An exploration of our terroir, through a wild yeast fermentation of the Marquette grapes grown on our four Vermont vineyard sites plus a bit of our Petite Pearl variety.

Subduction

Tasting Notes | white pepper, cooked plum and strawberry jam
Varietals | 90% Marquette, 10% Petite Pearl ABV | 14%

All our wines are made with wild yeast. Wild yeast, as opposed to cultured yeast added during wine making, adds spontaneity to the wine making process. Each wild yeast strain, hitchhiking from the vineyard's ecosystem—perhaps on a butterfly's wing or a passing breeze—brings its own quirks and charms. These tiny, ethereal creatures, floating on the winds of fate, bring their distinct personalities and microbial dance moves to the fermentation party. Subduction is an exploration in the premier red wine grape of Vermont, and how our terroir shapes its presentation and flavor.

The resulting wine changes in texture, profile, and structure from harvest to harvest - though the berry forward Marquette flavors always come through.
 
The 2022 Vintage:
On the nose, the 2022 vintage of Subduction welcomes you with bright cherry and spicy white pepper. Notes of plum and strawberry jam on the palate are complemented by medium tannins and a lengthy finish.

Making Subduction

A Wild Yeast Exploration of the Marquette Grape

Vineyards: McCabe’s Brook

Marquette is a Pinot Noir hybrid developed by the University of Minnesota is super cold hardy and disease resistant while producing outstanding quality red wines with complex notes of cherry, berry, pepper and spice.

Our McCabe’s Brook planting of Marquette was established in 2006. The vines are trained to a hi-wire cordon system on 10’x8’ spacing. A slightly western aspect and north-south row orientation allow for maximum sunlight and exposure to prevailing winds. Soils are deep, well drained, sandy loams formed on sandy deltas, beaches and terraces that are underlain by medium-textured lacustrine deposits. This vineyard is one of our sites for trials with organic and biodynamic philosophies, and we have introduced sheep into the vineyard to help manage floor vegetation and increase soil health.

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Always Honest

Transparency is our thing - seriously. Drop us a line here with any questions.

Gluten - Free

Cruelty Free

Responsibly Farmed

Vegan

Made with Handpicked Vermont Grapes

Crafted with minimal intervention using sustainable vineyard management practices

IAPETUS Wines

Our team farms over 15 acres of cold hardy grape vines on three vineyard sites in northern Vermont to make natural wine. Named after the ancient ocean that once covered the present day Champlain Valley, where the roots of our grapes now nestle, IAPETUS creates wine that is inexorably tied to the Vermont soil and landscape.

Using the deep historical context of the soil in which our grapes grow as a backbone, IAPETUS makes natural, minimal intervention wines. We trust our grapes to lead us to something wonderful.

  • We primarily grow cold-hardy hybrid grape varieties that are best suited to our climate and have natural disease resistance

  • No spraying of unnecessary chemicals

  • All grapes are hand harvested, and we minimize the use of machinery in the vineyard to reduce soil compaction

  • Minimal intervention in the growing process

  • Our vineyards are never irrigated or tilled

  • Native grasses and wildflowers are allowed to flourish under the vines, naturally improving soil health

  • We work with sheep in the vineyard several times per year - they mow the grass and provide natural fertilizer

We don’t use sulfur or chemicals to “correct” things in the wine making process, our wines are unfiltered and unfined.