ROCKLAND -- How many times a week do you drive up Main Street?  As residents, we often do so with out glancing at the storefronts.  We know them; we think. More often we are thinking about traffic, the road work and trying to remember that on the north end of the street we have a hill masquerading as a speed bump.   Next time out, take a look.  There’s a new kid in town.  Check out 373 Main Street. Nestled between Uptown Studio and G. M. Pollack & Sons Jewelers is Breakwater Vineyards' new tasting room.

The space is inviting and uncluttered.  Neutral colors and good lighting take an ordinary store front and make it welcoming.  There is a small array of wine and vineyard related merchandise but the main features are the beautiful tasting bar and the wine.  The space is crisp and appealing. 

Vineyards and wineries have become a staple of the Maine economy.  If you doubt me, check out our state tourism site or the Maine Winery Guild. 

You might be shaking your head as you read about Maine wine as you make speculative judgments about its quality.  I say, “Snap out of it.”   Maine wine makers are passionate gamblers, farmers and alchemical dreamers.  There is no better example of the qualities necessary to be a wine producer than Breakwater Vineyards’  owners Bill and Jeanne Johnson. They have vision and patience.  Their goals are as intertwined as a double helix.  They strive for hand cultivation; they try grape varieties new to Maine, like Vinifera, to produce estate grown wine, and they are active members of the community and the Wine Guild. 

I like to surprise out of town guests with Maine wine and wineries.   They are often shocked that wine is produced here and approach it with preconceived snobbishness.   Wine snobs forget that wine has been produced in Europe for many hundreds of years and in California for at least a hundred.  Many experiments have occurred over generations to attain the bottles produced today.  

The first winery in Maine is Bartlett Estate.  In its 30-year history they have progressed from blueberry wine to fine Eau de Vies. Our wine producers are as committed as any European vintner. Leave the snob outside and taste the wines with an open mind and clean palate. 

You can make your own Maine memory by following the wine trail or at Vineyards like Breakwater and Cellardoor.  The Vineyards bookend the Midcoast with their Owls Head and Lincolnville locations. Both offer unique settings that are beautiful, serene and charming. You may find the ideal bottle for a beach picnic, an afternoon sail or the perfect rehearsal dinner toast.  There is a variety of wine to match any memory you are in the process of making.      

If you go the tasting room because you are curious, great.  If you go because you want to learn about Maine wines, kudos.  Regardless of the reason, do go in.  You will be surprised.  And if you haven’t been to the vineyard, let the Breakwater tasting room be your introduction to a true Maine experience.  And be sure to check out the goat kids, Clare and Andy, in the barn, at the vineyard.