VERMONT by the Glass
07/20/2026 09:56AM ● By Brewview VT
What makes Vermont especially appealing for wine travelers is the contrast between the state’s northern and southern regions. Northern Vermont offers established vineyard trails and lakefront scenery, while Southern Vermont delivers a quieter, mountain-country experience rooted in agritourism and rustic charm.
NORTHERN VT VINEYARDS
Northern Vermont is considered the heart of the state’s wine industry. Vineyards are located relatively close together, making it easy to spend an entire weekend tasting local wines.
Centered around Burlington, Shelburne, and the Champlain Islands, the region benefits from the moderating climate of Lake Champlain, allowing vineyards to grow cold-hardy grape varieties, such as Marquette, Frontenac, and La Crescent.
• SHELBURNE VINEYARD
For first-time visitors, Shelburne Vineyard is a good place to start your tour of the north. Located just south of Burlington, the vineyard pairs panoramic views with wine tastings featuring, dry reds, like their Marquette 2022, with notes of black cherries, red berries, and vanilla.
Also on offer are Louise 2023, a crisp white with notes of lemon and chamomile; and Whimsy Meadow 2023, a rosé with notes of strawberry, tart cherry, and candied watermelon.
• SNOW FARM VINEYARD
Farther north, Snow Farm Vineyard in South Hero offers one of Vermont’s most picturesque wine tasting experiences. Their wines include 2025 Vidal Blanc, a dry white with floral peach and pear aromas, and Naked Mermaid, a white wine bursting with grapefruit and orange flavors.
Snow Farm’s 2025 Pet Nat “Snowtrip” Red, made with Frontenac grapes, is crisp and refreshing, with red berry flavors and blackberry and raspberry aromas. Rose Red is a fruity, semisweet wine with grape flavors and hints of cranberry and raspberry.
• BOYDEN VALLEY WINERY
All of Boyden Valley’s products are handcrafted in small batches in their fourth-generation farm in Cambridge. They use the highest-quality ingredients, follow time-honored traditions that have been passed down through their family for generations, and their products contain no artificial flavors or preservatives.
Their most-requested wine, Big Barn Red, is a bold, heavy-bodied, dry Bordeaux-style wine with overtones of cassis and black raspberry.
White wine choices include Cow Tipper, a fresh and fruity semi-dry table wine, with hints of apricot and pear, made primarily from Cayuga and Reisling grapes, Their Cranberry Wine is a semi-dry rosé, with a mild cranberry tartness.
SOUTHERN VT VINEYARDS
The Southern Vermont wine scene is less developed and offers a quieter, slower tasting experience. Rather than concentrated wine trails, this region features boutique vineyards, which tend to be smaller and more intimate.
Many focus on small-batch production, hard ciders, fruit wines, and locally inspired blends that reflect Vermont’s agricultural roots.
• PUTNEY MOUNTAIN WINERY
Putney Mountain Winery in Putney has been crafting distinctive Vermont wines since 1998. Their most popular wine is Rhubarb Blush, a red wine that features a subtle blend of rhubarb and strawberry with a hint of red raspberry.
Their Northern Spy sparkling wine christened the Navy’s newest submarine, the USS Vermont, on October 20, 2018. Bright and lively, this white has the look of champagne, but tastes like apples, with a semi-dry, peel-like astringency.
• VERMONT VINES
VERMONT VINES is a boutique winery in Rockingham, offering tastings in a relaxed setting, making it an easy stop for travelers exploring southeastern Vermont.
Their white wines include Edelweiss, a semisweet, slightly dry wine with green apple flavors and green grape sweetness, finishing with a hint of tartness, and LaCrescent, a medium body, semi-dry white wine, with intriguing aromas of lemon and offering a rich mid palate of white pepper, and slight hints of ginger.
Vermont Vine’s reds include Frontenac, with cherry and plum aromas and flavors, Proprietor’s Blend, with berry and black cherry flavors with a hint of black pepper and toasted oak, and Sabrevois, a medium-bodied dry red wine with lush berry flavors and a hint of lightly toasted oak.
• WHALEBACK VINEYARD
Founded on an old farm between the scenic Green Mountains and the waters of Lake St. Catherine, WHALEBACK VINEYARD and winery in Poultney cultivates over 6,000 vines of wine grapes across nine acres of land. offers a diverse selection of Vermont wines that include white, red, rosé, fruit wines, and a honey mead.
Red wine offerings include their St. Croix, with hints of cherry and other fruit flavors, and their Marquette, with hints of raspberry, cherry and other fruit flavors.
Their Moonlight in Vermont is a sweet, semi-dry white, with tropical fruit flavor and aroma, and Frontenac Gris is an intensely colored rosé that’s a special blend of their white grapes, with subtle pear, apple, and citrus flavors.
TASTING ROOMS TO TRY
The Vermont wine tasting scene is growing, vineyard by vineyard. Whether in the north or the south, you’ll find plenty to raise a glass to.
SHELBURNE VINEYARD–Shelburne, VT
Their tasting room is open daily in the summer and fall, from 11am–7pm, offering tasting flights, and wine and cider by the glass, with seated table service. Online reservations are accepted for parties of up to six guests.
SNOW FARM VINEYARD–South Hero, VT
Wine tastings at Snow Farm Vineyard are offered as flights. Their tasting room overlooks Lake Champlain and provides gorgeous views of the Lake Champlain Islands. Their tasting room is open Sunday–Thursday, 11am–5pm; Friday and Saturday, 11am–6pm.
BOYDEN VALLEY VINEYARD–Cambridge, VT
Visit and sample their award-winning wines inside their restored carriage barn or sit outside on their lovely stone patio and take in the mountain views. No reservations required. Hours of operation are Thursday–Monday, 11am–5pm, and Sundays, 12pm–5pm.
PUTNEY MOUNTAIN WINERY–Putney, VT
At the winery you can taste and learn about our wines from one of their knowledgeable staff. You are welcome to linger over a glass of wine in their comfortable tasting area. The winery and tasting room are open 11am–5pm, Thursday–Monday.
VERMONT VINES–Rockingham, VT
A variety of reds and whites are available for sampling in Vermont Vines’ tasting room, along with farm-fresh charcuterie boards. Hours or operation are Thursdays–Sundays, but please check their website, as times change often.
WHALEBACK VINEYARD–Poultney, VT
Whaleback’s tasting room is located in a colonial farmhouse and extends to a full porch overlooking the barn and the vineyard. It’s open the same hours as the winery, 11am–6pm. www.whalebackvineyard.com
