Perfect pairing: Mass. launches wine and cheese trails, just in time for grape harvest

All the fun places to go, all the fun things to do in Massachusetts are out there, from the Berkshires to the capes (Ann and Cod), but knowing where they are and how to find them can be mystifying. So the state Office of Travel and Tourism has made a list, several in fact, with maps, detailing the what, where, when and how.

The why? Just for fun.

The newest list, the Wine and Cheese Trails, featuring the state’s wineries and cheese makers, made its debut on the VisitMA website at the end of July. Just in time for the grape harvest, usually around mid-September in Massachusetts.

“It’s been in the works for a while,” said Kate Fox, executive director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. “It’s a great opportunity for Massachusetts residents and other tourists; to engage in the different sides of Massachusetts, to learn about its history, stories and places to visit.”

Massachusetts guides available online

Already on the Massachusetts website in addition to brochures that highlight specific cities or regions of the Bay State, are pamphlets that showcase the state’s apples, its lighthouses, its “historic trailblazing women” and interesting artworks on the Masterpiece Trail (including a nod to the nation’s only Museum of Bad Art, formerly located in Somerville, now at the Dorchester Brewing Company in Boston).

In the works is an Ice Cream Trail that showcases the state’s dairy farms and locally made ice cream, expected to be ready by 2024. The newest pamphlet will be in print in time for the Eastern States Exposition, a showcase for the six New England states, in Springfield in September. Massachusetts Day is Sept. 21.

“I’m glad someone put us on the map,” said Abby Skaff, part-owner of the Broken Creek Winery in Shrewsbury. Skaff and her husband purchased the winery, established a decade ago, in March and are continuing the operation.

The family-owned winery grows nine varietals of grape and supplements its own fruit with grapes from around the world to produce, bottle and sell what has been dubbed “the nectar of the gods.” This summer, the winery is also offering a raspberry wine.

“We are a small batch producer and are always rotating our wines,” Skaff said, adding they make both reds and whites, and offer a rosé and a blush. The winery is open to the public three days a week between March and December for tastings and tours Friday through Sunday, starting at noon. Visits can be impromptu or booked in advance. Tasting times are posted and the facility can be rented out for private parties and special events.

In Oakham, the Agronomy Farm Vineyard makes wines, maple syrup and its own hard cider with apples sourced from local farmers.

Wineries as tourist destinations, event venues

“There are not many wineries in Massachusetts and it’s nice to get coverage and support for us. We appreciate it,” said Corey O’Connor, who established the winery with his wife, Marissa, in 2013.

The winery is open to the public from noon to 6 p.m. on weekends from March through December. During the summer season, Memorial Day through Labor Day, there are additional hours of operation between 4 and 8 p.m. Friday nights.

Not only does the winery offer several paired tastings with Smith’s Country Cheese during the season, it also serves as a music venue, offering free concerts Fridays and Saturdays.

“There are no reservations required,” O’Connor said, adding that walk-ins are welcome on a first-come basis for tastings and tours. Service includes wine, hard cider and small-batch beers from local breweries.

In September, O’Connor puts out a request for volunteers to help with the vendimia (grape harvest, but it sounds so much cooler in Spanish).

“We hand-pick our grapes,” O’Connor said, explaining that the family and volunteers pick the acre of white grapes one day, the acre of red the next. The day starts early with a hearty breakfast and a celebratory round of bubbly after the harvest.

Those Central Massachusetts wineries offer paired tastings of their wine with Smith’s Country Cheese down the road in Winchendon. A long-established farm and cheesemaking business that continues to operate thanks to the efforts of the Catlin family, two brothers and their wives who purchased the property about seven years ago from the Smiths.

In Massachusetts, local means fresh

“We’re known for our Gouda, cheddar and Havarti,” said Allie Catlin. The cheese makers use raw milk and traditional recipes to produce full-flavor products. “We lab-test every batch for pathogens for those who are cautious about raw milk products. This way, they are safe, yet traditional and full of flavor.”

The family was living their city lives, commuting and working long hours. Allie and her husband were in the Boston metro area where she worked as a manager of a martial arts school and her husband, Jake, served in law enforcement. Their partners, Leah, a former kindergarten teacher, and Mike, a university administrator, were based in Georgia.

“We saw the farm was for sale, so we called,” Allie said. The family trained for a year and a half, then sold up and moved to Central Massachusetts. “It was a big leap, but a good one.”

The store is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays and closed Mondays.

“But we live here so if customers come, we open the door,” said Allie.

The family is thrilled to be included on the Wine and Cheese Trail.

“It’s hard, when you’re a small family business to make time and find funds for marketing,” Allie said. “Being included on the trail goes a long way. This is wonderful.”

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Wine and cheese trails showcase Massachusetts farms