Hopkins vineyard located in New Preston, Connecticut has a wonderful white out right now, their 2010 Westwind. This semi-sweet white was tasted on Mother’s day alongside several other whites, and was the unanimous winner for best wine. The aroma has light, fresh fruit papaya notes, and is very crisp which is perfect for the warm weather.

The only complaint we had is that the alcohol presence is a little too obvious, and we would enjoy it that much more if the alcohol was more subtle. Regardless, this is one of the best Connecticut wines we’ve tasted, and at $11.99 a bottle you can afford to try it too.

We also love the unique deep blue glass bottle and flat finish label with sailboat artwork; it would make a great gift to any of your wine loving friends or family. There are some vineyards in the state that have wine labels that look like they haven’t changed since the 1980′s, and while it’s ultimately the wine inside that matters, it doesn’t hurt to have a beautiful presentation either.

From the maker, “This white, semi-sweet, picnic-style wine is light and very crisp with a floral, fruity finish. Try with endive and lobster salad, turkey Waldorf salad with dried apricots and chèvre dressing, or chicken salad wraps.”

Have you tried Hopkins Westwind yet? How does it compare to their other offerings? Let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter. For more information and to plan you visit, visit Hopkins Vineyard online here. Be sure to look out for their 2011 Westwind, which won a Gold medal at the 2012 Tasters Guild wine competition.