Valentine's Day Roses at Clamber Hill Inn

History can be a little sketchy; it seems that there were three St. Valentines in the early Roman Catholic Church.  Most historians agree that the important one lived in the 3^rd Century AD when Claudius was the Roman Emperor, and the Roman Empire was suffering a decline.  Claudius observed that single men made better soldiers than married men, and banned marriage in an effort to improve his army.  Of course that did not go over well with the general population.  One lowly priest named Valentine proved to be both heroic and romantic by continuing to perform marriages in secret.  Eventually he was discovered and thrown in jail.  From this point on there are different versions of what happened next, but it seems that the jailer, Asterius, had a blind daughter that would visit Valentine.   It is reputed that he cured her with his tremendous Christian faith.  His final note to her said….you guessed it….”From your Valentine”.   He was put to death, supposedly on February 14^th, 270 AD.  His farewell letter was the first Valentine’s Day Card!

In reality though, it is thought that Valentine’s love for the jailer’s daughter was simple Christian love (Agape) not romantic love (Eros).   Historian, Henry Ansgar Kelly, credits the British author, Chaucer, with creating the romantic angle to Valentine’s Day in the middle ages.   While there were many different customs and traditions such as the Welsh tradition of exchanging wooden love spoons that were carved with images of hearts, keys and keyholes which meant “You unlock my heart!”

Roses, the modern way to unlock the heart!

It is not known when the tradition of exchanging cards started, but it is certain that Valentine’s Day Cards were being used as early as 1415 AD as Charles, Duke of Orleans sent one to his wife while she was imprisoned in the Tower of London.  This card is now on display at the British Museum.  By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes in England.

While England played a major role in establishing Valentine’s Day as a holiday, so did Worcester, Massachusetts.  Modern Day Valentine’s Day Cards were pioneered by Esther Allen Howland, of Summer St, Worcester.  Shortly after graduation from Mount Holyoke College in 1847, she received a Valentine’s Day Card from England.  Intrigued by the idea, she started making them for friends.  The idea was so popular that she placed the first advertisement for them in a newspaper on February 5, 1850.  She grew the card making into a $100,000 annual business that thrived until her retirement in 1881.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries & Champagne

Valentine’s day is now the second largest card giving holiday in the world with over 1 billion cards being exchanged.   But other traditions have developed since 1800’s also.  It is now customary to announce your love by giving flowers (especially roses), chocolates, champagne, jewelry and other nice presents to your Valentine.  Couples also celebrate romantically by going out to eat in a nice restaurant or going away together for the night or the weekend.

Romantic Dining at Clamber Hill

If you’re looking for something special this year, try celebrating at Clamber Hill where we offer romantic overnight accommodations and a special 5-course menu with wine pairing options.  However, there is no right or wrong way to celebrate,  just find some way to let your Valentine know how special they are.   And if you can’t do something special on February 14^th, just pick another day and celebrate!

In reality, there are only 150 wine grapes which are commercially important in the industry. How many of these 150 wine grapes can you name?  Try it.

Don’t feel bad if you can’t come up with a long list.  Many wine drinkers often can’t name more than 10 different wine grapes including both red and white varietals.

The two most popular varietals in the US are Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, in that order, surprisingly enough in that order.   Although red wines are becoming more popular again, due to the press about the health benefits of red wine.

So focusing on red varietals, the other well known ones in the US include Merlot, followed by Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Zinfandel.  And for many of us is where the list stops.  If you’d like to learn about and taste more red wine varietals, sign yourself up for some of the upcoming Clamber Hill Wine Tastings.  The next three wine tastings on January 19^th, March 15^th and April 19^{th .} will all focus on red wines.

At Clamber Hill, we’re exploring the world of wine through a series of wine tastings in a fun relaxed setting.  In 2011 we held two wine tastings featuring red wine varietals.  The first explored the nuances of difference in Cabernet Sauvignon from different regions of the world.  The second explored the other “classic reds” including a Merlot, a Pinot Noir, a Shiraz and a Zinfandel as well as wines produced from Gamay and  Sangiovese wine grapes.  In this upcoming wine tasting we will be adding some lesser known reds to our knowledge base.

