Ken Hardcastle, Hermit Woods Wine Maker samples the Ermitano

Recently Hermit Woods Winery’s “Three Honey Wine” won a silver medal at a national wine competition.  This was no small feat for a new winery in its first year, but with a dedicated team, and a winemaker with a passion for creating great wines, the award was not surprising.

The man behind the curtain at Hermit Woods is a scientist by trade. Ken Hardcastle, earned his PhD in structural geology from the University of Mass.  Ken’s love of nature inspires him, and his strong analytical abilities provide the foundation for experimentation that leads him into the art and creativity of winemaking.  In his own words, “I find fermentation to be one of the most exciting processes in the world and I love to foster it.”

Foster it he does. Ken’s experimentation has led to an abundance of traditional and non-traditional wines.  Ken uses a combination of old and new methods to make “really pleasing wine,” adding, “also important is the nutrition of body and mind.”  In addition to the big red wines; Cabernet, Malbec, and Carménère, Ken has developed many unique fruit wines and meads, including local Kiwi, Apple-Pear, Peach-Rosehip, and Red Scare which combines dark berries with honey for an intense, deep-flavored wine. Ken’s wines are dry or off dry, well balanced and sophisticated.

“Some of the best fruit wine won’t even taste like the fruit its made with,” says Bob Manley, a partner at Hermit Woods.  “Well made wine is likely to embody not only the characteristics of a variety of fruits, but possibly other tastes, like smoky, earthy, grassy, which adds depth and character to the wine.”

Chuck Lawrence, also a partner, concurs.  “What’s important to me in a wine is its complexity and balance, a wine with a clean nose, pleasant fruit, soft mouth feel, balanced sweetness/acidity, and a lingering finish with mellow drying tannins.  The Three Honey Wine is an awesome example, a clean, fragrant, wine capturing the essence of the flowers nectar.  Ken’s attention to detail truly came together in this wine.”
“Ken is a creative monster,” continues Chuck.  “He is not bound by any traditions, only the desire to make the best wine. He is willing to take chances and through experimentation, create blends that will result in unique, fun wines, from fresh local products that represent the terroir of the region.”

“In twenty years of visiting wineries, I have never met anyone more excited and passionate about making wine” says Bob. “Along with endless reading, Ken applies experimentation and practice to expand his knowledge and discover new frontiers.”  “Ken understands making wine is an art and is careful not to let science get in the way of the creative process that allows the fruit to be the best wine it can be.   Whether science or art, Ken pursues perfection on every front.”

Whatever your interest in wine, the three partners at Hermit Woods aim to please.  Visit their tasting room, taste their many creations, learn about wine, and be drawn in by their passion and excitement. Visit www.hermitwoods.com, or www.facebook.com/hermitwoods to learn all there is to know.

Chuck Lawrence-Pilot, Ken Hardcastle-Geologist, Bob Manley-Photographer

So, how did a photographer, a geologist, and a pilot end up starting a winery—in New Hampshire, no less? It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it is a true story. Telling that story might require a novel (or at the very least a novella), but I will try to keep it brief.

When it comes right down to it, the answer lies with friendship, a friendship that largely developed out of our mutual love of mountain biking, among other things. Great friends love spending time together, and that was the beginning of this journey.

Ken Hardcastle, Chuck Lawrence, and I discovered that we all loved good wine and locally produced beer and cider. We thought it would be fun to expand our horizons by enjoying a monthly wine-tasting gathering with our wives. We soon realized that Ken had an intense passion for making beer and wine, and we all savored learning about it and drinking it.  However, if you had asked us four years ago if any of us thought we might ever own a winery, we might very well have fallen on the floor laughing. However, the seeds (grape in this case) had already been sown.

Hardcastle Brewery-Our first "tree fort"

We began to refer to our time together as time spent in our “tree fort,” and much of it involved consuming Ken’s beer and wine. To be fair, this compelled Chuck and I to spend even more time with Ken, helping him brew (and drink) his beer and make (and drink) his wine. We usually ended up drinking more than helping, but Ken always appreciated the help nonetheless.

