Visiting Goodale Orchards in 2003

For many people, a beautifully sunny day in the summer means a trip to the beach. Russell Orchards and Winery, located just a hop, a skip and a jump away from Crane's Beach in Massachusetts, combines the fun of ocean relaxation with the delicious flavors of fruit wine and cider.

Originally named Goodale Orchards, the farm began in the 1920s with fresh cider. When the Russells took over in 1979 they continued that tradition and brought on a selection of fruit wines. All of the fruits are grown on location, except for the blueberries which are brought in from Maine. The winery building is an old barn, complete with functional fireplace and ducks and geese in the back yard. We greatly enjoyed wandering with the farm animals before heading inside, past the tables of flowers and families with ice cream, to the wine area.

Bill Clarkson ably manned the tasting table. Between countless requests for samples of their 22 varieties of wine, he talked about the history of the winery and its current successes. Pulling the chilled bottles from the old-fashioned refrigerator behind him, he explained that the weather this year had given the local farms a bad start on the season. The recent good weather seemed to have made up for it, and everything was back on track.

The winery had just reintroduced their blackberry and elderberry wines. These were both extremely popular with the visitors. The winery's best seller is their blueberry wine, but each of their wines has its own fan base.

We talked about how some wine drinkers shy away from fruit wines, not giving them a fair try. Bill commented that "people will come up and say, 'what have you got which is like a merlot, what have you got which is like a chardonnay'. I reply, 'I haven't got anything like a merlot, like a chardonnay. The only thing that would be like a chardonnay is a chardonnay.'" Once he gets them to try the fruit wines, the visitors fall in love with them for their own, unique flavors.

Bill first poured the rhubarb for us, one of the most popular whites. It was a perfect summer wine, light and refreshing. Next, the peach was gentle and fresh tasting, not overly sweet, with a mild peach flavor to it. Perfect for salads or porch-time sipping. Because we make dandelion wine ourselves every year, we gave that a try. Their version is medium thick, with a mild, sweet honey flavor.

On to the reds, with the semi-soft blueberry. This was a nice, light red wine, well balanced. It would be great with pork chops on the grill. The dry blueberry was medium bodied with a rich flavor. This would pair well with burgers. Bill and I talked about how blueberries with their antioxidants are very healthy, and how many doctors are recommending that older women near menopause drink blueberry wine. Bill pointed out that antioxidants are good for all adults, regardless of age or gender.

The last wine we sampled, the blackberry, was a good balance of smooth texture and tart flavor. I'd love this one with a plate of cheese, sitting by the ocean. I commented to Bill that the wines all had great balance to them, and weren't overly sweet. He explained, "Max is keen on dry wines himself - so he tends to make his wines drier than other wineries around here."

The winery was packed with people even up until the closing bell. Bill explained that "any time it's a good beach day, it's a good day for the farm store." Families were trying to race in to grab supplies for dinner - a fresh pie, a bottle of wine. The kids waved at the geese and goats while the parents found some fresh treats for the grill.

The prices on the wines and ciders at Russell range from $4.95 for a bottle of cider to $12.00 for sparkling wine. The labor-intensive berry wines can reach $15 for a full 750ml bottle. As Bill explained, "you've got to crush an awful lot of red currants for one bottle of wine - it's quite a lot of labor." The wine prices compare extremely well to wine shop bargains, and in addition to supporting a local business you're getting a great bottle of wine that's perfect for summer sipping. If you're down in the Crane's Beach area, it's well worth the visit!

Goodale Orchards Review

Massachusetts Winery Reviews