The United States is the fourth largest wine consuming nation in the world, so why do so many Americans know so little about wine?  There are several factors affecting American’s lack of wine knowledge.

The first has to be Prohibition.   Wine has a history in the US going all the way back to the founding fathers and the early 1860’s the wine industry in California was flourishing with an annual production of 2.3 million gallons.  But Prohibition (the Volstead Act passed in 1920 and revoked in 1933) almost killed the entire US wine industry.  Ironically enough it survived by growing Mission Grapes used to make communion wine!  It wasn’t until 19XX that the level of wine production reached the pre-prohibition levels.  And when it did, there was a perception of poor quality that took a long time to overcome.

The second is that 75% of the wine consumed in the US is produced in the US and 90% of that is grown in California with the major red varietals being Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah (Shiraz) in that order.  Is it any surprise that those are the only red wine grapes that we can name?  It can be hard to find other wine varietals in your local wine shop!

And then we get back to the fact that many varieties of grapes have two or more names –so it all gets very confusing.  This is one reason why many books focus on just a few locations when they talk about wine.  France alone has over 56 different grape varietals important to wine making and Italy is reputed to have 900!  Italy and France make over 60% of the worlds wine and the wine making techniques of these two countries are often imitated by the New World Countries.

To further complicate matters, once you get to know your grapes, then you have to learn geography.  It’s important to the whole wine naming game.  In the US wine is simply named after the grape, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir etc and the AVA is also placed on the label.  In other places, such as France the wines are named after geographic locations such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Cotes du Rhone and the varietals are not listed on the labels, making it harder for Americans to chose.

As you see by now, there is a lot to learn about wine.  Learning about wine is especially enjoyable when you connect with other wine enthusiasts who share your interests.  And you have to taste wine to learn about it.  Develop your palette.  Learn which of the 150 wine grapes you like and which you don’t.   The more you know about wine, the more you’ll be aware of the common myths and misconceptions.

Many folks suffer under the misconception that blending is used only to produce cheap wines when in fact, the most expensive wines in the world are blends.  The renowned French Bordeaux are always blends and have been since 1855 when they first became famous!  So you see blending is an ancient art.  And when I say art, I mean art.  There are many steps involved in wine making: planting, pruning, growing, harvesting, crushing, filtering, fermentation, and aging and bottling.  Each and every one of these steps in important and has an impact on the flavor of the wine.  The blending step, however, is where the wine maker’s personal taste and expertise comes into play.  It is the opportunity for the winemaker to be creative as opposed to scientific.

“Blending is a way of creating a whole wine that is more than the sum of its parts” –Karen MacNeil

It is also a misconception that “good wine = expensive wine”.  Some low cost wines are excellent and some expensive wines are not so hot.

The next Clamber Hill Wine Tasting, scheduled for January 19^th will focus on Red Blends from Around the World.  And all of the wines featured are quite affordable and available locally.  So if you like Red Wine and want to learn more about it and meet some other wine enthusiasts, reserve your spot at any or all of the upcoming wine tastings.

If you choose the later option, it helps if you happen to be the daughter of a florist who grew up helping her Daddy out each Christmas season.  It also helps if your are a hoarder who loves Christmas.   For example, when people know that you love Nutcrackers, they start giving you Nutcrackers as Christmas presents.   Or if you set out a couple of snowmen that you just happen to have, people start giving you snowmen and then before you know it you have a collection to work with!

The Clamber Hill Snowmen Collection, Christmas 2004

But you also have to be smart about it.  Once you have the start of a collection, you can add to it and mix in less expensive items with the more expensive ones.  Many of the Clamber Hill Nutcrackers come from Seiffen Germany where the Nutcracker tradition originated, but other smaller ones come from the local dollar store and my father found me two really great large ones at a church fair in South Athol MA!

Old and New Nutcrackers

I used to decorate the Christmas Tree with personal ornaments that special people had given me, but to my dismay I found that guests at Holiday Parties rearranged things ….so continuing on the lines of smart decorating I decided to do themes for the trees with inexpensive ornaments.  Cruise the after Christmas sales and plan ahead for the next year!  Sometimes I do the same theme two years in a row, but often I mix things up.  Reindeer on the trees, stars in the Wintergarden……or perhaps Reindeer and stars together in the Living Room!

