The Gilmanton Winery & Vineyard of New Hampshire

Discovering the wine region of New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a small state in the far northeastern United States, bordering Maine, Vermont and Canada. New Hampshire's wine industry is still in its infancy; the state's oldest winery was only established in 1994. The good news is that its early vintages are promising, and New Hampshire wines have won national and international awards in the early 21st century. The state is roughly rectangular in shape and covers 24,000 km² (9,300 square miles) between latitudes 42°N and 45°N, making it roughly equivalent to southern France.

The extreme southeastern corner of the state touches the Atlantic Ocean, and it is in this Part of New Hampshire that most wine is grown. Here, the warmer waters of the Atlantic Gulf Stream have a moderating influence on the vineyards, and the warmer winters and cooler summers create a more grape-friendly Climate. New Hampshire is known as the "Granite State", and its rocky hills have proven to be suitable for viticulture. The good drainage and low soil fertility serve to stress the vines, causing them to focus their energy on producing grapes with high concentrations of Aromatic compounds rather than on the leaves and vegetation.