News for Hillis' Sugarbush Farm & Vineyard http://hillisfarm.com Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:48:08 EDT Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:48:08 EDT The sugarhouse and winery tasting room are closed for the remainder of April so we can prepare the vineyards for planting and growing season. See ya in May! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:48:08 +0000 Maple sugaring season is coming to an end, and this is our last weekend of boiling sap for this year. The sugarhouse and wine tasting room will be open 11-5 Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14. Stop by and pick up your wine and maple this weekend, as we'll be closed from April 18 to the end of the month as we prepare the vineyards for the 2013 planting and growing season. http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:17:07 +0000 Health benefits of real maple syrup are far more comprehensive than you might expect. The only product in our diet coming directly from a plant’s sap, this natural sweetener features over 54 antioxidants that can help delay or prevent diseases caused by free radicals, such as cancer or diabetes. In addition, maple syrup features high levels of zinc and manganese, keeping the heart healthy and boosting the immune system. Stop by and pick up your supply of healthy maple syrup this weekend- open 11-5 Saturday and Sunday, April 6 and 7. And of course, we'll be doing wine tasting, too! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:37:20 +0000 We are open 11-5 on Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend. Stop by and pick up some wine and maple for your Easter dinner :) http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:47:07 +0000 Check out the link below to read the article published last week about our farm: http://colchester.essexreporter.com/news/state8/ http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sun, 24 Mar 2013 09:21:25 +0000 Open 11-5 this weekend! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 23 Mar 2013 07:28:49 +0000 This evening we are having "sugar snow" at the farm. Sugar snow is big, fat, fluffy snowflakes that quietly fall and accumulate just a little- a sure sign that sugaring season is in full swing. The sap tank is full and we'll be boiling both days this weekend. Stop by Saturday and Sunday 11-5 for maple and wine tasting in the sugarhouse :) http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:42:09 +0000 The sap is running and it's time to sweeten the pan today! We are open 12-5 today for sugarhouse tours and wine tasting :) http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sun, 10 Mar 2013 11:39:14 +0000 First a snow storm, now sickness...we just can't catch a break this weekend. Regretfully we won't be able to open the tasting room today as we are both down for the count. Our sincere apologies to those who were planning to stop by for the wine and confection weekend. http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sun, 10 Feb 2013 09:47:36 +0000 "The best laid plans of mice and men do often go astray." Although we had great plans of kicking off the Wine and Confections weekend tomorrow, Mother Nature threw a big white monkey wrench in our plans...in the form of a huge snowstorm! Since the storm is not expected to end until sometime tomorrow afternoon, we'll be working on digging out of this winter wonderland so that a) we can get out, and b) you can get in! So, no wine tasting on Saturday (sorry), but we should be ready for Sunday. Stay tuned... http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:45:09 +0000 While the rest of the country is celebrating Superbowl Sunday today, here at the farm & vineyard we are celebrating Super Bottling Sunday! Whites and reds are slipping out of their winter slumber into their sleek bottle homes. February 9 and 10 is Wine and Confection Weekend at the farm tasting room, and we're gearing up for a fun time! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:47:09 +0000 Winter hours for wine tasting in the sugar house tasting room: ~January: closed for tastings ~February: open for tastings February 9 and 10, 12 pm-5pm ~March: open every weekend for tastings Wine is available for sale throughout the winter by calling us at 893-2928. Stay warm and cozy during these chilly winter months! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sun, 13 Jan 2013 08:56:51 +0000 Day 3 of a triple header of gorgeous long weekend weather! Wine tasting and vineyard tours today from 11-5. Keep that sunshine coming! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Mon, 03 Sep 2012 09:00:44 +0000 Open 11-5 this weekend for wine tasting and vineyard tours~ harvest is quickly approaching! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 01 Sep 2012 11:01:52 +0000 Vermont Vineyard and Winery Open House Weekend is almost here! Participating vineyards and wineries throughout the state will be open on Saturday and Sunday, August 18 and 19. We will be open 11-5 both days this weekend for wine tasting, vineyard tours, and apple cider pressing. Looking forward to seeing everyone! