The Massachusetts Wine and Cheese Trail Expands
There’s plenty of wineries just waiting to be visited in Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of the MA Department of Agricultural Resources.
Last week, the Massachusetts Wine and Cheese Trail got a major boost, with the addition of nine new local wineries and seven farmstead cheese producers—that’s sixteen more goat cheese and Pinot-Noir filled possibilities, for those keeping count.
For the uninitiated, the trail is a joint project between the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, and aims to spotlight and celebrate the state’s wine and cheese producers—29 wineries and 18 cheese producers are featured in total on the trail.
The trail map offers a handy guide to local wineries and cheese makers across the state, and visitors are encouraged to learn about the art of wine and cheese-making as they visit, all while getting the opportunity to hit the open road and take in some of the scenic farmlands of Massachusetts. For a Central Massachusetts excursion, check out award-winning Ruggles Hill Creamery in Hardwick, for example, which features a diverse selection of popular goats’ milk cheeses such as “Greta’s Fair Haven” and “Meg’s Big Sunshine,” or for a fruity option, explore the the Obadiah McIntyre Farm Winery at Charlton Orchards, which has weekend tastings varying from hard cider to their famed Black Gold Blackberry wine.
On August 16th, Governor Deval Patrick toasted these entrepreneurial Massachusetts’ wine and cheese producers, local food businesses, and growers at a celebratory tasting event for the new trail held at Hardwick Vineyard and Winery. There’s certainly a lot to celebrate, as the new trail spreads from the vineyards of Cape Cod to dairy farms in the Berkshires. Before planning your own epicurean adventure, consult the map below, which contains six regions of wine and cheese markets.
