I’ve visited several wineries around the country. Some are large production wineries and some small family-owned wineries but who would have guessed that one of the most interesting and creative wineries was right in my backyard? In the quaint, picturesque town of Meredith New Hampshire is a winery that deserves some attention. The Hermit Woods winery and deli is located right on Main Street in Meredith. The first thing you will notice about the winery is the large logo of a snail on the building. It’s definitely an attention-grabbing logo and has landed not only on the building but on the wine labels and everything associated with the winery. This snail is symbolic of the slow process of making wine…a perfect pairing between wine and woods.
Walking through the door, you find yourself in the nicely laid out and decorated tasting room. The details in the tasting bar and wine shop are perfectly matched to the vibe of the space.
Ken Hardcastle is the winemaker for Hermit Woods, and he shared the story of how Hermit Woods winery came to be. Three friends, Ken, Bob Manley and Chuck Lawrence got together and discovered that they all had a love of wine, especially European, Old World wine. They decided to experiment with different ways to create wines that they liked to drink…and in 2011, Hermit Woods winery was born. They realized quickly that growing grapes in New Hampshire was not going to work. The climate was too cold to grow the types of grapes they wanted for their wines. So, they decided to source fruits and other ingredients from local farms and growers. Blueberries, Elderberries, Black Raspberries, Crabapples, Raspberries, and Honey. Ken goes into his “laboratory” and works his magic by blending and combining ingredients using Old World wine techniques and creating truly artisanal wines. Upon tasting, it is difficult to imagine that these lovely, complex wines are fruit wines. I remember tasting fruit wines in the past. They were usually on the sweet side and didn’t have much to offer in the way of multi-level complexity. These were different! Ask Ken what he would equate the creation of his wines to, and he’ll tell you that “wine is liquid music”. Hermit Woods has a growing repertoire of wines and Ken is constantly tweaking and perfecting his hands-on process. The quality and care he puts into winemaking are definitely evident in each individual wine he creates. The Hermit Woods Petite Blue Reserve wine (100% Blueberries) has been featured in both O, The Oprah magazine and Food and Wine magazine.
Heading back up to the tasting room, Bob, the marketing guru behind Hermit Woods, laid out a tasting of dry wines (my preference) and a charcuterie board with locally sourced cheeses, meats and honey. You could tell immediately that Bob thoroughly enjoys his job and educates everyone in the tasting room on their many different wine varieties. My favorite was the Red Scare. “Whole, wild blueberries, organic blackberries and raspberries, and local, raw, unfiltered honey providing balance, structure, and long-deep flavors”. A perfect description of this beautiful, complex, Old World tasting wine.
Hermit Woods winery will be expanding their operation soon. They are completing a lovely upstairs space that will be used for wine classes, low key, relaxing music and wine tastings. Count me in!
The visit to Hermit Woods couldn’t have been better…a wonderful adventure into the world of fruit wine! Kudos to Ken, Bob and Chuck for a truly unique experience with some exceptional wines! Make a special trip to Meredith NH and visit the winery. You won’t be sorry!
Cheers!