About Fiske & Main

Wine is a bit like gardening - there is always something new to discover; it is a journey, an exploration that hopefully never ends.

 

 

What's it all about?

Fiske & Main, Specialty Wine and Cheese is a vision - at times blurry, at other times clear as a crisp fall afternoon - that has finally materialized. The road here was long, bumpy, and uncertain. It has been a long time coming, but here we are, happily taken shape in Upton, Massachusetts.  

The vision, the hope, was to create a place that brought to a small town a taste of the world - an urban vibe in a country store. It was also to be a destination, to be accessible to people, near and far, looking for new things to taste and explore.

The wines, beer, cheese, and other foods we carry will all be selected thoughtfully; items that are made by people who love what they do and are involved with everything to do with their specialty. I give special attention to items that are organic or are crafted with consideration for the whole picture.

Who am I?

I am wine lover. I am a cheese lover. I am a food lover. I am also a gardener who appreciates where food comes from and how hard it is to cultivate the land.

I've had the pleasure of exploring wine for dozens of years. I pull thousands of corks and twist hundreds of screw-caps every year. I taste a lot of wine. I taste wine for pleasure, mostly, but I also taste with a critical mind and palate. For me there is a very slim line between tasting for pure pleasure and critical assessment. To appreciate wine in full, one can focus on the aromas, flavors, textures, and the qualities that linger, as well as how all those components complement each other. All those characteristics sum up a wine and give it personality. Those features can tell us where the wine has been, where it is, and where it may be headed. The wine reveals the soil the grapes grew in, rejoices in the history of the country it was born in, and perhaps most importantly tells the story of the families who nurtured the vines and carefully, lovingly made the wine. This is the joy of wine! The discovery, the understanding, and ultimately, the appreciation. 

I can guide you to a great bottle of wine, plan a wine dinner with you, or perhaps construct an exquisite cheese plate that a thoughtfully chosen glass of wine will accompany. I look forward to exploring with all of you.

Cheers,

Richard Schnitzlein

 

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