Champlain International Wine Trail Announced

A new international wine trail was unveiled at Snow Farm Vineyards in South Hero, Vermont on September 19, 2012. Linking many wineries extending from Middlebury, Vermont, to Plattsburgh, New York and to Dunham, Québec, the Champlain Valley International Wine Trail will provide information to casual travelers and wine aficionados alike. “Visitors can now easily visit one website to learn about the tremendous offering of vineyards and wineries in the unique terroir of the Champlain Valley,” said Bill Howland, manager of the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP).

First proposed at an international summit to discuss how New York, Québec and Vermont could collaborate in implementing the new Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership (CVNHP) Management Plan, the international wine trail is a shared effort with partners in New York, Québec and Vermont. “The overall goal of the Champlain Valley International Wine Trail is to encourage partnerships that focus on enhancing the tourism economy around Lake Champlain and interpreting peoples’ interaction with the working landscapes,” said Howland.

Designated by the U.S. Congress in 2006, the CVNHP is a national heritage area that includes 11 counties in the western Vermont and northeastern New York. The heritage area was established to recognize the importance of the historical, cultural, and recreational resources of the Champlain Valley; preserve, protect, and interpret those resources; enhance the tourism economy; encourage partnerships among state and provincial and local governments; and nonprofit organizations in New York, Vermont and Québec. It is the only national heritage area in the U.S. that also is directed to work with Québec, reflecting the importance of both the shared history and the closely connected future.

The September 19 inaugural ceremony included wines from throughout the region. Promotional materials with links to the new website were available for distribution. Travelers crossing the border should remember duty and tax restrictions. For further information, contact Jim Brangan, Lake Champlain Basin Program at (802) 372-3213.

Champlain Valley International Wine Trail 

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