Uncorked
By PEGGY SCHENK, Register Staff
New Haven Register, Sunday, May 7, 2006
CLINTON - The new owners of Chamard Vineyards want people to know that touring wine country doesn't require a 3,000-mile trip to California.
It's all right here: ripe grapes hanging on vines and award-winning vintages - all with a Connecticut flair.
Owners Jonathan and Bonnie Rothberg plan to make Chamard a destination for tourists or anyone who appreciates fine wine. They intend to emphasize art and music unique to Connecticut at the winery, tucked away on Cow Hill Road.
Connecticut gave the world Mark Twain and all kinds of machine tools, such as the cotton gin and the Winchester rifle, "but we're missing that sense of ownership" that other states have, like Vermont with its maple syrup. "We want Chamard to help build that concept. We need a lot more Connecticut spirit. We need things to do," said Jonathan Rothberg.
Rothberg is moonlighting as a winery owner. He's a biotechnology scientist known for his research into genomics and systems biology. Rothberg is the founder of CuraGen Corp., 454 Life Science, and Raindance, all area technology-based companies that support the development of drug therapies based on personal genetic makeup.
He is also known for his nonprofit foundation, the Rothberg Institute for Childhood Diseases, and for a 700-ton, Norwegian marble, Stonehenge-type sculpture he had installed at his 11-acre property in Guilford, where the couple and their three children aged 5, 6, and 9 live. Bonnie Rothberg is a physician.
"We want Chamard to become a destination, perhaps not like Disney World, but more like Mystic. We want people who are headed for (the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun) casinos to say 'Hey, let's stop and see what's happening at Chamard,'" said Rothberg.
The couple purchased the 40-acre property and business last year for an undisclosed sum from William R. Chaney, former chief executive officer and chairman of Tiffany & Co. Chaney founded the vineyard in 1983. The first grapes were planted in 1984, winemaker Larry McCulloch was hired in 1985, and Chamard produced its first vintage in 1988.
McCulloch continues to be the Chamard wine maker, overseeing 20 acres of vines and the wine aging process under way in stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels in the underground wine cellar and barrel aging rooms. The vineyard produces about 13,000 gallons, or between 6,000 and 7,000 cases, of wine annually.
The state's wine industry has been growing steadily since 1978, when commercial wineries were permitted to open. Today, there is a winery within a 45-minute drive from anywhere in the state.
Chamard is on the Connecticut Wine Trail, which links the state's 16 vineyards. Other area wineries include Jones Winery in Shelton, Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford and Bishop's Orchards Winery in Guilford.
The Connecticut Wine Trail appeals to travelers who want extraordinary experiences, said Jennifer Aniskovich, executive director of the state Commission on Culture and Tourism.
"Our visitors are often spontaneous travelers who appreciate that Connecticut is easy to get to on less than a tank of gas and there's lot to do when they get here," she said. "The Wine Trail is a perfect getaway experience for leisure travelers to see the countryside and feel like they've discovered their own private winery."
Chamard is known for its Chardonnay, which has been chosen Connecticut's best wine nine years running in Connecticut Magazine's reader survey. It also produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
The Rothbergs plan to "expand the pallet of wines" with new varieties, Rothberg said.
They will include Gewurztraminer, produced from grapes grown at a vineyard at the couple's Guilford home, as well as other new selections such as a new Pinot Gris and Riesling.
The Rothbergs also plan to start offering retail sales to the public at the vineyard. Currently Chamard provides wines on a wholesale basis to about 400 restaurants and package stores.
"We want to keep the best wine, and we want more people to come visit the vineyards and purchase it here," he said. "We want people to enjoy the best of all things Connecticut."
To that end, Chamard will hold regular events at the winery such as the recent preview of the 2006 Carlisle Collection of fashion, a May 16 event featuring the art of Brendan Loughlin, and the Chamard VIP event June 3, where those who purchase a case of wine can meet the Rothbergs and taste wines with McCulloch.
Chamard has become the official wine of the New Haven County Cutters minor league baseball team, which plays at Yale Field on the campus of Yale University.
For information on activities at Chamard, including the VIP event, visit the Web site at www.chamard.com. The vineyard offers tasting and tours every Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Peggy Schenk can be reached at 458-5757 or pschenk@nhregister.com.
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