Before we knew it, together we were making hundreds of gall…—or I should say—lots of beer and wine and developing an ever-increasing fascination with everything to do with the process. This soon led us to travel all over New England and beyond, visiting breweries and wineries, tasting wine, and discovering new fermented beverages of all types and flavors. We met with winery owners and wine makers, tasted all kinds of unique and creative beverages, and got lots of great tips on the making of and selling of wine. All this we did in our free time and called it play.

Preparing the Vineyard

The hard work of building a trellis

As you might have guessed, simply making wine was soon not enough; we wanted to know more about the grapes that we used to make it. This led to the planting of 120 vines of eight different varieties in my backyard to add to the local grape sources we had, including the old vine Marechal Foch grapes already growing in Ken’s yard. We also started discovering the many other wonderful fruits, vegetables, and honey that were already at our doorsteps. We began blending wines with ingredients such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, black currants, rhubarb, kiwi berries, tomatoes, zucchini, and daylilies—the list goes on and grows every day. At that time, however, we still didn’t know we were going to open a winery.

You know where this is going, and we began to see the light as well. We started spending more and more of our time together learning about the wine industry, making wine, meeting new people, and trying new things. And we were having a really great time doing it! Don’t get me wrong, some of the things we were doing required a lot of hard work, but everything worth doing is worth the effort, right?
In late 2009, it all finally clicked. Sitting around the living room, we asked the question for the first time—could we take what we had loved doing so much and turn it into a business? Actually, the more pressing question was not ‘could we?’ but ‘should we?’ Most people have heard about the difficulties of going into business with your friends or making your hobby your business. Not to mention, the folks at every winery we visited lamented that the business of making wine is a labor of love (often more labor than love), and if pursued for any other reason, it is destined to fail. As the saying goes, “Know how to make a small fortune in the winery business? Start with a large fortune.”

Opening Day

After many evenings debating the idea of opening a winery over numerous glasses of wine, we decided to take the leap; after all, you only live once. With overwhelming support from our wives, our mission as we chose to accept it was underway. We haven’t looked back.

Since that day, we have probably worked harder and spent more time in pursuit of our adventure than anything else each of us has ever done before. Along with our wives, we spend most of the time we are not working at our “day jobs” cultivating our winery. Yes, we are still a photographer, a geologist, and a pilot. We have all learned a great deal, made a lot of mistakes, made new friends, and opened a winery, but most importantly, we are closer friends now than ever before, and have loved every minute of our journey together in this labor of love.

Hermit Woods Winery along with our wine neighbors, Stone Gate Vineyards, Gilmanton Winery, Sap House Meadery, and Haunting Whispers, are being featured on an hour long special about the wineries in the Lakes Region being aired on Lakes Region Public Access TV through May. We have shared the portion of the show about us here, If you would like to watch the full show you can find the schedule here: Lake Region Spot Light, Wineries.

Let us know what you think.

Photo by Rob Clifford

About three weeks ago, after much prodding from friends and overcoming a little skepticism, I ventured out to Pitman’s Freight Room in Laconia NH for an evening of jazz. I was treated to one of the most delightful nights of live entertainment that I have had in a very long time. I haven’t missed a show since!

Jonathan Lorentz

The New Hampshire Jazz Center has partnered with Pitman’s Freight Room to bring a dazzling collection of nationally and internationally known jazz musicians to play their hearts out to a small audience of one to two hundred jazz enthusiasts every Thursday night. Jonathan Lorentz, Director of NH Jazz, does an outstanding job of seeking out the most amazing, talented, and diverse artists.

Before every show, Jonathan takes the stage to introduce the evening’s entertainment, and begins the night by requesting the audience remain silent during the show. He remains vigilant throughout, seeing to it that his request is heeded.  The resulting silence ensures that the amazing talent on stage will be heard and enjoyed by everyone. This is the reason Jonathan affectionately refers to the venue as a ‘listening room,’ a term I was previously unfamiliar with. I have quickly become a fan of the concept.

