Ryan Cashman

I’m trying something new this month.

 For the last few years, I’ve given you my opinions on virtually every small brewery in Worcester County. It’s been absolutely amazing driving out into some of the more rural, woodsy areas of our county – the largest in the state – and finding some really excellent breweries and brewers. Still, Worcester County has a lot more to offer than just beer and while beer will still be the primary focus of this column, I’m going to be exploring some of the other spirits our region has to offer. 

First up, Hardwick Vineyard and Winery (HVW). 

It’s difficult to imagine Massachusetts as a “vineyard state.” California, with it’s “perfect grape growing climate” has dominated the North American wine market for nearly half a century. But recently, there has been an effort to produce more wines in the northeast, and HVW is no exception. 

Perched on the edge of Worcester County, Hardwick is what one can call a “deep state” in the sense that it’s quite a way into Massachusetts. It’s not the area one immediately thinks of as “wine country” but that is where you would be wrong. If ever there were a streak of modern Yankee ingenuity, it can be found in the concoctions fermenting in the barns of HVW. 

I recently sampled two of their wines: the Baystate Blueberry and Massetts. Cranberry. 

Let’s start with the blueberry. Once uncorked, the smell indicates that the drinker is in for something completely different. The aroma sings strongly of blueberries, and not the bitter ones you’d find up in Maine. No, these blueberries are the plump, juicy, sweet ones. Baystate is a blend of red wine and blueberries. It’s marketed as semi-dry, but to me it’s more like a semi-sweet. Then again, I like my wine dry. It’s an incredibly flavorful wine that takes several sips to fully appreciate. The blueberry comes across very strong, but as the wine sits on the tongue, the grapes and plum start to come through. It’s a delightful little wine that I’d pair with a nice cheese board. 

The Massetts is more my style. Dry and crisp. Tart, with a hint of sweetness. It has a much deeper profile than the Baystate, which in many ways makes it more “winelike.” With white wine as the base, cranberries are added to provide tartness while also bringing out the whites sweeter side. This is an easily sippable wine that is best served chilled, as nearly all white wine should be. As we head into the warmer seasons, keep the Massetts Cranberry on your radar of refreshing wines to sip on summer evenings. I’d pair this with steamers and lobster. It’s perfectly New England. 

HVW has a wide range of wines, probably the widest range in the state. Scroll through their website and you’ll immediately see their Yankee Ingenuity at work. 

I’ve not yet visited the vineyard itself, but I will definitely be making my way out to Hardwick very soon.

Hardwick Vineyard and Winery: Hardwickwinery.com.