Vermont is a small state covering 9600 square miles (25,000 square km) in the far north-eastern corner of the United States. The development of cold-resistant grape varieties at the University of Minnesota has seen the Vermont wine industry take off in the last 20 years, complementing the state's craft beer, cider and maple syrup.
Vermont lies between the latitudes of 43°N and 45°N, roughly the same distance from the Equator as the famed wine regions of Bordeaux and the Willamette Valley. However, other climatic factors mean that Vermont's growing season is short and humid, and winters are often too cold to support traditional grape growing. While some Vitis vinifera varieties can survive Vermont's harsh winters (the cool-climate-loving Riesling among them), most of the grapes here are hybrids, including Frontenac, La Crescent and Seyval Blanc.
While there are small, boutique wineries dotted all over the state, most of Vermont's best producers are positioned near the sizeable Lake Champlain in the north-western corner of the state. Here, growers can take advantage of the lake's temperature-moderating effect, warming the vineyards in winter and providing a cooling influence in the summer. Vineyards planted on the slopes surrounding the lake also benefit from constant air movement, which helps to stave off frost in the spring and fungal diseases in the humid summers.
The cold winters in Vermont have meant that true ice wine can be produced here, from berries that have frozen naturally on the vine (rather than by using cryoextraction). Some ice cider is also produced using the same technique, but with apples instead of grapes. Many fruit wines are made in Vermont from cranberries, raspberries and particularly blueberries.
The Vermont wine industry is still in its infancy, but due to technological advancements, more and more producers are beginning to plant grapes here. The state does not include any smaller AVA titles, the nearest being those of New York and Massachusetts, across the western and southern borders of Vermont, respectively.
