.
Vermont Wine Types to Try:
Medium-Bodied Red Wine
Medium-bodied red wines are great food pairing wines. They’re full of flavor but also have acidity that balances all types of foods from pasta to red meat and chicken. They’re a perfect wine to have after work on a weeknight with your dinner.
Vermont Wine Types to Try:
Full-Bodied Red Wine
Full-bodied red wines are the darkest of red wines. They have more tannins and give you the same mouth feel as dark chocolate or black tea and act as palate cleansers. A typical full-bodied red is a Cabernet or a Syrah. They’re perfect to enjoy alone or to compliment a meal.
Vermont Wine Type to Try:
Dessert Wine
Vermont wines got their start in the ice wine category because the Northern U.S. is one of the few places in the world where ice wine can be made. It starts with harvesting grapes after they’ve frozen on the vine and the sugar has concentrated in them. Because they’re rare and full of exotic flavors, ice wines are sipping wines to be enjoyed alone or with decadent desserts.
Vermont Wine Types to Try:
Enjoy Until the Cows Come Home!
Snow Farm Vineyard was a dairy farm before the vines were planted. Our mission is to make high-quality Vermont wine while preserving Vermont agricultural land and farming culture. Shortly after Snow Farm Vineyard was established in 1997, an artist from Montreal brought the cow in our logo to life in the poster illustration below.
Our bovine friend has a lot to say about our moo-velous wine. The poster still hangs in the vineyard and reminds us why Vermont wines are so special, and it’s a nod to our family’s history of dairy farming.
Enjoy our Vermont wines until the cows come home!