To complement this amazing display of music is an eclectic, bohemian environment well suited for the kind of

Philip Hamilton

avant-garde performances that are often heard at Pitman’s.  The building is an oddly shaped, turn-of-the-century warehouse that still bears evidence of its original use.  Its triangular shape is wedged between the road and the railroad tracks on the fringes of Laconia, and is accompanied by an actual caboose to further remind you of its once utilitarian function.

Photo by: Maureen Bieniarz-Pond

As you enter through the giant, rolling, barn-style doors, you are greeted to a vast space made up of largely the same details that were used to create the building over a hundred years ago—high, open, rough-sawn beamed ceilings, warm hardwood and brick floors, unplanned wood siding—the story of its past is all around you.

Photo by: Maureen Bieniarz-Pond

Reasonably comfortable folding chairs are lined up around the stage, many of them accompanied by small tables, allowing everyone an outstanding view of the performance. If you desire a more relaxing, comfortable seat, you can sit on one of the many couches along the perimeter of the room and still be afforded a reasonable view and excellent sound.

Laconia Village Bakery

Before the show and during intermission, you can enjoy some wonderful soups and sandwiches made by the Laconia Village Bakery, as well as choose from an assortment of beverages that are available for purchase. Currently, Pitman’s does not have a liquor license, but policy does allow you to bring your own alcohol. We brought along a bottle of our very own Hermit Woods wine.

If you’re a fan of jazz or simply enjoy hearing live music at its best, Pitman’s Freight Room on a Thursday evening is the place to be. Between the extremely talented musicians, the warm and friendly atmosphere, the intimate setting, and the ‘listening room’ environment, you are not likely to experience a better show anywhere in New Hampshire.  Sure, you can see some outstanding performances at the Music Hall, or the Capital Center for the Arts, but none so up close and personal as you can at Pitman’s. And the artists, although not always as well known, are invariably as good!

The show starts every Thursday evening at 8:00 sharp and typically lasts until about 10:00. You can get there early to ensure good seats and have a bite to eat before the show, or call ahead (ideally a day or two) to reserve your favorite spot. It costs $10 to get in, although it may go up to $12 sometime soon to help support the artists who play there. Parking is available in the lot behind the building or on the street.

There is simply no better venue for music of this type or quality in the Lakes Region. Hope to see you there!

Although New Hampshire’s newest winery has only been pressing, blending, and fermenting for the past couple of years, some of the grapes used in Hermit Woods wines have a long and rich history, beginningwiththe state’s very first winery.

Grape growing and winemaking in the Granite State began in the late 1960s, after John and Lucille Canepa moved to Laconia, where John had been offered a job as a pharmacist at a local clinic. The couple bought land on Governor’s Island on Lake Winnipesaukee and found wild grapevines climbing up trees there. John’s family had a history of winemaking in Italy for more than 300 years, and seeing the wild vines thriving in NH, he was inspired to grow his own grapes. They studied viticulture for seven years, then planted 1,800 French hybrid vines between 1965 and 1966. The Canepas bought a farm near Belmont in 1968 and created White Mountain Vineyards in time for the crush in 1969.

White Mountain Vineyards’ first wines were ready in late 1971, when the winery made its first shipment of 500 cases of natural apple wine to the NH Liquor Commission, with a total of 7,000 cases bottled and delivered by Christmas. The Canepas’ grapes helped produce over 1,000 cases of “Lakes Region Red” as well as white grape wines by that holiday season. The following year, the winery introduced a line of strawberry and raspberry flavored apple wines. Just like Hermit Woods Winery does now, White Mountain Vineyards bought many of their grapes and other fruit from local growers.

