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ChÂteau le GARI
A Fine Time Among The Vines By Ali Kaufman
I
t never fails to amaze me that even after all the miles I’ve traveled around our beautiful state, there are still gems to uncover, Chateau Le Gari is definitely one of them. Located just off Route 2 in Marlborough, Connecticut, the vineyard is surrounded by the Salmon River Forest and sandwiched between the Blackledge River and Fawn Brook. This location affords guests easy access to a natural setting that feels worlds away while they enjoy what the Chateau Le Gari has to offer. I met owners Gary & Caroline about a year ago and since then have had the chance to visit on several occasions. I was immediately intrigued by Gary’s southern accent and their Fleur Di Lis branding on their wine labels, my radar was not far off as I learned West Monroe Louisiana is where Gary hails from. There have been lots of stops along the way from LA to CT, I’ll start by thanking Gary for his service to our country, as a Marine right out of High School, thank you Sir. As if the Marines weren’t proving ground enough, Gary next went to work on the drilling platforms, some 120 miles out in the ocean for stretches of 7 to 28 days at a time. 7 years was long enough to know that this was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. The opportunity to come to Connecticut presented itself and he has been here ever since. First landing in Fairfield surrounded by some very tony neighbors and then to West Hartford where he was making homemade wine. Around this time he found a mentor in Dr Richard Kiyomoto, former researcher at Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Forestry and Horticulture. Gary had glowing things to say about Kiyomoto and how his expertise helped take a hobby, albeit one he was passionate about, to a brand new level. In 1996 Gary became the owner of the property in Colchester that Photos Courtesy of Chateau Le Gari
