Having moved here recently from California and the plentiful wine regions in Napa and Sonoma in the North and the Central Valley and Paseo Robles in the South that I got spoiled with, it took me a while to find Mill River Winery. The Merrimack Valley weather makes the grape season short, but this winery and wine maker are awesome at making the very best of it, while also importing grapes for their bolder reds from Napa. On my first visit and tasting, I had to buy a case of their Snowflake White, Shade of Grey, and even their Grenache made with Napa grapes. Their tasting room and cheese tray is small but very cool and trendy. The service is on par and I will add better than those in California, with everyone knowing their wines impeccably and knowledgeably without using overly fluffy words. Parking can get crowded but is workable even in the NE early snow and ice. Will be back for another case soon! read more

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Outstanding wine and ambiance inside and out at this adorable independent winery. Patio seating with umbrellas and a partially-shaded trellis on a cozy corner. Chic vibe inside for wine tastings or nosh. Delightful picky foods, from their homegrown herb dip for pretzels, to mouthwatering cheeses, jams, and olives to accompany your wine flights. Friendly service, a lovely and satisfying experience. read more

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Lovely service, beautiful and simple indoor seating, and the wine was tasty! Innovative flight method/set up. The barrel tables were cute but a little dangerous (not secure enough to put your full weight on). Cheese board was super yummy - wish they had provided a note with pairings. Would definitely recommend. read more

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My sister and I took our mom wine tasting this weekend. We decided to try this winery which isn't too far from where my mom lives. What's a bit different about this winery is that they had 4 preset tastings and did not allow substitutions. Two of the flights had a mix of wines and ciders and the remaining 2 flights were comprised of either semi sweet wines or dryer wines. My mom and I both opted for the Plum Island flight and my sister selected the Mill River Mix. We all had mixed feelings about the wines in our tastings- none of us liked all 4 of our wines, some were better than others. You can also purchase extra tastings at $4 each, which is also unusual for wineries. In my experience, wineries let you discuss your taste preferences and even try some samples before making a choice. None of that happened here. We did opt for the herb dip to accompany our wine, which came with pretzels, and was so yummy that we got an order to go! The garlicky dill dip definitely changed how the wine tasted, once we finished the dip, we discovered that we didn't like the wines as much as we thought. The staff here is nice, but their setup makes it kind of pricey to try wines, especially if you're trying them for the first time, as some are not included in any of their tastings. They do have an outdoor seating area for customers with dogs, and I'd recommend making a reservation to ensure you can get a table. read more

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Went with my daughter and arrived at 4:30 on Friday. We were greeted and asked if we could sit outside. She said she needed to ask someone else and we were told NO because all the tables were reserved. We did sit inside and were given a menu. The waitress did not bother to go over specials or anything else and then left. Finally someone else came and took our order. We had to ask for silverware and after our food and drink came no one ever checked in on us. While food and wine were not bad, I will not go back due to lack of service. Also we were for an hour and only one couple showed up for the reserved tables outside leaving 8 others never being taken. Cannot stand petty staff who could not seat us for whatever reason. Won't return! read more

I cannot stress how much you have to come here! Not only are the servers so accommodating and funny, but you can sit in the vineyard while you sip wine and enjoy some snacks! I was so in love with this place that I bought a year membership! For only 20$ a year, there's so many events and tastings as well as benefits! I got the staff favorites flight and my personal favorite was the flight rose! I even bought a bottle to take home with me! read more

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Definitely worth stopping here when visiting the North Shore. On a sunny day, the vineyard is a lovely place to sit down for a glass or a flight. They had a Taylor Swift themed flight this weekend which was 4 different types of rose. They do take reservations but we walked in as a party of 3 on a Saturday afternoon without one and got seated immediately. The servers were lovely and welcoming as well. You can also get small bites with your wine that are shareable. read more

Mill River Winery - Wineries Near Me - Rowley, Massachusetts

Their menu online was different and better than what was presented at the winery. They were out of quite a few items and the business had literally just opened. Our server truly was inept. The olives tasted like they came from a can. And their chips come in a bag. Did not find any of the wine tasty enough to buy a bottle. Do not think I'll be coming back here. Also, be aware that they will definitely kick you out after an hour and a half. That's the max you're allowed to be at a table. read more

Extremely unpleasant staff. Lazy, unprofessional. Don't bother with this place, they don't even let you to buy and drink a bottle. And this is supposed to be a winery? Absolutely terrible. read more

The tasting room is cute and quaint. The outdoor area is small and you can see the traffic on the street, but I was still able to relax and enjoy my wine. I ordered the sweet sips flight. The wine was good, not overly sweet! Service was good too. read more

Mill River Winery - Sweet wine flight, with a warm table fire! - Wineries Near Me - Rowley, Massachusetts