One of those growers was the former owner of Ken Hardcastle’s home. Ken has been tending the old Marechal Foch vines that grow on his property since he moved there in the late 1980s to work for a local groundwater company. He began experimenting with beer brewing and winemaking in the early 1990s, and is now the head winemaker at Hermit Woods Winery. Ken harvests grapes and makes Hermit Woods “Old Vine Foch Mead” from the very same vines that NH’s first winery used in producing its wine! The vines are over 30 years old, are 100 percent organic and have been for at least 20 years, and Ken intends to keep them that way.

Chuck Lawrence from Hermit Woods remembers visiting White Mountain Vineyards when he was a kid in the early 1970s. He and his parents enjoyed a private tourof the winery, led by Mr. Canepa himself. “I was impressed with the size of the stainless tanks he used,” says Chuck. “I remember feeling awe in the enthusiasm he had showing us around the winery and sharing samples . . . I like how the Canepas’ grape plants, though Ken had no idea when he bought the property, lingered and inspired a new generation of wine makers.” Chuck also gives a nod to the Canepas for the legislative changes they initiated in New Hampshire. “They worked hard to get the state to be winery friendly.”

In addition to both wineries producing a variety of fruit wines, contracting with local growers, and sharing the some of the same grapevines, White Mountain Vineyards and Hermit Woods Winery have another interesting connection—The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel. Back in 1983, White Mountain Vineyards wines were offered to guests at The Balsams and were featured on the menu at a conference for the New Hampshire Hospitality Association. Fast forward to 2011, when several Hermit Woods wines were featured on The BALSAMS menu and shared the spotlight with The Balsams famous gourmet cuisine for a special End of Summer Wine Dinner.

Bob Manley of Hermit Woods Winery credits John and Lucille Canepa for creating a fertile environment for wineries and vineyards to thrive in the Granite State, saying, “They paved the way for the wine industry to develop in New Hampshire through their groundbreaking efforts in working with the legislature to change the laws to be more winery friendly.” The Canepas inspired others throughout the region to grow grapes and bottle wines, and were recognized as New England’s first commercial winery at the Conference on the Future of New England Grape and Fruit Wine Industry in 1982.

Today there are approximately 28 wineries in New Hampshire, and Carla Snow, wine educator and author of the book “Wine and Dine with New Hampshire,” credits the “buy local” movement to the boom in the industry. Although the climate in the area is restrictive in a lot of ways, thanks to advances in hybridization, cold-tolerant grape varietals, and the tradition of blending fruit wines and mead, many fine wines are being produced in the state and the visions of the wine pioneers are being realized.

Most NH wineries open their doors in April for tours and tastings. Visit the New Hampshire Winery Association’s website for a list of their member vineyards and wineries, and be sure to stop by Hermit Woods along the way!

Carrie Reed

This year I had available BLUEBERRY wine (tiny, wild, low bush berries fermented cool with a French red wine yeast to capture all the goodness), BLACKBERRY wine (wild, hand foraged, NH blackberries also fermented cool and with a French yeast strain), BLACK CURRENT wine (cassis berries hand picked by Maya and I in Canterbury last Fall at peak ripeness … fingers stained with black-red juice …), and THREE HONEY wine (yes, our award winning blend of three honeys, including some from my own bee hives).

This year my bench trials of blending was really interesting and satisfying: I started with last year’s RED SCARE blend of 30:30:30:10 percents of blueberry:blackberry:honey:cassis (this year I replaced the elderberry with black current) … but the blackberry and cassis ‘stuck out’ in the aroma and flavor experience, so I dialed those back to 35:35:25:5 .. still, too much cassis and now the honey seemed a little too prominent too … the wine was ‘disjointed’ in aroma and flavor … very tasty, but not ‘together.’  Tried a few more combinations, and each time got closer to a more ‘complete’ wine.  Finally a clear ‘hit’ when I tried 37% blueberry, 30% honey, 28% blackberry, and 5% cassis … and what happened was AMAZING: the wine became something beyond the components.  You could no longer distinctly smell or taste blueberry or honey or blackberry or cassis, nor could you necessarily taste individual components…. they were all there, of course, but now this wine was more burgundy-like with very complex and engaging aromas that lasted long into the flavors that wrapped around your tongue and coated the inside of your mouth … and as you savored the deep red-purple, weighty liquid, you began to feel the wonderful pectic tannins dry out the center of your tongue and walls of your mouth … leaving you wanting of another sip … ahhh!  Such a combination has never struck me so perfect.

