Join us Thursday, May 28, from 4–6 PM as we kick off the 2026 summer wine tasting season. Enjoy a wonderful lineup featuring a crisp Sancerre, a refreshing Italian Rosé, an elegant Oregon Pinot Gris, and a vibrant South African Pinot Noir.
As always, the tasting is free, relaxed, and a great way to welcome summer in the harbor. We look forward to seeing you there!
Make a night of it in Sunapee Harbor by using the tasting as a starting point to finish at Wildwood Smokehouse, the Blue Canoe or Hoptimystic.
Domaine des Grandes Perrières – Sancerre
History – Jérôme and Frédérique Gueneau created the Domaine des Grandes Perrières in 1993 with a plot of 1.25 hectares. From a very small vineyard, they gradually grew to offer a different kind of wines ( flint, old vines or traditional method). It is now a little bit more than 20 ha (49 acres). In 1996, They built their winery. Then in 2001, he enlarged the cellar and built a storage and a bottling room.
Vineyard – 3.11 miles north of the village of Sury en Vaux, in the Sancerre region, 125 miles south of Paris. Clay with flints. Vines : 25 to 30 years – 0.5 acres – Yield : 60 Hl/Ha – 3.7 T/acre
Winemaking – Traditional vinification with native yeast in stainless steel vats.
Tasting notes – This elegant Sauvignon Blanc is filled with bright citrus and mineral notes that accent the hints of honeysuckle on the palate. This fragrant and softly herbal white wine has a creamy texture, lively freshness, and bright acidity.
Food pairing – The Vieilles Vignes will be perfect as an aperitif and will sublimate shells and shellfish.
Artigiano
Category: Wine – Still – Rose Grape
Variety: Montepulciano & Merlot
Region: Rocca San Giovanni/ Abruzzo/ Italy Product Information
Soil: Clay and limestone, North-East exposure.
Elevation: 490 – 655 meters (1,607 – 2,150 feet)
Vinification: Manual harvest in the beginning of September. Soft pressing of the grapes during which a limited contact with the skins allows to obtain a pale rose color. Fermentation and aging in stainless steel, followed by further refinement in the bottle for a couple more months.
Tasting Note: Pale rose color. The nose is persistent and fruity. The palate is soft and pleasant.
Alc: 12.5% Vol.
Producer Information: This Artigiano wine comes from a little group of farmers working in the mountainous, rocky zone between the Sangro river and Terre di Chieti. The base of clay offers excellent water retention in this dry climate, and the rocky topsoil lends the wine its refreshing minerality. These independent small farmers partner with Artisanal Cellars to offer terroir-driven wines of fantastic value.
Food Pairing: Chicken tacos, Burrata with cantaloupe, Yellowtail sashimi, pasta with fresh basil, and for easy drinking on porches, stoops and patios.
Anne Amie Pinot Gris
Anne Amie Pinot Gris is an elegant expression of this versatile varietal. Intensely aromatic powdery floral notes give way to a palate of Asian pear, Meyer lemon and rose petal. Balanced and crisp, this wine is a great match for many dishes from chicken paella or moules-frites to pork roast.
Jasper Raats Pinot Noir
Aroma Profile: Elegant and balanced, this cool-climate Pinot Noir offers aromas of raspberry, rose petal, wild oregano, and ripe red fruit. The palate is vibrant with tart cherry, citrus, and lavender, supported by terrine-like savouriness and bright acidity. Silky tannins and a rounded body lead to a lingering, umami-rich finish.
Terroir: Sourced from the Helderberg on a mineral-rich site consisting of decomposed granite soils over clay, with proximity to the cooling Atlantic breeze from False Bay just 6 km away, while the mountain protects it from the strong South Easterly winds.
Viticulture: The vineyards are meticulously cared for by hand to ensure maximum quality. Severely pruned and suckered twice, the bunches have good exposure to the light, while protected from sunburn. Grapes are hand-harvested into small baskets in the early morning for optimal freshness.
Vinification: Fermented naturally in small open-top fermenters with no added enzymes, preservatives, or stabilisers. Following fermentation with indigenous yeasts, the wine was matured for 20 months in seasoned French oak. Crafted with integrity, this Pinot Noir is bottled unfined and unfiltered and may develop a harmless natural sediment over time. It drinks beautifully now but will reward thoughtful cellaring.
Origin: Helderberg, Stellenbosch
Winemaker – Jasper Raats
Alc: 13.83% ; RS: 1.3 g/l ; TA: 6.2 g/l ; pH: 3.47
