Honora Winery & Vineyard

Open: Year-Round

In 1993 she decided to move out of the hustle and bustle of city life and find a location in the small Vermont town of West Halifax. The first focus was to build the estate on the 200 acre farm and then to focus on the vineyard. When the house was near completion, fields were prepped, vines were planted and the winery was set up with all of the latest equipment. 

Because of the climates in Vermont, Honora is focusing on cold-weather varietals. Mostly the ones developed and researched by the late Elmer Swenson. We are growing a mix of both red and white varietals. A few are Frontenac, Sabrevois, Leon Millot, Marechal Foch and Prairie Star. In the spring of 2006 we also began experimenting with some vinifra including Gewutztraminer, Pinot Noir and St. Croix. As of January 2010 we have approximately 10,000 vines planted on 11 acres with future plans to increase. Our first harvest was in September of 2008 and we have been harvesting every fall since. 

We are aware that there are some wine connoisseurs that will be looking for the more traditional varieties such as Syrah, Cabernet and Chardonnay, to name a few. The climates in Vermont are not conducive to growing these so we are working with growers around the country and importing the grapes needed to fill this demand. We have worked with growers in California and Washington State, but are currently focusing on the Paso Robles region.