After I recovered from my rapture, I gave myself a few days and then went back and remixed some more trials, with 1% differences from that combo, separately of each component, to see if that made a difference and sure enough, that 37:30:28:5 combo was the sweet spot…. so, a big batch was soon blended up, in those proportions, and is now melding in a stainless tank awaiting bottling … we will try to age this one as long as we can, but it is drinking so nicely, I am sure we will have to release some this spring.  CHEERS – Ken

The man behind the curtain at Hermit Woods is a scientist by trade and training. Ken Hardcastle studied geology at Occidental College in California and City University of New York, Queens College, eventually earning his PhD in structural geology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  Since 1989, he has been working with other scientists at Emery & Garrett Groundwater, Inc., exploring for groundwater in the Lakes Region of NH.  Ken’s love of nature inspires him, and his strong analytical abilities provide the foundation for experimentation that leads him into the art and creativity of winemaking.  In his own words, “I find that fermentation is one of the most exciting processes in the world and I love to foster it.”

Foster it he does.  Over the years, Ken’s experimentation, which started with brewing beer, has led to an abundance of traditional and non-traditional wines, meads, and blends.  Ken uses a combination of old and new methods to make “really pleasing wine,” adding, “I also do it for the nutrition of body and mind.”  In addition to the big red wines he has learned how to make, including Cabernet, Malbec, and Carménère, Ken has developed many unique fruit wines.  Hermit Woods Winery has introduced New Hampshire to local Kiwi wine, Apple-Pear, Peach-Rosehip, and one of Ken’s earliest blends, Red Scare, which combines various dark berries with honey wine for an intense and deep-flavored wine.  Ken says this wine is named for its “no fear” attitude and the Frisbee team his son plays for at college.  All of these wines are very well balanced and sophisticated, and are not sweet, but dry or off dry.

“Often some of the best fruit wine may not even taste like the fruit that was used to make it,” says Bob Manley, one of the partners at Hermit Woods Winery.  “In fact, a well made complex wine, whether grape, fruit, mead, or otherwise, is likely to embody not only the characteristics of a wide variety of fruits, but possibly other tastes may emerge, like a smoky, earthy, grassy, cigar, or some other note that adds depth and character to the wine.”

Chuck Lawrence, the third partner at the winery, concurs.  “What is important to me in a wine is complexity and balance. A wine with an appropriate, clean nose, pleasant fruit essences, soft mouth feel, balanced sweetness/acidity, and a lingering finish with mellow drying tannins and flavors that you continue to feel after the sip is long gone.  The Three Honey Wine is an awesome example of a clean, fragrant, honey wine where Ken captured the essence of the flowers from which the bees harvested nectar.  His careful attention to the source honey and fermenting temperature and racking timing all came together in this wine.”

“Ken is a creative monster,” continues Chuck.  “He is not bound by any traditions other than the desire to make the best wine he can in all circumstances.  It kind of fits that we are not confined to grapes—Ken has the opportunity to travel down the road of blending local fruit and flavors . . . I believe the products we create will generate much excitement among NH vinophiles, because we are willing to take chances and use intuition to invent blends that will result in unique, fun wines, as well as a new look at what great flavors can be created from fruit that is fresh and local, and that represent the unique non-traditional wine terrior of this region.”

