May 16, 2022 | THE LAKER | Page 3
Wonderful Lakes Region Wineries By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper Wine has been around for centuries. It was a popular drink in Europe as early as 4,000 BC. In the early days of winemaking, grapes were placed into big vats and crushed with the feet of workers. The juices were collected and fermented, and wines was the product. Italy was one of the first, but not the only place, to make wine. Egypt made wine around 3,000 BC. Many countries made wine and the popularity of the beverage spread through trade around Europe and as far away as China. Over the years, wine making was done everywhere and became a drink in America as well. Interestingly, it was not until the 1970s that wine gained the popularity it enjoys today in this country. Grapes were always referred for winemaking, but now other fruits are used as well. Wine tastings have become quite popular, and the Lakes Region of New Hampshire has some wonderful wineries with tastings, offering a variety of wines made on-site. In the Newfound Lake area, Crazy Cat Winery, owned by Claudette Smith, is located at 365 Lake Street in Bristol. “We offer over 36 wines,” Smith says. “Those include rose, reds, white wines and dessert wines.” Crazy Cat Winery started when the Smith family moved from Virginia to Bristol in 2017. After finding an appropriate property with room for the business, Smith’s husband began to make
Wine tasting at Hermit Woods Winery. wine. “He has been a wine maker since his college days. He started out by brewing beer and hard cider and then expanded to winemaking. We took it to a commercial level in 2016,” Smith explains. When asked what her favorite Crazy Cat Wines would be, she says the dry red wines, such as Stormy Skies and Bull on the Hill. Crazy Cat has a tasting room, so visitors can learn about and sample the variety of wines made at the business. “We also serve entrees, salads, soups, stews, paninis, and desserts, all freshly made,” Smith says. “Our charcuterie boards are popular, and we also do wine slushies. We are starting to offer fondues as well, but those must be re-
served ahead of time.” Crazy Cat Winery also has art classes, crafting events and hopefully, according to Smith, line dancing and pop-up yoga classes this summer. Why the name Crazy Cat Winery? “We adopted a cat when we lived in Virginia,” Smith explains. “He was the craziest cat. Sadly, he passed away and we now have two resident cats.” For hours and information, visit www.crazycatwinery.com or call 603217-0192. Hermit Woods Winery, located at 72 Main Street in Meredith, is among the most popular wineries in New Hampshire. Owners Bob Manley, Ken Hardcastle and Chuck Lawrence got started making wine at Manley’s home in
Sanbornton. They became friends over a shared interest in winemaking, and their knowledge of wines grew. “It started as a summer through fall and a weekend activity,” says Manley. “We quickly grew out of that space, and we needed to expand. We bought the Meredith property in 2014.” Manley says Hardcastle has taken the craft of winemaking to the level of artistry, garnering the business respected reviews. Oprah Winfrey named Hermit Woods Winery as one of the top things not to miss if visiting New Hampshire, and USA Today voted the winery the fourth best tasting room in America. Says Manley, “We make our wines from whole ingredients, produced at 72 Main Street.” One of Hermit Woods most popular wines is Petite Blue Reserve, made with 100% low-bush blueberries from a farm in Maine. According to www.hermitwoods. com, “Hermit Woods Winery is a small boutique winery. We strive to make wines of the highest quality with the greatest emphasis on locally grown fruit and raw honey. We have a small organic vineyard, and we work closely with local farmers and pickers to find the best possible fruit, ideally organic, to make our wine. We make our wine available in our tasting room and local wine shops and restaurants in our surrounding communities.” Some of the wines include Apple, • Wineries continued on page 4
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