Ellison Estate Vineyard
Native Vermont Wines
Quick facts:
Location: Grand Isle, Vermont, USA
Owner & winemaker: Kendra and Rob Knapik
Vineyard area: 10 acres (out of the 50 of the farm’s total), estate-owned
Vineyard management: practicing organics & biodynamics, regenerative agriculture
Soils: rocky silt loam on shallow bedrock of limestone and clay
Main varieties: resistant hybrids adapted to organic farming in the Vermont climate, such as Marquette, Louise Swenson or St.Croix
Winemaking: Manual harvest, spontaneous fermentation, no fining, no filtration, little to no sulfur added (max 30ppm at bottling)
Annual production (approx.): 1,100 cases
Fun facts
- Kendra’s family is originally from the Lake Champlain area, and she spent a lot of time on a dairy farm on one of the islands as a kid, so starting the winery on the Grand Isle is a sort of home-coming for her
- The winemaking couple has unlikely backgrounds: Kendra is a veterinary oncologist and Rob is a particle physicist. They both enjoy how the problem-solving skills from these jobs work as a solid foundation to run their farm and winery.
- In the beginning, they got a lot of mentoring from Deirdre Heekin and Caleb Barber of La Garagista Farm + Winery in Barnard, the now-legendary Vermont winery and experts on hybrid grapes.
- The vineyards they work with are one of the oldest and largest single plantings of grapevines in Vermont, originally planted between 2005 and 2011. (Btw, if you want to experience the area and vineyard beauty for yourself, the estate also offers Airstream glamping with stunning views of the lake.)
- The labels usually feature “a vintagy wallpaper pattern for every variety designed by Andrew Dernavich, each incorporating features of our vineyard flora and fauna. The Regeneration series pet nats are a variation of the theme, with a repeating sheep pattern as a nod to our sheep,” Kendra explains.
Jump to wines | Ellison Estate Vineyard Website
Kendra and Rob Knapik founded Ellison Estate Vineyard in 2018 when they purchased an abandoned vineyard on a 50-acre farm on the East Shore of Grand Isle, Vermont. “It’s a bit of a crazy story,” Kendra recalls, “my family is originally from the Lake Champlain Islands (Alburgh), and I spent a lot of time on a dairy farm there as a kid. That history together with a love of gardening which flourished when I moved back to Vermont in 2011, my exposure to agriculture as a veterinary oncologist, and my love of wine and food somehow landed us here.”
Learning about wine had been a geeky hobby for Kendra since she attended a wine course during her studies at Cornell in the early aughts. Later on, she even took a viticulture course at UVM in 2017 to learn more about wine grape production: “I was pregnant with my third kid at the time and I thought I might plant 5 grapevines in my backyard, but somehow I learned about this estate – abandoned for about a year back then – and we fell in love with the site. While I love my job as a small animal veterinarian, there was a part of me that knew I needed to get outside more and exercise a more creative side of my personality,” she explains what led her to take this important leap of faith despite the pregnancy.
Actually, the fact that they nearly lost their third child to complications back then ultimately led them to reassess what was important to their family and cemented their winemaking plan. They managed to secure a farm loan and jumped right onto the goal of building a family business and finding a better work-life balance through the farm. Mission accomplished: nowadays, they live with their three young children at the estate during the growing season. Together with a small team, including sheep that are integral to the process, they grow the grapes, make the wine, and run the business.
The vineyards they work with are one of the oldest and largest single plantings of grapevines in Vermont – the vines were originally planted between 2005 and 2011. They work with Vermont-climate-resistant hybrids like Prairie Star, Louise Swenson, La Crescent, Marquette, Frontenac noir or St. Croix – a variety whose correct pronunciation Kendra learned from Deirdre Heekin and Caleb Barber of the legendary La Garagista Farm + Winery in Barnard, who helped the Knapiks in many ways. “Bottles of La Garagista were the first Vermont wines we tasted that we really loved,” Kendra said in an article. “And now they are mentors to tons of us [next-generation VT winemakers]. They got us started on the right foot.”
The vineyard was quite wild after the year of abandonment, and the Knapiks are now working to restore the land’s health using organic (“ultimately seeking certification,” Kendra says) and biodynamic farming practices, with a strong commitment to regenerative agriculture.
All wines are made with native yeast fermentations and minimal intervention in the family’s basement winery in Stowe. The only ingredient is grapes; the wines don’t go through any filtering and receive zero to very little sulfites added at bottling (20-30ppm if any, none for the pet-nats). The approach is quite experimental, as they’re still getting to know the grapes and gradually getting more and more yield: “I think our scientific backgrounds have led us to really try to explore and get creative,” Kendra says. “When I’m in the winery, it’s less straightforward. It’s more like, ‘We have this, so let’s try this and this, and we’ll make a little bit of this and a little bit of that.'”
Experimental but always delicious: we’ve been eyeing this promising Vermont endeavor for a while, and in fall 2022 we were finally able to secure a bit of their still small-scale production. Very excited to share these vibrant VT vines & wines with you!
Vin de Table — Back to the top
Winemakers’ note: “The first vintage of this wine was made in 2019, and it formed from blending trials between a spattering of small batch cuvees/experiments we had in the winery. We had a demijohn of carbonic Frontenac and a demijohn of a St. Croix/Frontenac co-ferment amongst others that we performed blending trials on and accidentally came up with this wine that we love. Because of the way this wine evolved, every vintage will be a bit different, but we tried to stay as close to the original percentages as possible. We did end up adding a smidge of high-quality Marquette into the 2020 vintage which was not in the 2019 one.” Only 35 cases made.