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Tue, 14 Aug 2012 20:21:43 +0000 July 14 and 15 will be the Lake Champlain Open Farm and Studio Tour. Wine tastings and wine sales will be held at Sugarbush Vineyard in Colchester and Edgewood Farm & Vineyard in Grand Isle on those dates. There will be 42+ artists, farmers, growers, and wine and food vendors throughout the Champlain Islands. Looking forward to seeing folks at both locations! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:02:14 +0000 Wine tastings and vineyard tours will be available by chance or appointment for the next several weeks as we prepare both the farm and island vineyards for the growing season. http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:28:20 +0000 It's pruning time at the farm vineyard! Stop by this weekend to see the vines get "a little taken off the top" and taste some fun wines to pair with your Easter and Passover feasts! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:28:47 +0000 Yup, we're packed up, moved out, and are headed to Kauai to start a vineyard and winery in paradise! We'll be living in a cute little shack on the beach and eating Mahi Mahi every day! APRIL FOOLS!!! Only kidding about Kauai.......we're still here on the farm in Colchester, making maple syrup, growing grapes, and making great wines. Stop by 11-5 today...and see for yourself that we really didn't escape to Kauai! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sun, 01 Apr 2012 10:08:22 +0000 Despite the lack of maple sap to boil this weekend, we still had a great time meeting lots of folks coming for wine tasting! Thanks to all who braved the cold and dreary weather to venture out to see us- we enjoyed seeing all of you! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:49:09 +0000 Vermont Maple Open House weekend will be March 24 and 25 this year. We're hoping that we'll have some sap to boil this weekend, however this unusually warm weather is putting a damper on sugaring right now. We'll be open Saturday and Sunday 11-5, and we'll have maple syrup and maple cotton candy for sale along with wine tastings in the sugarhouse. Looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Fri, 23 Mar 2012 23:00:45 +0000 Did you know....pure Vermont maple syrup contains manganese and zinc, natural antioxidents which are good for your immune system, male reproductive systems and helps prevent damage to the heart. Plus...pure maple syrup has 20 known beneficial compounds for health and now researchers have discovered 34 more, five of which have never been found in nature before. The health benefits of maple syrup are even better than previously known and might help fight cancer, types 2 diabetes and infection. http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sun, 11 Mar 2012 10:31:15 +0000 Holy sap flow! The sap is running gangbusters today! Just finished scrubbing the evaporator and getting everything ready for our first boil. Stop by this weekend to taste the first maple syrup of the season! Wine tastings will also be happening in the sugarhouse tasting room. Open 11-5 Saturdays and Sundays :) http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:19:25 +0000 Love is in the air! Sugarbush Vineyard will be participating in the first annual Vermont Wine and Chocolate Weekend to be held on February 11 & 12. Our tasting room will be open on the farm from 11-5 both days, with our featured pairing being our "Maple Ambrosia" wine with our handmade maple candies. Watch WCAX on February 7 between 5:30 and 6:00 pm to find out about this statewide event sponsored by the Vermont Grape and Wine Council. Wine + chocolate (or in our case, MAPLE!) = LOVE!!! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:50:03 +0000 We are wearing our sugarmakers hats today. We made our annual trek to maple school to learn new info about making the best maple syrup in the world! We met lots of great people, learned some new tips and techniques, and now we are ready to get the maple sap flowing. All we need is a bit of cooperation from Mother Nature, and the sweet stuff will be flowing once again! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:10:58 +0000 As we get ready to celebrate the New Year, please, please, please don't drink and drive- and don't ride with anybody who does. Tipsy Tow will be offered by AAA. You don't have to be a AAA member, from 6pm-6am on New Year's Eve/Day they will take anyone too tipsy to drive and their car home for FREE. Save this number... 1-800-222-4357. This services is nationwide. Please re-post this if you don't mind to help save lives. Have a safe and happy New Year! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:13:51 +0000 Our wine tasting room is closed for the winter, as it is located in an unheated building. We will open up again for wine tastings on the weekends starting in March. In the meantime, wine is available for purchase by calling us at 893-2928. Happy Holidays! