Strawberry Rhubarb Wine at Massachusetts' Russell Orchards

[Steve Mirsky]

Fruit Wine Selection at Russell Orchards

If you’re headed up Argilla Road north of downtown Ispwich, you’ll get the distinct feeling that you’re heading into more remote surroundings of rolling farm fields, and wooded glens. One pastoral gem that you simply can’t miss is Russell Orchards. Only about 5 minutes from Crane Beach, you’ll see a wood shaked barn to your right and once inside, it’s apparent that this is the real deal…not some knock off built within the last decade to look like an antique barn. The post and beam frame is clearly hand hewn and the wooden floor boards are smoothed like only years of hard use can produce. Best of all, it’s still a working farm after opening their doors in 1920.

Here you can get all the fixins for a grand picnic. The shelves are lined with organic snacks, the coolers with seasonal fruit. Cheeses and locally baked breads abound. Cider donuts made fresh daily onsite along with their hard cider are classics. The crown jewel is their killer fruit wines, especially the strawberry rubarb…which is really like picking them from the garden and bottling their essence…seriously! Tangy fresh picked berries and the just picked tang of rubbarb, this wine doesn’t make any apologies. A delicate floral aroma comes to a head as it hits the palate. Strong fresh strawberries…serve chilled. Can certainly be a dessert wine with big fruit sugar on the tip and progressively complex strawberry on the palate. Full bore flavor with no fuss. Grab out of the frig. and toss into your picnic basket…and yes it’s OK to drink it out of plastic cups.