New WMass winery passport opens doors to local vineyards
NORTHFIELD — How good is Pioneer Valley wine? The Western Massachusetts Winery Passport invites locals and visitors to taste and find out for themselves.
From now until Dec. 20, guests can get a passport from one of eight local wineries — Agronomy Farm Vineyard in Oakham, Black Birch Vineyard in Hatfield, Cameron's Winery in Northfield, Glendale Ridge Vineyard in Southampton, Hardwick Winery in Hardwick, Home Fruit Wine in Orange, Mineral Hills Winery in Florence, and Wine Haus and Vineyard in Granby — and simply make a purchase to get it stamped. A stamp from all eight wineries earns guests a chance to win a prize ranging from merchandise to a five-course dinner.
The owner of the Mineral Hills Winery, Susan Godard, walks through her vineyard in Florence. Mineral Hills Winery is one of eight vineyards that's a destination on the Western Massachusetts Winery Passport. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
Leslie Cameron, co-owner of Cameron's Winery and Cidery, said she came up with the idea for a passport during this year's Northeast Gold Medal Wine Competition at The Big E. Western Massachusetts winemakers held their own against New York and Connecticut wineries to win five of the 11 gold medals awarded in that competition, according to The Big E website.
"We really kicked the snickers out of everybody …," she said. "People don't realize what a wonderful wine culture we have here."
At Glendale Ridge Vineyard, guests can try a variety of traditional wines paired with a view of Mount Tom, said events and marketing manager Rachel Kremer. Estate wines or wines sourced from grapes grown on the property include Corot noir, Vidal blanc, traminette and cabernet Franc.
Cameron's, which won "Best Fruit Wine" at The Big E this year, offers a selection of over 300 wines. To kick off the holidays, Cameron's is offering fruit wines such as sparkling cranberry and chocolate, the latter a "semi-sweet wine" with a distinct flavor profile, Cameron said. Besides its famous fruit wines, Cameron's also offers traditional dry wines, she said.
Wine maker Kevin Collins works at the Black Birch Vineyard in Hatfield, preparing iced wine. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
Black Birch Vineyard won "Best Grape Wine" for its 2024 Estate Traminette at The Big E this year. The husband-and-wife owners of Black Birch, Michelle Kersbergen and Ian Modestow, tend to 19,000 vines in a tucked away, hilly corner of Hatfield, according to their website. A picture in their retail space shows the couple in 2017, smiling out of dirt-smudged faces as they take a break from planting the first 12 acres of their vineyard.
At their Hatfield winery, visitors crunch onto a gravel path bisecting rows of the rust-colored vines before being greeted by a chic structure with stamped-metal siding used to host tastings and community events.
Black Birch Vineyard in Hatfield is one of eight vineyards that is part of the Western Massachusetts Winery Passport. Visiting all eight winerys gets fans a chance to wine some prizes. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
The Wine Passport comes as the E.U. — America's biggest foreign wine supplier — is facing a 15% tariff on all U.S.-bound goods. That hasn't been much of a problem for the winemakers who spoke to The Republican, since most grow their grapes on site or source from other parts of the U.S., like the Finger Lakes Region in New York.
They said the brunt of the financial burden comes from equipment sourced abroad, such as the oak barrels Glendale imports from France. Black Birch Vineyard felt the bite of tariffs when looking to replace an undervine weeder imported from Canada. After Canada came under a 50% tariff on all foreign-made steel and aluminum in June, the price of the $15,000 implement rose by $7,500, Kersbergen said.
Barrels of wine at Black Birch Vineyard in Hatfield. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
But some have slipped under the tariff radar and/or benefited from them. James Trompke, owner of Wine Haus and Vineyard, bought European-made equipment years ago and doesn't yet need replacements. And Cameron said the resulting hike in the price of foreign wine makes local wineries like the one she co-owns with her husband more competitive.
The "ma and pa" aspect of Western Massachusetts wineries is what sets them apart, Cameron said.
"All of the owners, are not just owners … we are the wine makers, we are in there every day, squishing the fruit … living through it … it's so much more personal," she said, noting that many local wine-owners de-stem, press and macerate the grapes that go into their wines, and do temperature checks throughout the winter.
She added, "A piece of your heart goes into that glass, and, I tell you, you're handing somebody almost like the best part of yourself."
Wines are racked and ready at the Black Birch Vineyard in Hatfield. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
After this winter, the Winery Passport will return next year to celebrate the nation's bicentennial, Cameron said. The second time around, locals will have more time to get their passports, she added.
Passports for this year's tour are available from all participating wineries, or by request over email. Participants must drop their completed passport at the winery where they received their final stamp by Dec. 20 to be entered into that winery's prize pool.
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