Winnipesaukee Winery: NH Wine & St. Pepin

There are over 25 wineries in New Hampshire, and you can check out the New Hampshire Winery Association to learn more about these various producers. Within New Hampshire, you'll find grape wines, fruit wines, mead, dessert wines, and more. Earlier this year, while in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, I stopped at a farmer's market and bought a bottle of local white wine, NV Winnipesaukee Winery St. Pepin, intrigued by the grape and wanting to sample a New Hampshire wine.

Owned by Christoper Coache and Heidi von Gotz Cogean (the winemaker), the winery is located in Wolfeboro, a successor to Newfound Lake Vineyards. As their website states, "Winnipesaukee Winery is a farm winery making award winning wine from fruit and grapes. We are known for our three year old French oak barrel aged reds and our wide selection of dry to sweet wines. Handcrafted wine is our family tradition." Their Wolfeboro vineyard is planted with Seyval Blanc, Traminette and Edelweiss and they expect a small harvest in 2021. They also ran a Winery Bed & Breakfast, the only one in the state.

The NV Winnipesaukee Winery St. Pepin is an "American Table Wine," produced and bottled by the winery, though their website has no information listed about the wine. As an American Table Wine, it's likely that at least some of the St. Pepin grapes were sourced from outside New Hampshire. St. Pepin is a complex hybrid grape, of Seyval Blanc and Eler Swenson 114, that was introduced sometime between 1983-1986. It is partially named for Lake Pepin, which is in the Mississippi River. Most of the grapes are grown in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is said that St. Pepin can produce fruity wines, with some similarities to Riesling.

This St. Pepin wine, unoaked with only a 11% ABV, was actually quite delicious. It was fairly crisp, with a hint of sweetness, and presented pleasant citrus and apple notes. It was more complex than expected and definitely would be a very good food wine, though it satisfied on its own as well. I look forward to the future, to try the wines made from grapes from their own vineyards.