A History of East Shore Vineyard
    East Shore Vineyard is located in Grand Isle, Vermont on East Shore North overlooking Lake Champlain.  In addition to creating a breathtaking backdrop to our vineyard, Lake Champlain helps make ESV an excellent place for growing grapes.  The deep lake waters provide us with a micro climate favorable for growing winter hardy cultivars capable of producing world class wines.  
  We have been growing commercial wine grapes since 2000 on property that has been in the family since the 1970’s.   Property given to four siblings by Linda’s mother in 1999 and subsequently divided.  
  Our first harvest in 2002 was a bumper crop. Twenty-five friends and family members picked 4.5 tons of grapes in several hours.  
  We sold grapes commercially until 2007 to Shelburne Vineyard.  
    In 2007, we decided to produce wine commercially – we received all approvals necessary and started sales in Sept. 2008.  
  As luck would have it... in August of 2007, a wind and hailstorm came through Grand Isle and devastated our vineyard.  We lost our grape harvest and had to cut the vines down to the ground because of damage.  
    Just like that, we went from wholesaling grapes, to buying grapes and juice from Finger Lakes in NY; Traminette juice and Cabernet Franc Grapes.  Still, we made lemonade out of lemons... Our first vintage of Traminette won a double gold medal in the Tasters Guild International Wine Judging Event, Cabernet Franc won a bronze medal.  Our 2008 Traminette won a silver medal and our Louise Swenson won a silver medal at the 14th Consumer Lovers Wine Judging Event in Washington, DC, sponsored by the Tasters’ Guild.  
  We have grown exponentially. That first year ( 2007), ESV produced just 1600 bottles; 2008 - 6000 bottles; 2009 - 15,500; and we project 24,000 bottles in 2010, many from our own vineyard!  
    The vineyard is back. Right now ESV has eight acres of vines planted, much of it producing grapes. We have six varieties: 3 whites – Louise Swenson, LaCrescent and Prairie Star; 3 reds – Frontenac, Marquette and St. Croix.    All of our varieties are cold-hardy to-35°F or lower.  

  We currently have an Alternating Proprietorship with Shelburne Vineyard which allows us to process our grapes and wine and use all the equipment.  We hope to build our own winery in the near future.  
~Bob & Linda Livingstone, Owners