Martin Orchard and Vineyards

I had a nice time at Martin Vineyards today. It is in a rustic setting with a beautiful view of the bay. It’s easy to find as there are signs along the road and the size of the island nearly precludes a visitor from getting lost. A caution: This is a small winery in the south so if you’re expecting a Napa Valley style setting then you ought to rethink.
I arrived at around 1130 but the proprietor opened the doors to the tasting room for me regardless of the official 1200 opening time. It was just her and me but she led me through their selections and explained the varieties as I tasted them. I am not a huge fan of the muscodine grape but these are eclectic wines often mixed with other fruits so I had fun attempting to sniff out the influences.
The orchard was pretty and I was able to drive my Jeep down through the rows to what I thought was a ripe selection. I picked a few peaches and was notified by a helpful staff member that the better peaches were farther down the row. Next time I will know better.
This is a good little spot to spend 90 minutes if you’re getting away from the seven cities for an afternoon. Martin Vineyards seems like a nice place for kids and adults alike. I recommend it and may venture back that way in the near future.

If you are looking for a «Blair Witch» style getaway that has all the amenities of a low budget horror movie, including but not limited to creepy store owners, abandoned buildings, and sketchy adult video stores that double as the local deli, then this is the place for you. Martin’s Vineyard provides the scene in the movie where the unassuming newlywed couple goes to the «wine tasting» and are never heard from again. We were instructed to pick the apples near the fenced off cemetery. As you glance down at your phone to make sure that you can easily access 9−1−1, you remember that you are on an island with no cell towers. And that’s just about the time that the man on the tractor that you are sure bathes seasonally waves at you and smiles. There are way way more cemeteries on the island than there are people. There are no restaurants on the island. As in none. Zero. And no grocery stores. So if you are hungry, pick an extra apple. Hide it on your person so that if you are taken you stand a chance of having some safe nourishment. I’d write more but I hear the faint sounds of banjo music in the distance. Send help.

Ok… Usually not a cynic but this place sucked! The open sign was on at 1:30 (an hour and a half after they were supposed to open) but no one was there. Numerous vehicles came and went anticipating the experience. When the lady finally arrived she acted as if her day was miffed by our presence. She quickly poured what the bottle said was a Viognier into plastic mouthwash cups before leaving the building. She did return to pour a startling rendition of what was labeled Chardonnay but tasted more like cough syrup before leaving again. The other two wines we sampled, merlot and muscadine, were pretty good; unfortunately between the lack of customer service and desire to present itself as a plausible establishment this left a sour taste on the tongue.

Wow this vineyard was pretty bad. There was a moldy air conditioner that blew us in the face during the tasting, their wines were predominantly sweet and awful, and the woman giving our tasting was not the friendliest or cleanest. They do, however, have a gorgeous view of the ocean with picnic tables on their lawn, so if nothing else I might get some food and wine from the adjacent Vineyard (Moonrise Bay Vineyards) and have lunch here.