Fable Farm Fermentory is less a winery than a working farm and gathering place, where brothers Jon and Chris Piana turn the landscape of central Vermont into a glass.
Backstory
The Pianas arrived in Barnard, Vermont in 2008 to start a vegetable CSA, landing in a place steeped in apples and cider lore. Fermentation experiments began around 2010, they were federally licensed in 2015, and the Fermentory became a full-time operation in 2016.
The Region
The farm sits in the foothills of the Green Mountains at about 1,700 feet, overlooking the Broad Brook watershed, a mosaic of fields, forests, and gardens.
Vineyards and Farming
Much of the fruit is foraged apples spanning a huge diversity of bittersweet, bittersharp, sharp, and sweet varieties, harvested from September through November, supplemented by grapes. The Pianas describe their work as an agricultural closed-loop approach and a celebration of place.
Winemaking
Everything ferments on native, wild yeast, with apples only minimally rinsed to preserve their natural microflora. Primary fermentation runs in stainless lagering tanks, with aging in repurposed brewery and spirits barrels and a growing use of breathing vessels.
The Wines
They deliberately call their fruit-based ferments wine, crafting living wines, ciders, and tonics from fruit, herbs, tree saps, and honey, including bottlings made entirely from grapes.