Stars & Reindeers decorate the Clamber Hill Mantelplace

And you cannot decorate without ribbon!  That’s just a simple fact.  But you have to be smart about ribbon purchases.  I purchase only double wired ribbon because it is easy to work with.  And I buy ribbon in quantities of 50 or 100 yds at a time.  A) because it is less expensive in quantity and B) because I need that much to do a room.  Many stores sell small rolls of ribbon at extravagant prices.  But you can often buy 50 yds for $7 or $8, which is a deal!   Pick a color theme and go with it!  There is so much you can do with ribbon.  Lay it on a mantel, weave it through a garland or make a holiday bow!

And save your ribbon.  Take your bows and garlands apart and re-roll the ribbon and you will have it again for the next year!

Speaking of bows and garlands….don’t forget to use wreathes and garlands in your holiday decorating.  You can use a mix or fresh and artificial.  The fresh are not hard to make…just time consuming.  And I have gotten away from fresh since we’ve had the Inn as the decorations need to last for five or six weeks now.  But I do work fresh greens into some of my garlands and make fresh arrangements for each of the rooms using a mixture of evergreens and holly picked right off the Clamber Hill trees.

Garlands, lights and wreathes make the holidays festive at Clamber Hill

You can also, not decorate without lights.  But again be smart about it.  Christmas lights go on sale, after Christmas.  Stock up while they are inexpensive and store them away for next year.  And you have so many choices….white, red, green, blue or multi-colored.  And don’t forget about candles or tea lights.  Like ribbon, tealights are often sold in small packs that are expensive, but you can purchase bags of 150 or 200 for $3 or $4.  Stock up since the tea lights tend to disappear after Valentine’s Day and don’t reappear until Thanksgiving time.  Work those in too…just be safe and smart about it.  I don’t light any candles unless they are in goblets to keep them safe.  The Dollar Store is a great place for finding small goblets for tea lights and anything with etching or carving helps throw the light.

Candlelight adds a festive glow to holiday decorations at Clamber Hill

And then there are the behind the scenes necessities for Holiday Decorating.  My two main tools are pipe cleaners and fishing line!  Pipe cleaners are great for everything from making wreathes, hanging garlands, attaching lights to wreathes and garlands, making bows and even attaching bows to candlesticks!  Fishing line is great for hanging things in windows.

So by now, Clamber Hill has a Nutcracker Collection, a Snowman Collection, a Reindeer Collection, a Star Collection, a Snowflake Collections, a Santa Collection and probably a few more.  Each year I use the collections in different ways to decorate different rooms.  I do it in the week between Thanksgiving and our Open House or between Thanksgiving and our first Holiday Party.   Our December guests, to the Inn and to the Restaurant, always enjoy coming in the month of December to see how Clamber Hill is decked out!  Each year I say I am going to cheat and just decorate the same as last year, but each year once I get started I do everything differently from the year before.  Don’t get me wrong, I do recycle….the ribbon, the collections, the lights, the garlands, the wreathes…I just use them in different ways in different places….and add a few new things each year.

If you’re are intrigued and want to see the results of the 2011 Holiday Decorating, you are invited to the Clamber Hill Holiday Open House on December 11th from 1 to 4 pm.  We are centrally located in Central Massachusetts just 5 miles off of Rt 2 at Exit 17 in Petersham MA.  Please note:  All photos are from past years!  This year’s photos will not be published until after our Holiday Open House!

And if you can’t make that, Clamber Hill is running three different Special Packages during the month of December…. maybe one of them will be just perfect for you!  Choose between our Romantic Getaway Package, our Shop & Wrap Package or this year’s new package “I’ll Bring a Cheesecake Home for Christmas”.

Happy Holidays from Clamber Hill

As an alternative to Black Friday, the three lovely inns in Petersham Massachusetts, the very heart of Central New England are offering you a low stress, fun filled Holiday Shopping Extravaganza on Sunday November 20th.

