Move over, craft beer 鈥� Vermont wine is making a name for itself.
The Champlain Valley is poised to become a federally recognized wine region, to the excitement of a number of Vermont vineyard owners.
A new would designate the 鈥淐hamplain Valley of Vermont鈥� as an American viticultural area. That would mean the region鈥檚 producers could include details of their grapes鈥� origin on wine labels, and that nearly all the grapes used to make wine bearing the area鈥檚 name must be grown inside specified borders. The proposal includes a broad swath of land between Lake Champlain鈥檚 edge and the Green Mountains, and stretches from Rutland County to the Canadian border.
Winemakers say this federal recognition by the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau would provide a real opportunity to grow Vermont鈥檚 profile in this industry.
鈥淚t gives us validity,鈥� said Kenneth Albert, founder of Shelburne Vineyard and former president of the Vermont Grape and Wine Council, who originally submitted the petition for recognition in 2022.His vineyard, founded in 1998, was among the state鈥檚 first commercial grape-growing operations.
鈥淲e鈥檒l finally get some respect,鈥� he said, laughing.
Vermont鈥檚 collection of vineyards represents a small but expanding part of the state鈥檚 agricultural economy, with one 2018 calling winemaking a 鈥渦nique growth sector.鈥�
Kristen Carrese, who heads marketing and exports at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, said this new recognition could be a boon to the state鈥檚 agritourism industry in particular.
鈥淎n (American viticultural area) designation is an exciting opportunity to define the Champlain Valley as a distinct wine growing region that鈥檚 shaped by our specific climate, soils and geography,鈥� she said.
As laid out in Albert鈥檚 proposal, the Champlain Valley鈥檚 climate is the result of an unusual combination of factors. Vermont鈥檚 cooler weather meets a natural tempering effect from the nearby lake, creating a slightly warmer environment and a somewhat longer growing season than elsewhere in the state.
A warming climate has also brought the potential for growing more varieties of grapes in the state鈥檚 vineyards, according to Kendra Knapik, another recent Grape and Wine Council president who co-founded Ellison Estate Vineyard in Grand Isle. But increased risk of extreme weather events makes that trend a mixed bag for growers, she said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 this concept in wine called 鈥榯erroir,鈥欌�� Knapik said, citing an industry term referring to factors like temperature, soil makeup and elevation in a grape-growing environment. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e tasting a place.鈥�
Essentially, this bid for federal recognition makes the case that the valley鈥檚 unique climate is worth flagging for the wine industry, Knapik said. It would also allow local producers to include a more detailed description of the wine鈥檚 origin on their labels, a practice Knapik said is otherwise tightly regulated.
For Albert, this freedom to include details about where his grapes were grown would be a major win. It draws more interest from customers, he said, both in the product itself and the region it came from. He hopes, too, that more Vermont regions can earn recognized status in the wake of his proposal.
David Keck, a sommelier and owner of Stella14 Wines in Jeffersonville, was optimistic, if cautiously, about this latest push to raise public awareness about Vermont wine.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 good recognition for the area,鈥� he said, adding that the state鈥檚 wine industry is 鈥減ositioned well right now to grow rapidly.鈥�
The main thing the sector is missing right now, Keck said, is large-scale investment. And while this federal recognition is just a small part of the necessary elevation of Vermont鈥檚 winemaking profile, he said, it鈥檚 surely a step in the right direction.
The proposed rule will be open for public comments until May 26 before federal officials make a final determination.
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