Twenty-four MA wineries and numerous vineyards are catching the attention of wine lovers everywhere. Several are right in our backyard. Their wines are hand crafted with loving care from grapes, fruit, berries, honey and flowers that offer a wide variety of wines to complement a spectrum of native foods.  

The most common grape wine varieties grown in Massachusetts are the vinifera varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris followed by the American Hybrids Vidal Blanc and Cayuga.

To the Chinese this vegetable was once known as the "herb of Persia"; many Americans remember it as Popeye's favorite. By whatever name, though, the dark green, curly leaves of the spinach plant provide nutrition in the diet and variety to the menu. Find it at a farm stand or farmer's market in your area. 
 
Selection: Choose spinach that is clean, fresh, young, tender and of a good green color. Avoid large leaves that are yellow, discolored, wilted, bruised or crushed. 1 pound of fresh spinach will yield about 4  1/2 -cup servings of cooked spinach. 1 bushel (18 lbs.) yields about 12 to 18 pts.
 
Storage: Spinach is one of the most perishable commodities and is therefore not stored for long periods of time. For best results, store in the crisper section of the refrigerator, or in plastic bags up to five days.