The Petersham Town Common, decked out for the holidays!

Colonial Hill Alpaca Farm and B&B, Clamber Hill Inn & Restaurant and Winterwood at Petersham are all located within a two mile stretch of Rt 32 in Petersham, MA.  The addresses for those who travel by GPS are 19, 111 and 235 North Main St in Petersham MA 01366.  Each of the inns has a very different character but all three are lovely.  This relaxed shopping extravaganza allows shoppers to tour the inns as well as giving them the opportunity to buy some unique, high quality gifts, many of which are hand made or local, in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

The Inns will host 16 different vendors with a wide range of products.  Jewelry will be featured at all three inns this year.  Paul Nugent at Colonial Hill, Pearson’s Pagoda at Clamber Hill and Tina White with Silpada Jewelry at Winterwood.

Hand made by jewelry designer Laurie Pearson

There will be some food and beverage offerings.  Ann Lewis will be selling Rose 32 bread and pastries and Donna Byron of Grace Note Farm will be on hand with honey and spices at Colonial Hill.  Patrick Draper will be selling high quality 100% pure cacao from Guatemala, perfect for baking and Ross Condit will be representing Green River Ambrosia with some unique beverages such at Ginger Libation, Liquid Sunshine Traditional Mead, Winter Warmer Spiced Mead and Bourban Barrel Cyzer award winning Mead, both at Clamber Hill.  And last but not at all least, Natalie Reynolds will be selling Co-Co-A-Nu fine Belgian Chocolates at Winterwood.

Artisans will also be well represented.  Sylvia Brown of Petersham Leather will have hand made leather items, jewelry pouches, handbags and more at Colonial Hill.  Jane Hein, also a local Petersham artist will be selling her Early American Decorative one of a kind pieces at Winterwood along with Jean Day’s Fredeez Flip Flops, totally fun and totally unique.  At Clamber Hill,  Kirby Lecy of North Quabbin Woods will have a wide selection of hand crafted pieces from a variety of different local artists.

Hand made leather purses by Sylvia Brown

Clamber Hill will also have Michelle Simmington representing Scentsy — a wonderful way to make your home smell lovely for the holidays.

Scentsy Frangrance Warmers

And for those of you who want to stay warm this winter (yes it is predicted to be a cold one), Terry Emmerich has a wide selection of lovely Alpaca products including hats that she felts herself and Deb Bachrach Jones will be at Winterwood with her special wool active wear from Jonesware.

Colonial Hill Alpaca Farm sells Alpaca Teddy Bears and Hand Felted Hats

And Clamber Hill will be offering cheesecake samples and taking orders for Holiday Cheesecakes.  We will also have Gift Certificates to our Restaurant (or Inn) on sale as well as a limited selection of Holiday Wreaths hand crafted by Deni Ellis who does the Inn’s fabulous holiday decorations each year.

Clamber Hill Amaretto Cheesecake a little slice of heaven!

So if you’re tired of Black Friday and want to spend a lovely day in the country side, mark your calendars for Sunday November 20th and head to Petersham.  Who knows, you may even decide you want to stay awhile and if you do, there are three inns offering overnight accommodations!

We wish you Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday Shopping!

You can count on me,

Please just let me know,

Which flavor tickles your fan–cy!

Two cold December nights– will find me,

At Clamber Hill –where the firelight gleams,

And I’ll leave there with a Cheesecake,

And it won’t be just in my dreams!

* to the tune of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”

Clamber Hill's Strawberry Cheesecake -- strawberry flavor through and through

The Clamber Hill innkeepers in Petersham, MA have a long history with Cheesecake, and it goes all the way back to the first Christmas after we married.

When giving the gift of clothes at Christmas time, one always gambles that they will fit, and often they do not.   So when my family made the annual pilgrimage to the local shopping mall to exchange  sizes, my husband Mark, not interested in women’s apparel disappeared.  After shopping was complete, a search of the mall turned up the missing newlywed in a bookstore where he was purchasing “The Joy of Cheesecake”.  All things considered, not a bad place to find a missing husband.

