Photos by Little Outdoor Giants

The scene is sunset on the expansive and picturesque lawn of Agronomy Farm Vineyard in the heart of Central Massachusetts. An eclectic crowd—singles, families and baby boomers—sits socially-distanced at tables, in chairs and on blankets. Edging the field are towering pines, maple trees and a pretty little pond. Live music entertains as servers move among the crowd bringing wine made from the hillside vineyards just a few yards away. There’s cider available, fermented in the winery’s cellar, as well as snacks from local food trucks. 

The vibe is easygoing, a weekend respite from the anxieties of the pandemic. This relaxing scene in rural Oakham is only about half an hour from Worcester or 90 minutes from Boston. 

If they had a moment to spare between pouring wine and conversing with their guests, owners Marissa and Corey O’Connor would admit that this is the fulfillment of a long-held dream. The couple both grew up in nearby Barre, and though their careers led to work in cities, they both longed for a life in the country. They also love wine and spent weekends researching, taking classes and learning how to make it. 

When Corey’s father discovered the 45-acre farm for sale, the couple began transitioning from engineer and scientist to owners of a winery which focuses on hybrid grapes that can survive the hardy winters of Central Massachusetts. Seven years ago, with help from family and friends, they planted about 900 vines of Cayuga white grapes and Marquette red grapes down the hillside from their brick farmhouse. They renovated the barn, converting it to a tasting room with a spacious deck.

In the farm’s forest they tapped 450 maple trees and now produce 100 gallons of syrup annually. Corey, the winemaker, uses a tiny amount of the syrup to feed yeast in bottle fermentation of Agronomy’s new sparkling wine, “a nice overlap of our resources,” he said. That wine and two reds from the vineyard’s Marquette grapes are new estate wines Agronomy will be marketing this fall. 

Three years ago the couple introduced their wines at area farmers markets. “Our challenge was to familiarize people with varieties that are not as well known,” said Marissa. “We found it hasn’t been an issue. People have been excited to try them.” Among the seven wines Agronomy produces are a semi-dry 2019 Cayuga White, a dry 2019 Seyval and a medium-bodied, semi-dry red wine, 2017 Noiret, aged on French oak. The Seyval and Noiret grapes are sourced from upstate New York. 

Agronomy’s tasting room opened to the public in October 2018. Last summer the winery also hosted three weddings and several other events on its scenic grounds. 

The shutdown due to COVID-19 delayed this year’s opening until mid-May. It also prevented the winery from booking wine tasting events for this summer. 

“At first, we just did contactless pickup of orders made online from our website store,” said Corey. “With Phase II of business openings, we were able to have guests on the property, but only with table service and food available.” The tasting room remains closed. 

For now, the winery is open for pop-up events on Fridays and occasional Saturdays from 4–8pm with online reservations required to limit the size of the crowd. As the weather cools, curbside pickup of Agronomy’s wines will resume, and delivery within 30 minutes of Oakham remains available. 

While COVID restrictions caused a 50% reduction in sales, the couple is philosophical. “It’s made it easier to balance our lives,” Marissa said. “We have three young children, so it’s nice to have some family time and be able to plan for the future.”

agronomyfarmvineyard.com


This story appeared in the Fall/Holiday 2020 issue.