An Amateur's Wine Guide
Vesco's Vineyard is a place to start
Story and Photos by Chris Taylor
The backyard of Vesco's Ridge Vineyard is beautifully decorated with vines.
Wine is not my poison of choice—I am more of a lager man. With beer tastings on the very expensive and infrequent side, though, wine samplings are a more accessible option for visitors to the North Country.
Where to Go
On Stratton Hill Road in Chazy, N.Y., lies the Vesco Ridge Vineyard. Dan and Nancy Vesco opened the vineyard in 2010, but it has existed since long before then. The Vescos have been making wine for the better part of 10 years as a hobby. Now, Vesco Ridge is a popular stop for Canadians and wine enthusiasts looking to sample the North Country’s best.
Vesco Ridge is actually just an extension to the Vesco home. From the outside, it looks like nothing more than a small garage, but looks can be very deceiving. The inside resembles a wine grotto. The room is a blur of red wallpaper and wooden decoration, and wine and grapes cover the space. Beatles memorabilia also adorn the walls. The Vescos admit to being Beatles fanatics.
"Vesco Ridge is actually just an extension to the Vesco’s home."
The Vescos are bubbly and personable characters. A small but feisty woman, Nancy keeps conversation going while convincing you that every wine will be your favorite. Dan stays quiet, but he is the mastermind of the winemaking. Any winemaking questions are sent over to him, and he happily goes into detail about his passion.
The Vescos take great pride in their vine-growing activities. Dan is the chief planter and weeder, and he says he spends hours out in the vineyard making sure everything is perfect. He also plans to expand the vineyard in the coming years. The process seems painstakingly long to an outsider, but to Dan, it is relaxing and a place where he can be himself. Planting, picking, crushing, and experimenting make up his hobby that is slowly turning into a job.
Vesco Ridge carries a selection of seven to ten wines, although Dan says on any given day they could have around 15 available. It’s obvious that the Vescos prefer red wine, since only two white wines are available. The reds are all fruit-flavored, and according to Nancy, the sweeter the better.
Wine tasting at Vesco Ridge seems like a dangerous experience. As I mentioned earlier, I am not a lover of wine, but the samples offered by Nancy and Dan do not taste like any wine I have had before. The bitter taste I expect is not there, but it is replaced by a sweet, tangy, and fruity sensation. Some do not even resemble alcohol, but are more like a fruit punch. As Nancy states, one must be very careful with this wine because it tastes so good that you won’t realize you are becoming drunk.
Dan and Nancy Vesco opened their business in 2010 in Chazy as an outlet for their love of winemaking.
Homemade Special
Nancy and Dan’s pride and joy is their Farm Truck Red, which their menu describes as “an earthy taste with a cherry finish.” According to the Vescos, the Farm Truck is the most popular, and it only takes one taste to see why. Like some of the others, the Farm Truck doesn’t taste alcoholic. Unlike the other wines at Vesco Ridge, the Farm Truck isn’t too sweet or too fruity—it’s just perfect. It was smooth going down, and then the fruity aftertaste gave me something to remember it by. Nancy gave the “I told you so” look while Dan’s face lit up when I described my experience of enjoying his greatest experiment.
After tasting the different Vesco Ridge creations, I started to wander around the room, taking in the different offerings. At first the place seemed small, but it then felt comfortable and home-like. The Vescos get to know you quickly, and they kept me engaged in their life as wine makers. Catching on to the fact that I was born and raised in the same city as The Beatles, they began to play the White Album, one of my all-time favorites. This made the experience even more pleasant.
"Dan is the chief planter and weeder. He says he spends hours out in the vineyard making sure everything is perfect and he plans to expand the vineyard in the coming years."
Vesco Ridge doesn’t just offer wine; it also offers different wine accessories. An amazing decanter that comes with a large test tube running through the middle caught my eye. Nancy explained it is a wine jug that also holds ice. To use it you fill the test tube with ice, fill the jug with wine, and slide the test tube into the middle section of the jug. This keeps your wine on ice while preventing the ice from watering down your beverage. Genius. There are many different devices wine enthusiasts can use to keep their wine fresh after opening. Dan says they are all good, but the device has not been perfected by anyone yet. He says you can never replace the taste of a just-opened bottle. I can again see his passion written all over his face.
Fancy wine glasses and wine racks finish out the retail section that sits opposite the wooden bar a neighbor made for the Vescos.
Vesco Ridge is open weekends from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment on weekdays. The privacy of an appointment is recommended. The Vescos give their undivided attention for as long as their customers need. I have not experienced an open house, but I am not sure I would be as comfortable amongst a crowd of wine experts.
Nancy and Dan embraced the fact I do not usually like wine, and they told me it is their job to convert me. Although I don’t think that will ever happen, they made it an enjoyable experience.
APN gives this 5 out of 5 stars.