Clamber Hill's White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake -- a holiday favorite!

Why the interest in cheesecakes?  Mark’s mother baked fabulous cheesecakes, but she refused to share her recipe with her daughters or her sons, even as a Christmas or Wedding presents.   So one upsmanship being what it is, my husband Mark set out to develop his own cheesecake recipe that would be better than his Mom’s and the book, the “Joy of Cheesecake” by Dana Bovbjerg & Jeremy Iggers was a perfect place to start.

The authors claim that cheesecakes are the most sensuous of all desserts.  And OK all you chocoholics out there, maybe it takes a Chocolate Cheesecake to stake the claim to the most sensuous of all desserts, but not to worry that recipe is in this book too!

They even claim that the struggle to make the perfect cheesecake is the most noble struggle in the human race.  Well, Ok, maybe they are exaggerating but then again maybe not.  My husband certainly bought in.

That January, he baked 10 cheesecakes.  Yes 10 cheesecakes in one month, experimenting with different recipes to get it “perfect”.  Heavy, light, New York style, with cream cheese versus  Neufchatel, Ricotta or cottage cheese (yuck!), different crusts, different toppings….in typical USMC fashion (did I mention he was an active duty Marine Lieutenant at the time) he marched through the various recipes and succeeded in creating a better cheesecake than his Mom’s by the end of the month.  What a delicious month that was but I gained at least 20 lbs and needed to go shopping again!

A variety of Clamber Hill Cheesecakes with Triple Chocolate Cheesecake upfront

When Clamber Hill started our small restaurant in Central Massachusetts, Cheesecakes became a favorite dessert, especially for holiday parties.  So when Clamber Hill stated doing Holiday Shopping Extravaganzas, it was natural to take cheesecake orders for the holidays.   We now have eleven different flavors of cheesecakes.  And this year, as a holiday special, we are offering a free cheesecake to anyone that books two nights at the inn between December 5th and December 25th.  Let us know, which flavor tickles your fancy when you check in and you will leave taking a fresh 8″ diameter Clamber Hill Cheesecake home for the Christmas holidays!

Merry Christmas from Clamber Hill!

P.S.  Clamber Hill Cheesecakes freeze well!

A little slice of heaven --Clamber Hill White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake!

Chocolate covered strawberries and champagne, elements of romance

So let’s explore the concept.  First intimate inn.  A small inn or at least an inn that feels small like Clamber Hill.  Even though Clamber Hill was build as an historic summer mansion with 9600 sq ft, the inn operates with only five spacious guestrooms.  That means that even when the inn is full, guests often feel like they are the only ones there.  Intimate.

Intimate can also mean cozy or comfortable.  As opposed to hotel rooms, even high priced ones, the guest rooms at Clamber Hill are furnished with original artwork, a blend of comfortable and antique furniture and CD players with light jazz and classical music.  Each room was uniquely created with guest comfort in mind.

The Oriental Room, a popular choice for Romantic Get-aways!

A lot of hotels advertise romantic getaway packages, but when you see pictures of the rooms, there is nothing there to spark the emotions.  At Clamber Hill, the working fireplaces in the guest rooms add that emotional spark!  There is nothing like falling asleep with the fire glowing comfortably warm at the foot of the bed.

The Nautical Room, cozy and intimate

Next let’s explore “long walks”.   Along a beach or through the woods, long walks in solitude with your sweetheart enjoying the quiet, beautiful backdrop nature provides, are romantic.  At Clamber Hill, the only problem is deciding where to walk.  Out the back door into Harvard Forest, through one of the 50 Gates to the Quabbin Reservoir, or even up Mt. Monadnock for a sunrise spectacular!  The options for scenic beauty are boundless in the North Quabbin are of Central Massachusetts.  And you can walk for hours without running in to anyone else.

The perfect place for long walks

Then the third component is “personal talks”.  How often do you really talk with  your loved one?  You spend time together but usually with the kids or with friends or racing around doing things or watching TV.  The list of interferences is endless.

