Guide to Maine Wineries

Bar Harbor Cellars at Sweet Pea Farm

854 Rte 3, Salisbury Cove, Bar Harbor

288-3907, barharborcellars.com

Winemaker Doug Miccuci, who also owns the Atlantic Brewing Co., is better known for his beers. But he makes red and white wines from grapes grown in small co-ops in the U.S. and Europe and from some of his own organic grapes, (including newly planted hybrids), and also several blueberry and apple wines from Maine fruit. This is a beautiful hilltop winery in a Civil-War era home. Wines $12-20. Try: Riesling or Dry Blueberry

Bartlett’s Maine Estate Winery

Spirits of Maine Distillery

175 Chicken Mill Pond Rd., Gouldsboro

546-2408, bartlettwinery.com

This is Maine’s oldest winery, est. 1982, and one of its best, designed by winemaker Bob Bartlett, a former architect. He makes several aperitifs, white wines from pears and apples, reds from blueberries, and dessert wines–blueberry, raspberry, loganberry, and blackberry–from Maine and out-of-state fruits. He also makes sweet and dry mead. His fine apple brandy recently ranked #3 in an international competition. $15-30. Try: Reserve Dry Oak Wild Blueberry, Blueberry Sangiovese, Trio

Blacksmith’s Winery

965 Quaker Ridge Rd., South Casco

655-3292, blacksmithswinery.com

Winery is a converted farmhouse and barn where a village blacksmith lived and worked. Makes off-dry whites, dry whites, dry reds, dessert wines, including ice wine, and roughcut cider. Uses some Maine fruit, grapes from Wash. and NY. $9-50. Try: Sparkling Cranberry, Trillium

Breakwater Vineyards & Farm

35 Ash Point Dr., Owl’s Head

594-1721, breakwatervineyards.com

This new winery, in a barn overlooking the Rockland breakwater and its lighthouse, produces pinot noir, two chardonnays, and dry riesling using NY grapes until their own grapes mature. This is the only Maine winery currently growing vinifera grapes, convinced that the microclimate on Owl’s Head can support chardonnay and pinot noir. Part of profits support lighthouse restoration. $14-18. Try: Oaky Chardonnay or oaked Dry Riesling

Cellardoor Vineyard

367 Youngstown Rd., Lincolnville

763-4478, mainewine.com

Also a tasting room at The Villa, a lovely, yellow Victorian house at 47 West St., Rockland

Maine’s largest winery makes many wines using its own grapes and also juice from NY, Calif., Wash., and local blueberries; winemaker is experimenting with new, cold-hardy hybrids that have not yet matured. $10-17. Try: Viognier or Serendipity

DayBreak Manor Vineyard

106 Bath Road, US Rte. 1, Wiscasset

882-9786, daybreakvineyard.com

This beautifully landscaped manor has a two-bedroom cottage with kitchen for rent overlooking the vineyard. Also sells antiques, flowers, honey, eggs. Makes cabernet franc, seyval blanc, sauvignon blanc, and blends from their own grapes and from out of state. $16-18.

Dragonfly Farm & Winery

1067 Mullen Rd., Stetson

296-2226, mainewinegrower.com

Enthusiastic, welcoming young hobbiest-vintners make mainly sweet, riesling-style wines from own grapes and from local raspberries and blueberries on a lovely new farm near Bangor. $10-13. Try: Clarity

Fiddlers’ Reach

Located in Bath, fiddlersreach.com for more information.

Makes five meads from Maine and Georgia honey. A fine, one-man show from owner-winemaker Rob Nicoll. $10-14. Try: Merrymeeting Dry Mead

Maine Coast Vineyards

Office: 94 Commercial St., 3rd fl., Portland

722-2074, mainecoastvineyards.com

Winemaker, who also has a wine import business, makes rose, red, and white wines from own grapes grown in Falmouth and N. Yarmouth. Label is paper handmade from grape seeds and stems. All wines under $15. Try: The Scarborough Beach Series

