Local Winery Produces Bliss for Senses

Conjure up a vision of a serene summer afternoon. The breeze is gently blowing, smell the aroma of grapes and look out over a lush green backyard filled with the sites and sounds of a Napa Vineyard on a smaller scale.

While it may seem like Napa Valley, it is actually  located on Old Mill Road. Frank Zoll is a local winemaker looking to bring the taste of fresh wine to wine lovers around the area.

Zoll began his career as a pastry chef and then moved onto sales. His last sales job was in wine.

Having worked for big name firms like the Copley and Tavern on the Green, Zoll had an opportunity to network and really get to know the movers and shakers of the wine region.

In the course of his work, he learned of wines and the lack of local growers. After all, how well would grapes do here in New England?

It turns out out that a grape called traminette grows exceptionally well in New England and can make a lovely wine.

"We use grapes from around here to make our wine," Zoll said. "We have Long Island grapes and Connecticut grapes and of course, the traminette from Massachusetts. On average we get 50 to 100 pounds of grapes yielding 360 bottles of wine from our vines. The vines take about five years to mature, so we are regularly expanding."

Zoll will begin peddling his wares at local Farmer's markets in Westborough, Quincy, Natick and Cambridge beginning this weekend.

"We are trying to introduce our wine to folks further away," Zoll said. "We hope that local folks can find us and already know we are here."

According to Zoll, with no distributor involved it is very hard to move local products.

"I sell about 300 cases a year now," Zoll said. "The bottles sell for $14.99 and can be purchased at the website and at the Concord Cheese Shop and Tutto Bene in Lowell along with other small shops around the state."

Sang Chhoeuk, owner of the Wine Vine in Worcester is proud to sell Zoll Cellars Wine.

"We are a really small operation, just my wife and I," Chhoeuk said. "We love to support the locals, and I really believe he (Zoll) has something going on over there, as every time we do a tasting of his wine, we sell out. I, personally, think it's a great wine."

Peter Masters of the Concord Cheese Shop speaks highly of the Cabernet Franc and the Chardonnay.

"There is always an interest in local items," said Masters who sells the wine in his Concord store. "People come in from all over the world to see what we offer and, last year, Frank Zoll, came in cold-calling, and I wound up tasting his wine. I liked the taste of it. His Sparkling Chardonnay is well-made, and I like his Cabernet Franc as it is a little softer than some of the others I carry."

Aside from a few lovely rows of grapes growing in his backyard, Zoll was fortunate enough to find a home with a built-in bomb shelter that was easily converted to a wine cellar.

Stepping over the threshold through a very low door, one expects to enter into a dark and dingy area, but instead visitors are met with gorgeous woodworking, a chair rail, and row after row of wine nicely displayed against a windowed wall.

In one corner, wine barrels are slowly aging wine, a fireplace of old is built directly into the chimney and a "storm cellar" houses many cases of wine. A couch is strategically placed near the fire and is within arms reach of many bottles of wine.

"We are only the second owners of this home," Zoll said. "The folks that owned this home before were collectors and had been here for years. It took a lot of digging to find the treasure underneath."

Zoll Winery offers wine tastings by appointment and is also offering a yoga and wine class on July 10. The instructor, Stefany Flynn, is a yoga instructor and wine educator. She offers an hour of yoga followed by a wine tasting.

Tastings for the public are by appointment only and occur between the hours of 3 and 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Zoll does also offer private functions, again by appointment only. Come fall, he will be offering a wine-making class.

"For $4,000, folks can come into the vinery and make their own case of wine," Zoll said. "Approximately 100 pounds of grapes fill a 60-pound barrel. We then crush the grapes, two weeks later the client would come back and press and finally a month later they would put the wine into the barrel. It would then be up to them how long they wish it to age."

If that seems like too long, eight wines are served during tastings including Sparkling Chardonnay, Northern Whites, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and a local blend.

"We hope to add hybrids like Marquette soon," Zoll said. "I also expect to add Sparkling Strawberry and a Riesling."