Relax by the fire with a Clamber Hill cocktail

At Clamber Hill the interferences are reduced to a minimum.  There are no phones ( your cell phone may or may not work), there are no TVs.  There is space and time and beautiful surroundings to enjoy with your loved one.  Enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner or a cocktail in front of the fireplace.

Enjoy a romantic dinner at Clamber Hill

To make it easy for our guests, Clamber Hill offers a Romantic Getaway Package. It is a two night, one dinner special allowing you to escape for a few days and enjoy a little time alone.  And it fits most folks budgets.  You don’t have to spring for airfare to some exotic foreign country to find a beautiful place to spend the weekend.  Clamber Hill has had guests come from as close as 5 miles away yet say they felt like they were in a world apart.  A romantic world apart!

Nights are special at Clamber Hill

At Clamber Hill Apple Pie is served with your choice of cheddar cheese or vanilla ice cream!

Apples themselves are ancient, possibly originating in Asia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea as far back as 6500 BC.  The Greeks and Romans brought apples into Europe and Apple Pies were a favorite English food.  In fact they were banned by the puritanical Oliver Cromwell because they gave people too much pleasure!

The first apple orchard in America was right here in Massachusetts, established by William Blackstone on Beacon Hill.  And Massachusetts also lays claim to Johnny Appleseed, born in Leominster MA in 1774 as John Chapman.  He migrated west during his life time and died in Ft. Wayne Indiana, after having established many apple orchards along the way.  Although originally only crab apples were native to North America, the colonists propagation by seeds instead of grafting led to the development of native American varieties.

An Apple Tree at Red Apple Farm

Although apples have a long history in America, and have been important to American history and agriculture, it wasn’t actually until the 19th Century that the saying as American as Apple Pie came to prominence.

The Clamber Hill Nipmuck Salad, a restaurant favorite!

Fall in New England is a great time for harvesting apples and baking pies!.   Clamber Hill Inn & Restaurant is a tourist destination in Petersham MA.  When staying at the Inn one can pick apples at the Red Apple Farm in Phillipston MA, or shop for apples with apple expert Bob Pease at Pease Orchards in Templeton MA.  Both places sell wonderful apple cider as well as apples.   Not quite as close but also worth a visit are New Salem Preserves and Hamilton Orchards over in New Salem.  And after apple shopping, dine at Clamber Hill and enjoy apples in just about any course…our famous Nipmuck Salad is topped with apple slices,  our Pork Medallions comes topped with an Apple-Onion Marmelade….very German and of course at this time of year we offer either Apple Oat Crumble or Apple Pie for dessert.  You can even top the evening off with “apfel eis”, an Apple Ice Wine from Still River Winery in Harvard MA…a very yummy way to top off a great meal!

The view of the Quabbin from Enfield Lookout

I will never forget that sign because the word “discontinued” seemed like such an odd word to use.  After we moved here and opened Clamber Hill Inn, I began to understand.  While beneficial to Boston and 46 other cities and towns the creation of the reservoir was devastating to Central Massachusetts, at least in the early days.  2500 people were displaced, 7561 dead bodies were dug up and reburied, and 650 homes were either relocated or destroyed in order to provide a public water supply for the city of Boston.

It was never debated that Boston needed water, what was controversial was that rural land could be taken by eminent domain for an urban population center 70 miles distant.

The first winter we were here, we discovered that the surrounding towns, still hold memorial services for the lost towns and bitterness is kept alive as the Quabbin history is taught in the local schools.  The Swift River School in New Salem created a website about the Quabbin as a school project, delving into history, interviewing many local experts and learning modern technology at the same time.

The view from New Salem

In hindsight, the creation of the Quabbin has been a good thing for Central Massachusetts (although not for the families that were displaced) as it has created a huge wildlife refuge in the center of the state which has slowed development and created a tourist attraction.