Bob believes Ken is a “perfectionist” when it comes to winemaking.  “In all my travels over twenty years of visiting wineries, tasting wine, and meeting people from the wine industry, I have never met anyone who is more excited and passionate about the process of making wine and the infinite possibilities of wine that results from the process . . . I am continually fascinated and impressed by the manner in which Ken pursues his knowledge of wine making, applies it to every wine he produces, and expands his knowledge and understanding exponentially with every new batch. Not only does he apply the knowledge he learns from others, but through experimentation and practice, he expands on that knowledge and enters new frontiers in wine making that very well may never have been practiced before.  He also understands that making wine is an art and is careful not to let his science get in the way of the creative process that must be in place to allow each and every fruit to be the best wine it can be based on the individual characteristics of the fruit.   Whether science or art, Ken pursues perfection on every front.”

“I have long enjoyed fermented drink and have always liked to share the buzz and enlightened conversation that often goes with it,” says Ken.  “As a lover of nature and nature’s rhythms, I actually see myself (and all of us) akin to yeast, fermenting our way through life, expanding when ‘nutrients’ and conditions are right, transforming that around us, and not, when conditions are not ‘healthy’ . . . I feel more connected to the rhythm of nature, more a part of the bigger process that continues . . . Wine encapsulates life: the materials, the process, the time, the sharing . . . all good.

“This winery is like destiny in many ways.  I feel deeply compelled to ferment and share.”  When asked if he thinks he is a perfectionist, Ken replies, “I do not think so . . . I am an enthusiast and realist trying to ride the wave of life as best I can.”

Carrie Reed

The Black Forest Cafe is a delightful little cafe located on Rt. 101 in Amherst, NH.  At the Black Forest, every creative dish and mouth-watering dessert is a result of their chefs’ culinary exploration and implementation of old-world techniques. All the items at the Black Forest are hand-made on the premises by a team of dedicated chefs. They don’t believe in mass production and they employ real people to do the work – not giant machines.

So stop in and try our wine or stop by the Black Forest Cafe anytime for a nice meal, some fresh made baked goods, and take take home a bottle of Hermit Woods wine.

Posted: Wednesday, November 30, 2011 6:00 am | Updated: 7:04 am, Wed Nov 30, 2011.

Central NH wineries earn silver medals in national competition

SANBORNTON — Hermit Woods Winery’s “Three Honey Wine” and Candia Vineyards, “Ice Storm” wine came away with silver medals at the American Wine Society’s (AWS) Commercial Wine Competition on Nov. 8-10 in Rochester, N.Y…..  Visit the Citizen to read more.

Ken Hardcastle, the wine maker at Hermit Woods was particularly pleased as this was the first and only wine he has ever submitted for competition and his first medal.  Ken had this to say: “I am honored to have our wine represented among some of the great wines from all over the country and to be awarded a medal in our first competition”.

Although Bob Dabrowski, the wine maker from Candia Vineyard’s, has been making award-wining wine for many years, Bob was no less pleased with his two medals.  Bob said “I never take lightly having my wines judged against some of the finest wines in the country, there are an awful lot of great wines out there and to have mine selected to receive recognition among them is always an honor.”

Hermit Woods Winery is in their first year of operation and is located in Sanbornton NH.  You can taste their wine in their tasting room in the spring, summer, and fall, or by appointment during the rest of the year or at scheduled tastings.  Their wine can also be purchased at numerous wine stores throughout New Hampshire.   Visit their website to learn more at www.hermitwoods.com.

Candia Vineyards has been making wine since 2006 and is open by appointment on almost all days of the year, call (603) 867-9751 or visit their website www.candiavineyards.com to learn more.  Their wines can also be purchased at stores throughout New Hampshire.

The American Wine Society, AWS, is entering its 44th year, and is the oldest and largest consumer based wine education organization in North America.  AWS’s competition for commercial winemakers has been held for over 25 years.  This esteemed competition is renowned and respected throughout North America and is recognized by many wine makers as one of the most import competitions in the US. AWS Commercial Wine Competition requires the strictest of criteria and the certified judges who have participated in this prestigious competition have completed a rigorous 3 level course.