Maine Mead Works

200 Anderson St., Bay 9, Portland

773-6323, mainemeadworks.com

Uses Maine wildflower honey and an innovative, continuous fermentation process to make dry and semi-dry meads, blueberry mead, and seasonal varieties. $14-16. Try: Blueberry Mead

Oyster River Winegrowers

929 Oyster River Rd., Warren

273-2998, oysterriverwinegrowers.com

Owner, who has a degree in winemaking, specializes in white wines made from own organically-grown grapes, and also makes some reds. While he waits for new hybrids to mature, he’s using juice from NY and Calif. $10-18. Try: Villager White, Merlot

Prospect Hill Winery

318 Orrills Hill Rd., Lebanon

658-7817, prospecthillwines.com

This friendly, farm winery just opened last year. Has hilltop views, nice gardens, animals, and trails for kids to enjoy. Winemaker makes white and red wines exclusively from own, cold-hardy grapes. Around $12. Try: Edelvira or Chancellor

Salmon Falls Winery

22 Academy St., South Berwick

384-5629, salmonfallswinery.com

Winemaker, an environmental engineer and wine connoisseur,.makes syrah, cabernet sauvignon, and grenache rose, exclusively from California grapes. $18-22. Try: Milestone Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon

Savage Oakes Vineyard & Winery

174 Bartlett Hill Rd., Union

785-5261 or 785-2828, savageoakes.com

A family-friendly winery on a farm owned by the same family since the 1790s. Makes about 15 reds, whites, roses, and a new port from their own, cold-hardy grapes, supplemented by grapes and juice from out-of-state, usually NY; plus apple and blueberry wines from Maine fruit. $10-16. Try: Seyval Blanc, Barn Red

Shalom Orchard Organic Farm & Winery

158 Eastbrook Rd. (Rte 200), Franklin

565-2312, shalomorchard.com

Winemaker, who built this rustic winery, has a scientific background and loves to experiment with historic blends and oddball varieties. Makes organic table (not dessert) wines–mainly blueberry, cranberry, and apple–from local fruit, plus mead from local honey, and unusual creations such as Kiwi and Wintergreen wine. $12-14. Try: Cranberry Cyser, Blueberry wine

Sow’s Ear Winery

303 Coastal Rd., Brooksville

326-4649

Maine’s second oldest winery, opened 1991. Winemaker, a self-sufficient homesteader, makes wines from his own, hand-picked fruit and other local fruit, all un-sprayed. Makes dry rhubarb, blueberry, and apple wines in still and sparkling styles using the champagne method, and also hard cider and choke cherry wine. $10-17. Try: Rhubarb Wine

Sweetgrass Farm Winery & Distillery

347 Carroll Rd., Union

785-3024, sweetgrasswinery.com

Winemaker, best known for his terrific Back River Gin, makes blueberry, apple, cranberry, and peach wines, several dessert wines, and also vanilla, maple smash, apple brandy, rum, and vermouth on an attractive family farm in the pastoral hills of central Maine. $11-18. Try: Apple Wine, Cranberry or Blueberry Smash

Tanguay & Son Winery

24 Scribner Blvd., Lewiston

740-6873, tanguaywinery.com

A school maintenance supervisor and his son, a computer program analyst, make red and white wines from California and NY grapes, Maine blueberry and strawberry wines, and hard frost cider in their own little laboratory in Lewiston. About $10. Try: Maine Blueberry

Unity Winery & Vineyards

17 Albion Rd., Unity

948-7777, unitywinery.com

Winemaker, a chatty guy who says “our niche is humor and catchy names,” makes cranberry, rhubarb, dandelion, rose petal, and elderberry wines with titles like Tickled Pink, Rhuby Slippers, and Petal Pushers. $12-14. Try: Four Sisters (elderberry wine)

Winterport Winery

Penobscot Bay Brewery

279 S. Main St., Winterport

223-4500, winterportwinery.com, pairingsmaine.com

Friendly winemaker and his wife make about 16 fruit wines: apple, berry, chocolate, blueberry, cranberry, apricot, pear, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, and ice wine, from local and out-of-state fruit. Many award-winners. $12-22. Try: Apple wine, Cranberry wine, Flying Dutchman (a blackberry port)