Grapes: the 2020 blend is St. Croix (50%), Frontenac noir (17%), Prairie Star (17%), Marquette (16%)
Vineyard: All EEV wines are estate wines grown by the Knapiks on their vineyard in Grand Isle, VT. Low-vigor rocky silt loam soils on a bedrock of limestone with some patches of clay. Planted between 2005 and 2011, farmed organically with biodynamic principles (not certified). All work is done by hand by Rob, Kendra and their crew.
Making of: the grapes are hand-harvested and macerated for approximately 2.5 weeks on skins for all varieties, primary fermentation of all varieties in a covered macro bin, then aged in stainless steel and glass. The final 2020 blend was assembled in February 2022 and rested a little before being bottled in April. No filtering, fining etc, 25ppm SO2 added at bottling.
Personality: peated moss, smoked ash wood, tobacco leaves, roasted sage. Soft, lush, velvety red blend with notes of overripe dark cherry, dry forest floor and fresh sage. A versatile table wine to enjoy with everything from pizza to roast duck
Asters & Clover — Back to the top
Winemakers’ note: “The ancient Greek word for Aster means star. Throughout the growing season, asters of varying colors and sizes dapple and then blanket our vineyard floor as we near harvest. These ethereal flowers seem particularly drawn to our celestially-inspired varieties: Prairie Star and La Crescent. The steadfast clover is the supporting actor, also found in various hues and heights. It forms the base of a diverse and resilient native cover crop. The biodiversity of our vineyard flora enriches our soil and breathes life into our wine.”
“This wine was born in 2019 when we were first learning about the varieties on the vineyard. Not overly impressed with the still Prairie Star and La Crescent wines, blending trials ensued, and we were blown away by how these two varieties married and elevated each other. Prairie Star, a more full-bodied white with subtle tropical undertones balances out the high acid, aromatic character of La Crescent.”
Grapes: 50% Prairie Star, 50% La Crescent
Vineyard: All EEV wines are estate wines grown by the Knapiks on their vineyard in Grand Isle, VT. Low-vigor rocky silt loam soils on a bedrock of limestone with some patches of clay. Planted between 2005 and 2011, farmed organically with biodynamic principles (not certified). All work is done by hand by Rob, Kendra and their crew.
Making of: the grapes are hand-harvested and pressed, primary fermentation of both varieties together in a covered macro bin, approximately 2 weeks on skins before pressing. Aged in stainless steel and glass, approximately 8 months, bottled in June after one racking. No filtering, no fining, 25ppm S02 added just before bottling.
Personality: Bright and floral, well balanced between acidity, minerality and fruity flavors (candied lemon, honey crisp apple). Dry yet smooth, perfect with roasted thyme chicken, grilled lamb and veggies with tzatziki, curries, and white fish.
Regeneration 2 Pétillant Naturel
— Back to the top
Winemakers’ note: “The first vintage of this wine was in 2019. This was the first year we tried to make pét-nats. We planned to make single varietal pét-nats of the 6 varieties grown on our vineyard, but a few of our fermentations ran dry, so we found the sugar where we could. This is why we added 15% Marquette. However, we loved the combination, so have continued to make it since. The Marquette adds beautiful fruit and texture to the Louise and rounds out the palate.” Only 53 cases made in 2021.
Grapes: 85% Louise Swenson, 15% Marquette
Vineyard: All EEV wines are estate wines grown by the Knapiks on their vineyard in Grand Isle, VT. Low-vigor rocky silt loam soils on a bedrock of limestone with some patches of clay. Planted between 2005 and 2011, farmed organically with biodynamic principles (not certified). All work is done by hand by Rob, Kendra and their crew.
Making of: Harvested by hand. Primary fermentation of all varieties in covered macrobin. The Louise Swenson macerated for approximately 1.5 weeks on skins until almost 2 Brix, the Marquette was then added to its bin before pressing and the must was then bottled while still fermenting, in early October 2021. No filtering, fining etc. Disgorged between 5/17/22 and 6/6/22, zero sulfites added.
Personality: Bright, vibrant pét-nat with soft texture, angular bubbles and lush aromatics. Strawberry, brown sugar, candied cherry, dried pineapple, sour cherries, fresh creeping thyme, dried rose petals… Drink with peppered pork chop, grilled octopus, and fresh basil.
Regeneration 5 Pétillant Naturel — Back to the top
Winemakers’ note: “This dry Lambrusco-style pet nat is always a crowd pleaser. First made in 2019, it became a staple in our lineup. Enjoy with a juicy grilled steak or solo–this wine is very versatile, and historically gets better and better over the summer into the winter. These wines are not only super fun and refreshing to drink alone as the hot days of summer carry on, but I think pair beautifully with spicy Thai or Vietnamese food. They also will be perfect as we head into fall with rich gamey meats like lamb and venison and Thanksgiving dinner!”
Only 45 cases made in 2021.
Grapes: 100% Marquette
Vineyard: All EEV wines are estate wines grown by the Knapiks on their vineyard in Grand Isle, VT. Low-vigor rocky silt loam soils on a bedrock of limestone with some patches of clay. Planted between 2005 and 2011, farmed organically with biodynamic principles (not certified). All work is done by hand by Rob, Kendra and their crew.
Making of: Harvested by hand. Primary fermentation in covered macro bin, approximately 1.5 weeks on skins until almost 2 Brix, then pressed and
bottled while still fermenting, in early October 2021. No filtering, fining etc. Disgorged between 5/11/22 and 6/17/22, zero sulfites added.
Personality: subtle nose, juicy cherry fruit, basil, tarragon and black peppercorns. Mouthwatering texture with balanced tannins, long juicy finish and lush notes of ripe smashed blackcurrants and limestone. Drink with herb-crusted grilled steak or grilled portobello mushrooms. (Terroir Review Tasting Notes)