The Quabbin is a truly great recreational area.  We hike there often, exploring the trails created by the discontinued roads that are now the 55 “Gates” around the reservoir.   The gate to Dana is a favorite hike with our inn guests, as you can see the old Town Common with the surrounding cellar holes.  Fishing is big on the Quabbin with the season starting in April and ending in early October.  When friends visited from South Carolina we took them fishing on the Quabbin and had a great day on the water catching a few fish and hearing and then seeing some Common Loons.  Hunting in the Quabbin Reservation is popular in the fall.  The Quabbin Controlled Deer Hunt is an annual event conducted on Quabbin Reservoir watershed lands, implemented as part of the anagement  program to maintain a balance between deer herd densities and forest regeneration.  And the 1982 Massachusetts Bald Eagle Restoration Project has been tremendously successful.  The best time and place to see the eagles is February and March from the Enfield Lookout in the Quabbin Park in Belchertown.

A view of Pottapaug Pond from the lost town of Dana

With so much to do, the Quabbin is a great place to visit, any time of the year.  The towns of New Salem, Shutebury, Pehlam, Belchertown, Ware, Gilbertville, Hardwick and Petersham from a circle around the reservoir just like the 55 gates leading to the reservoir.  Exploring these small historic towns and the landscape  that surrounds them is a nature enthusiasts dream vacation come true.

Many folks love bird watching.  In fact birding is rated as the #1 sport in America—hard to believe if you’re a fellow New Englander with Patriots and the Red Sox fever — but there you have it.  Bird watching is a quiet passive sport often seeking to spot birds hidden in the bush.

Falconry, the “Sport of Kings” on the other hand is something entirely different, very exciting and supposedly the origin of this saying.  Having a valuable falcon or hawk on your hand was more valuable than two birds of prey.

A Harris Hawk

Falconry dates back to approx 2000 BC and it was very much a part of the royal lifestyle in China, Arabia and medieval Europe  (400AD-1500AD).

Falconry reaches its highest level in England and is governed by very strict rules– only a king could fly a gyrfalcon.  Other designations were that an earl could fly a peregrine; a yeoman could have a goshawk, a priest the sparrowhawk and servants were allowed to fly kestrels.  William Shakespeare(1564-1616), famous as a writer but not a sportsman was nonetheless an avid falconer.

Falconry came to the US in the early 1930’s and today the North American Falconer’s Association boasts over 2000 members.  Quite a feat considering that falcons almost died out in the US  from the use of pesticides in the 1960’s and 1970’s.   It used to be that falconry meant working with falcons but today one is called a falconer when working with a falcon or a hawk, the word “hawker” just doesn’t have good connotations anymore.

Falconry is not every man’s sport.  It requires tremendous dedication and a thorough understanding of the falcons (or hawks).  It is necessary to care for and work with your birds every day.  Teaching a wild animal to hunt on command and then give up it’s prey and resubmit itself to a human control, is not an easy feat.  Yet that is what this sport is all about.

Master Falconer Chris Davis

It is however possible to experience flying a falcon, even if you do not happen to have any royal blood in your veins.  If you love nature and are looking for a modern day adventure, consider a trip to the Pioneer Valley in Massachusetts where Master Falconer Chris Davis will introduce you to the ancient “Sport of Kings” using his trained Harris Hawks.

Chris Davis instructs Innkeeper Mark Ellis on the art of Falconry

Innkeepers Mark and Deni Ellis of Clamber Hill were lucky enough to experience a “bird in the hand” up close and personal and highly recommend an afternoon with Chris Davis and his falcons.  Chris offers three different levels of falconry, an introductory session for $65, a 1.5 hr extended session for $150 or a full blown hunting session for $200 per participant.  Any of the three will be an experience you will never forget.

Coming in for a landing

If you are interested in falconry call ahead for reservations 413-259-1466, and of course you may stay at Clamber Hill Inn , it’s not far away and we’ll share experiences at the end of the day.   You may even see a Red Tail Hawk in the bushes of Clamber Hill.

Clamber Hill Inn where Red Tail Hawks may be seen flying overhead

Inside Heidelberg Castle

After Heidelberg, we traveled east along the Neckar  and stayed in Burg Hornberg, a romantic castle overlooking the river.  The castle was in a gorgeous setting, surrounded by beautiful vineyards of Germany’s Wurttemberg Wine Region.

