The Fruits of the Labor are a Gem
By Susan Cornell
Nearly 20 years ago Chamard Vineyards in Clinton was just a dream of William Chaney, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Tiffany & Co. The Kansas-born and Avon Products-bred executive purchased acreage on Cow Hill Road in Clinton, the colonial seaport town on Long Island Sound, in 1983 and soon thereafter set about clearing land like any ordinary farmer.
While they don't produce much wine in Kansas (or on Fifth Avenue for that matter), farming and business acumen are two prime ingredients that embody the cheiftain of the country's most sophisticated jewelry and fancy goods purveyor. Chaney's background includes time spent at the family grocery store before attending the University of Kansas where he earned a degree in business administration. And, before joining Avon Products, Chaney served as a paratrooper with the U.S. Army's 11th Airborne Division. It was as an Avon exec for nearly three decades that he experienced frequent travel and soaked up flavors of many cultures.
In 1984 Chaney led a group of investors in a leveraged buyout of Tiffany & Co. from former employer Avon, enabling him to assume the position of chairman of the board and CEO. At the same time, Chaney was weekending on his Connecticut farm, moving rocks (unlike those found at his day job at the jeweler shop) and planting vines.
Bill, a scotch drinker in the early 70's, and his wife, Carolyn, began to cultivate a taste for wine and decided to learn more by attending classes at the International Wine Center in Manhattan. That's when the kernel of the idea for his own vineyard germinated.
"It was an evolutionary thing," he explained. "I had a home in Clinton since the early 70's and was fascinated with the elemants of growing and making wine." Chaney added, "Having come from an agricultural area in Kansas, I just have a little farmer in me."
His entrepreneurial venture was a decision between orchid verses vineyard, he said.
First, Chaney employed a consultant to locate land in close proximity to Manhattan that would grow premium vinifera grapes.
"It was difficult to find a substantial agricultural property on the shoreline," he admitted. He found just the right spot only minutes away from his weekend retreat.
While the Tiffany takeoever transpired, Bill, Carolyn, and family members were painstakingly planting. Chaney's wife and two daughters, Carole and Diana, were not raised on the farm and weren't as thrilled with the gruelling labor. The first vines were planted in 1984 on five and a half acres to produce the first wine two years later. The Chaney's and their friends harvested the first grapes and Bill made experimental wines in the garage. But, these were not for sale. The first commercial vintage took until 1989 (1998 Chardonnay).
Chaney, second, had to track down an adept winemaker and general manager. In1985, Chaney recruited Larry McCulloch from Benmarl Vineyards, one of the first Hudson Valley Wineries in the post-WW II era. It remains McCulloch, an Ohio native who studied viticulture and farming at Ohio State, whose outstanding winemaking skills have produced the award-winning Chardonnay and the best reds produced in Connecticut, according to the experts.
During these years, the Chaneys planted vines and built a state-of-the-art winery with a classic New England design featuring finely crafted stonework using fieldstones from the property. The cellar incorporates hundreds of wooden beams that were originally cleared from the land and then milled and aged. The chateau-style building above the cellar houses the cathedral-ceilinged tasting room with a massive fieldstone fireplace and a terrace where visitors can savor wine samples al fresco while overlooking the man-made pond and acres of vines.
Said Chaney, "I went into it knowing we wanted to be boutique size - not too large or too small so that we can control the process and produce a really quallity product."
While business skills are business skills, Chaney makes no comparisons between his vocation and his avocation. "They're very different. [At Chamard] we focus on refining a basic product. We introduce new vintages every year but only seek to refine them and enhance them," he said.
The 40-acre estate, half of which is planted with 17,200 vines, is wholly owned by Chaney and his family. Of the 20 acres under vine, 16 are planted to Chardonnay, one and a half to Merlot, one to Cabernet Sauvignon, one to Cabernet Franc, and one-half to Pinot Noir. Grapes are also purchased from Mudd vineyards on Long Island's North Fork, a stable relationship. The price of grapes per ton ranges between $1,800 and $2,400.
Between 6,000 and 7,000 cases are produced annually, 80 percent of which are Chardonnays. The Chardonnays and the reds from the North Fork grapes are sold by the winery to local package stores and restaurants and to select establishments in New York by distributor. Roughly thirty-five percent of the annual production is sold at the winery to visitors who come from all over the country and abroad to tour, taste, and purchase wines which sell from $10.99 a bottle for Connecticut Chardonnay, $14.99 for Estate Reserve Chardonnay, and from $24.99 a bottle for Estate Reserve Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Buyers of a case of wine become members of the Vineyard Patrons Club, a.k.a. the VIP Group. Perks include annual barrel tastings with the Chaneys and the winemaker; special offerings of library wines and advance notice of limited releases; advance notice of Chamard's wine dinners at area restaurants; and invitations to special events at the vineyards.
The name Chamard is a fanciful amalgam of the family surname plus Carolyn's, their two daughters' and their son-in-law's name Matt. The estate now spreads across gently sloping fields and is dedicated to producing premium table wines from classic European wine grapes. Although the final four acres were planted just a decade ago, the spot looks like it has been there for centuries, and it should considering what has been invested in this spare-no-expense attraction. First, there's the purchase of the 40 acres. Then, there's the vinery; Chaney estimated that each acre cost between $20,000 and $25,000 to plant. Of course, there's building construction and an array of modern winemaking equipment such as a computerized pneumatic press to squeeze the juice from the fruit. And, there are the $700-ish French oak barrels (approximately 190 in all) in which to refine the wine. Total it all up and the investment is in the seven-figure range (good thing the proprietor has got a profitable day job).
Chamard is located less than two miles from Long Island Sound, creating a nearly perfect microclimate with favorable temperatures and a lengthy growing season.
"Our weather is as good as French vineyard and California locations," said the proprietor. Blend the moderate climate with the rich but quite stony soil and premium vinifera grapes are provided an almost ideal environment. Stir in expertise, dedication, and hard labor and this shoreline vineyard produces first rate Chardonnay, winning both "Best Wine" and "Best Winery" awards from Connecticut Magazine for the past four years.
Fruit of the Vine
Hurricanes are a problem unique to Connecticut winemakers and are obstacles unlikely to be faced by Californians or the French. Hurricane Gloria damaged the young vines in 1985. Four years later, Hurricane Hugo hit at harvest time. And, Eastern wines have had to work a bit harder to acheive commercial acceptance. Said Chaney, "In the early stages acceptance took a while but now we're recognized as having top quality wines."
"We would welcome more wineries producing excellent wines. It would enhance the reputation of Connecticut wine," he said. Chaney, who has residences in New York and the Caribbean, plans to retire to his Connecticut boutique-estate.
Chamard Vineyards, 115 Cow Hill Road, Clinton, CT 06413; (860) 664-0299. Open for complimentary tours and tastings year-round Tuesday through Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Also Open on Monday Holidays. Take Exit 63 off I-95; turn left onto Route 81 north. Just past the outlet stores, turn left on to Walnut Hill Road. Follow that for 8/10 mile, it merges into Cow Hill Road. The vineyard is on your left.
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