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 17 Dec 2011 12:22:27 +0000 Our next wine tasting weekend is scheduled for October 22-23 at the farm. In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful fall foliage! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:56:56 +0000 Wine a bit, you'll feel better! Seriously though, there's nothing to whine about with regards to the weather this weekend- it is absolutely gorgeous! Wine tasting today from 11-5. Wine pairing tip of the day: head up to South Hero, pick up a delicious apple pie at one of the orchards and a brick of sharp VT cheddar, and enjoy the apple pie and cheddar with a bottle of our maple-infused apple ice cider "Candy Apple". Bon Appetit! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:11:16 +0000 The winery tasting room will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 11-5 on Columbus Day weekend. Our Sugarbush White, Vidal Blanc, and Red Maple are in stock and back on the tasting list, along with our other fantastic red and white table wines and delicious dessert wines. http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:55:05 +0000 Harvest weekend is here! A weekend filled with grape picking, grape squishing, and wine tasting....aaahhh, life is good! Open 11-5 Saturday and Sunday - stop by and join in the fun :) http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:56:59 +0000 How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood? Are where is that wood chuck when you need him to stack firewood??!! Winter is quickly approaching and we're filling wood sheds all weekend for the maple sugaring arch and wood stoves in the house. Stop by this weekend and taste some fun wines, which will give us a great reason to take a much needed break from our marathon wood stacking session! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:24:20 +0000 The tasting room is open 11-5 on Saturday and Monday of Labor Day weekend. Stop by and see our beautiful grapes and taste our delicious wines! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:07:06 +0000 Took an early morning stroll through the farm vineyard this morning and found that the grapes are still there! Thank goodness! Irene was a tough storm, but the grapes were tougher! Harvest is coming soon!!! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 06:34:55 +0000 We battened down the hatches at the Butler Island vineyard yesterday, and are securing everything at the farm vineyard today in preparation for Irene. Stop by the tasting room today to pick up a delicious bottle of wine to sip on while you ride out the storm tomorrow! Stay safe everyone! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 07:16:55 +0000 Vermont Vineyard and Winery Open House Weekend starts tomorrow morning at the farm! We'll have our apple-maple ice cider "Candy Apple", and our red dessert wine "Red Maple" back in the tasting room this weekend along with our Sugarhouse White, Pinot Gris, Sugarbush White, Vidal Blanc, Traminette, Marechal Foch, Sugarbush Nectar, and Maple Ambrosia. We'll have a demo on pressing apples to make fresh apple cider, plus vineyard tours all weekend. Open 11-5, come join in on the fun! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 22:31:07 +0000 The Vermont Grape and Wine Council's second annual Vineyard and Winery Open House Weekend will be on August 20 and 21. We will be featuring vineyard tours, wine tasting, maple products, and other fun events from 11-5 both days. Looking forward to seeing everyone! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:21:34 +0000 On July 24, we brought our wine and maple syrup to the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farm. There were several members of the press there from all around New England, and below is a link to an article from a Boston reporter on our Maple Ambrosia wine. http://bostonrestaurants.blogspot.com/2011/07/photos-from-2011-vermont-cheesemakers.html http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:03:26 +0000 Come check out our two new dessert wines, "Red Maple" and "Maple Ambrosia" this weekend at the sugarhouse winery tasting room! We also have lots of medium amber and fancy maple syrup bottled up and ready as well. Open Saturday and Sunday 11-5. http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:35:03 +0000 The sap storage tank is full to the brim, which means the evaporator will be running full steam ahead this weekend! We are open 11-5 Saturday and Sunday. Stop by and sample the first tastes of spring! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 09:12:40 +0000 Even though it's a wee bit chilly out there, we'll have warm maple syrup fresh off the evaporator to sample, delicious maple cotton candy, and a fun variety of wines to taste in the sugarhouse today! We are open 11-5 both days this weekend. Don't forget your mud boots and winter parkas! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 26 Mar 2011 09:23:18 +0000 Join us for Maple Open House Weekend March 19 and 20 from 11 am to 5 pm both days. Taste fresh maple syrup and delicious wines! Looking forward to seeing everyone! