Raspberry Chocolate flavored wine is Cabana Falls Winery's best seller.
Cabana Falls Winery, nestled in Peterborough, makes handcrafted wines in small batches with care and precision. Owners Carroll "Mark" and Alyson Lefebvre are passionate about sharing the versatility of their wines, encouraging visitors to discover that there's much more to enjoy than just pouring a glass. With a diverse selection of wine varieties and an extensive cocktail recipe list available on its website, Cabana Falls offers a new twist on wine enjoyment. Their goal is to provide exceptional, flavorful wines to the local community and beyond. Monadnock Table spoke to Alyson to learn more about the couple's wine-making business.
Could you tell me a little bit about Cabana Falls?
We opened in June 2021. The business started because we started making our own wine. Our friends had never had that type of wine before, and they suggested that we should start our own business, and that's how we started.
What types of wine do you make and sell?
We make a variety of wines. Our main wine is sweet, but we also do traditional and dessert ports. We've also done what we call our own 'twisted traditionals.' It's a little bit of a twist on our wine. We also do glitter wine -- where we put glitter in it, and it changes the color. It doesn't change the texture or the taste, though. For example, if we use white wine and add red glitter, it would make the wine a pinkish color. We have used green glitter, too. Adding glitter to a red wine gives it a nice shimmer.
I saw on your website that you don't have a vineyard or order grapes. Do you use grape juice or grape concentrate?
Yes, that's correct. We have several suppliers in the U.S., and they purchase Canadian concentrate. So, everything we make is with Canadian varietals.
Do you offer wholesale?
We do wholesale. We're in some stores around the state. We aren't in the (NH State) liquor store yet -- that is a big process to get in there. There are a lot of privately owned stores that sell wine; we are in those stores. We also do signature wines for people. For example, for The Shattuck Golf Course, we make their sangria, and it's exclusive there. We offer that service to restaurants or stores. We are always looking for new places to create their own wine for them.
I also saw that you can make custom batches.
We can do that commercially and individually. For the past two years, we have donated a prize package to the Monadnock Humane Society for their Hairball event. It's kind of like a make-your-own. We meet with the person who wins; we go over the flavor they want, sweet or traditional. We make it, they taste it, and if they approve it, they help come up with the label and the name. Then, we donate a portion of the proceeds from that wine to the Monadnock Humane Society. Last year, we were able to donate $1,000, and we did it on NH Gives so that it would be matched. This year, we are releasing Bubba Bordeaux. We have also worked with Belletetes. They wanted to make wine for their 125-year celebration. We made a special label for them so they could give bottles to their employees. We have also done weddings. We have been able to use a current flavor or create a new one.
How long does it take to make a batch of wine? From start to finish, from fermentation, it takes about four to eight weeks, depending. It can be longer. I have worked on a wine before that took over a year, (but I had to dump) it down the drain because I didn't like the way it came out.
What would you say are your most popular wines?
Our number one seller is Raspberry Chocolate. We typically carry about 50 or 60 flavors. We have created over 100 recipes, some of which we won't ever make again.
Do you have a retail space where people can visit locally?
As of Dec. 29, 2024, we are closing the retail space in Jaffrey. We are looking for a new place. The spot where we are at doesn't work for us. We want a space allowing people to bring their dogs and enjoy outdoor seating or sit at a fire and have food trucks. We will be going back to producing our wine at our house in Peterborough. We will still manufacture wine, sell it at farmers' markets and events, and push for more wholesale. It is just my husband and I and we both work full-time, as well. We think we will be home for at least a year while looking for a new retail location. People can find our wine in Van Otis Chocolates in Manchester and Wolfeboro. They even make cordials with our wine. We also ship to 46 states.
For more information about Cabana Falls Winery, visit cabanafallswinery.com, or email, [email protected].