Overlooking the Neckar River from Burg Hornberg July 1982

From there we drove east to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a wonderfully preserved medieval town surrounded by a high wall with gates and watch towers.  After enjoying several days there, we headed west to the ancient Roman city of Trier (dating back to 2050 BC) and literally stumbled upon the wonderful German wine region of Mosel-Saar-Ruwer.  In addition to steeping ourselves in history by visiting the Roman Ampitheater (2nd century AD),  the Roman Baths  (4th century AD), the Porta Niagra (180 AD) and the beautiful but much newer Rococo Palace in Konstantinplatz built in 17 57,  we enjoyed a summer wine festival in Trier from the top deck of a boat in the middle of the Moselle River, complete with Oom-pah music and fireworks bursting overhead.

From Trier we traveled north along the Moselle’s Strasse 53, the road that runs right along the idyllic, winding river into the heart of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wine region.  Driving at a leisurely pace, we visited Weinstuben in several small towns along the river to sample wine from local vineyards.  We spent the night in Zell, in another romantic castle.  Zell is the town famous for the Zeller Schwarze Katz (Zeller Black Cat)–a famous wine making appellation complete with wine labels featuring a hissing black cat and there is a large statue of that hissing black cat right in the town square.

The Moselle (oder Mosel auf Deutsch), a famous German wine region

Leaving Zell, we traveled up to Koblenz where the Moselle empties into the mighty Rhine River and then followed the Rhine northwards to Cologne, our only large city on the entire trip.  After spending several days in Cologne, once again steeping ourselves in history by visiting the famous Cologne Cathedral and the Romanisches Musum we headed back south to Boppard on the Rhine, back into wine country.

In Boppard, our innkeeper (speaking only German to our English) suggested a cruise along the Rhine River, so we boarded a train to Bingen and enjoyed an all day cruise on the Koln-Dusseldorfer back to Boppard.  The Rhine river valley was full of beautiful castles, romantic ruins and and of course vineyards.   It seemed like another world as we sat on the top deck of the boat and enjoyed the sun, the scenery and a glass of German wine.

Cologne Cathedral on the Rhine River

Stopping in the small towns and visiting the small wine cellars called Weinstuben or Weinprobe was delightful and educational.   We found many, many along the way.  For just 1 DM or sometimes  2 DM you tasted 5 small 0.1 liter samples of wine and kept the souvenir tasting glass.   We learned about the quality laws for German wine and how to read German wine labels. We learned the difference between Tafelwein, Landwein, Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA),and Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP) which is further divided into six levels Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein.  We had so much fun learning all about the excellent QmP wines, we did not want to leave.  It is no wonder that the world raves about German wine!

Wine was a central theme throughout the entire trip.  Three romantic rivers in the heart of Germany, lots of picturesque German towns, German history and culture, and many wonderful German vineyards and Weinproben all contributed to both of us falling in love with German wine.

Most Americans think all German wines are sweet white wines and come from the Rhine and/or the Moselle.  We did sample many sweet wines but not all German wine is sweet.  German wine’s reputation as overly sweet is mostly due to the large volume of Liebfraumilch imported into the US, the most famous of which is the famous Blue Nun.  Blue Nun is a lower quality German wine marketed to the US and not representative of the high quality wines available in Germany.

Wonderful German Wine

There are actually thirteen wine regions now in Germany (two from East Germany added to the eleven from West Germany after the reunification) and18 commercially important grape varieties and surprise of all surprises, seven of them are red!

Riesling is the most important grape in Germany and it’s the grape that put Germany onto the world wine map way back when the world wine map consisted primarily of just France and Germany.  It is one of the Noble Grapes.  There is nothing better than a well made Riesling wine, the epitome of elegance.

The next two grapes of importance are Muller-Thurgau and Silvaner, very prevalent in Germany, especially in Rheinhessen, Baden and Franken, but rare and hard to find in the US.

At Clamber Hill, since we love German wine, we always try to have a high quality Riesling on our restaurant wine list.  Most of our customers are delighted when they discover our Rieslings.

So if you’ve heard about German wine or if you’re curious about German wine, yet hesitant about what to try, come to the Oktoberfest of German Wines at Clamber Hill and experience some high quality German wine!