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 19 Mar 2011 07:40:28 +0000 Even though it looks quiet at the farm right now, there's a lot of activity going on behind the scenes. Several new wines are fermenting, aging, and being bottled in the vin cave; vineyard planting and pruning is being planned out; and preparations are being made for tapping the maples and getting maple sugaring season started next month. The winery tasting room is open by appointment only until early March, and then we will have regular weekend hours through the spring. See you soon! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:37:51 +0000 The sugarhouse and winery tasting room will be open on weekends through November 14, then open by appointment only the remainder of November. Please call 802-893-2928 to schedule an appointment for wine tasting and wine and maple purchases. We are hoping the weather will allow us to open the tasting room on weekends through December up until Christmas, for those hoping to give the gift of maple and wine for the holidays. Check us out on Facebook, "Hillis' Sugarbush Farm and Vineyard, LLC", too! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 13 Nov 2010 19:27:54 +0000 Yesterday we had a truly unique guest at the winery tasting room- a young female moose! She appeared at the door, perhaps to sample some yummy wines to pair with her fall feasts? Before I could ask for an I.D., however, she ran into the pasture, knocking down a few fences on her way in and out. We will be open again today from 12-5, but you may find me putting the finishing touches on fence repairs as you drive in! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sun, 07 Nov 2010 07:39:22 +0000 The winery tasting room located in our beautiful timber framed sugarhouse will be open on Saturdays from 11-5 and Sundays 12-5 through November 14. We have several wonderful whites to compliment your holiday feasts, a lovely red perfect for pairing with autumn grilling, and two delicious dessert wines to satisfy your sweet tooth! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 21:06:07 +0000 Come visit us at the Vermont Life Wine and Harvest Festival in Mount Snow this weekend (September 25 and 26). We will have a great selection of our wines at the festival. Our whites include our Sugarhouse White, Sugarbush White, Pinot Gris, Traminette, and Vidal Blanc. We'll also have our first red, Marechal Foch, with us as well. And of course, we'll round out our wine selection with our two maple infused dessert wines, our Sugarbush Nectar and Candy Apple. See you at Mount Snow! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 23:21:11 +0000 Mark your calendars- August 21 and 22 will be the first annual Vermont Vineyard and Winery Open House Weekend! Participating vineyards and wineries will open their doors to the public and provide fun, educational programs so folks can learn about the growing wine industry in Vermont. Visit the Vermont Grape and Wine Council's website at www.vermontgrapeandwinecouncil.com for information about vineyards, wineries, and the wine trail. Stop by and see us 11-5 both days! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:19:31 +0000 As we are busy in the vineyard currently, our hours are by appointment or chance for wine tastings and sales. Call us at the farm at 802-893-2928 to schedule a time to stop by! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 23:01:48 +0000 The tasting room is closed today (April 10), but we'll re-open tomorrow (April 11) from 11 am to 5 pm. We are also available for private tasting sessions weekdays from 4-5 pm. Give us a call at 802-893-2928 to schedule a private tasting session! http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 10 Apr 2010 10:56:04 +0000 The sugarhouse and winery tasting room open for 2010 on Saturday, March 6! We are open 11-5 on weekends and will feature maple syrup and wine tastings, as well as have maple syrup, maple confections, and Sugarbush Vineyard wines available for purchase. Stop by and sample the fruits of our labor- we look forward to seeing you! Jim & Judy & family http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:06:24 +0000 After a period of downtime, our website has been restored, We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:10:32 +0000 Welcome to the new Hillis' Sugarbush Farm & Vineyard website. I just finished the last finishing touches to it today. Feel free to browse around our website and contact us with any comments or questions you may have. http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Sun, 23 Aug 2009 04:23:29 +0000 This Sunday, August 23, 2009 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival is taking place. For more information visit the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival website. http://hillisfarm.com 1102345 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 23:10:11 +0000