Awesome winery that also has a beautiful outdoor patio. We frequent wineries a lot and Mill River is one of them. We shared some dips and chips as well as their tasting flights. Their Rose (forgot the name) was our favorite so of course we ended up buying a bottle. It does make for an expensive day but totally worth it. Go check it out and enjoy some of their wines on their patio. You will have so much fun I promise ...cheers . One fun fact: 100% woman owned read more

Mill River Winery - Tasting flights - Wineries Near Me - Rowley, Massachusetts

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We stopped in on our long drive from Maine back to NY. I love trying new wineries and I hVe to say I was pleasantly pleased. My husband and I choose different flights as we have different types of taste. I had the mix flight which offered variety, they were good my. Fav was the Chardonnay. If your in area it's a must try!! read more

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So disappointed. We have been here before and had a great experience. Today we went in on a Friday and we were the only ones in there. I chose to do a tasting and my hubby got a glass after being told we couldn't get a bottle. The tasting was given to me with no explanation of the wine with a little piece of paper with a description of the wine. The whole point of going a winery for me is getting a description of the wines, there was none of that. It was dropped off and then she went over to the side there was another person in there working and they proceeded to talk about whatever while we drank our wine. My hubby and I were never asked how we liked the wine or interacted with at all. We will not return to this winery after this experience. We have been to winery's all over including Santa Barbara and never been treated so poorly. It's too bad they have lost some customers. read more

Mill River is such a cute little winery! We made a reservation to sit in the vineyard (they do require a small deposit for the reservation, but this is applied towards your bill at the end). We ordered some wine flights (they have four different variations) and the charcuterie board (gluten free crackers available!). Sitting in the vineyard was beautiful, and all the staff were extremely friendly and accommodating. We also tried their sangrias (the pear ginger one is pretty good!), and ended up purchasing a bottle to-go. Definitely recommend this place and looking into their wine club if you're local to the area. read more

Mill River Winery - Dry wine flight and charcuterie board - Wineries Near Me - Rowley, Massachusetts

A visit to the winery is a fun spot for a day trip outside of the city. It's pretty easy to get to from Boston, and we were able to make reservations online ahead of time. We fortunately got a great table right in the middle of the vineyard, it was very picturesque! The staff was all really friendly and knowledgeable when we asked about the wines. The wines seem to be pretty reasonable in price too if you want to take home a bottle. Unfortunately, I wasn't a huge fan of any of the wines I tried, and I didn't think the flavor profiles were all that complex. The food options also left something to be desired. Overall - it made for a fun girls day of drinking and relaxing in the vineyard, but I won't be rushing back. read more

Mill River Winery - Vineyard Table - Wineries Near Me - Rowley, Massachusetts

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The winery was packed when we arrived (it was raining so many took shelter), but we were still able to get a table. We had the red wine flights (4x 1.5 Oz) for $15. My friends and I liked the plum island red wine the best. It was sweet, but not overbearing, light and delicious. They make many of the wines in house. Def would like to come back and enjoy the patio next time! read more

I had a wonderful time at Mill River Winery! This is the perfect spot to come if you're wanting to change up your typical weekend festivities! Pro tip: you can book two reservations back to back if you want to extend your stay! I recommend booking a table in the Vineyard. It is beautiful, shaded, and socially distanced. I recommend starting out with one of the wine flights, and then getting a glass of your favorite one! The Great White flight seemed to be the crowd pleaser! For food we ordered the large charcuterie, crackers, and pesto dip! I really loved everything we had, no regrets at all! Out waiter was so so friendly, and he was wearing a mask! I thought the prices here were very reasonable and overall a great experience! This would be great to come with a date or your friends! Take a bottle of wine home if you're feeling inclined! read more

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The sign outside said it was a wine tasting. Typically that is pay a cover charge and taste wine from different bottles unlimited. Then buy a bottle you like, or not. The room had a few open tables but we were told they were reserved and put outside under an umbrella table saying we could move indoors shortly due to the obvious threat of rain storm. Ordered a premium wine sampler, only to find out that the sampler was less than a six ounce glass of wine for $20.00 and two of the samples were less than a 1.5 oz pour. In the downpour that ensued I got drenched to the bone and getting back inside was no easy task as one of the doors was locked! No one was at the front register. I was soaking wet, very embarassed, waiting for her to find my "waitress" and dispute my word about my order. I put my $20 on the table and left. I've never been more tempted to walk out without paying. Any competent business person would have waived the price for my horrible experience...in which case I would have bought 2 bottles of wine. Needless to say I have not been treated with less considerate customer service. I know they can't control the weather, but that was no way to treat a 72 year old client trying to make the best of a bad situation that they put me in. read more

Beautiful low key place! Went on a nice September night, enjoyed the sunset in the winery area took nice photos and then had the wine flight and the cheese board. Not a lot of people around, the server was great and loved our experience there! Definitely gonna come back! read more

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My wife and I stopped at this delightful small winery on our way back from Maine. The winery consists of one small wooden building with an outside patio area. We were greeted right away once we stepped inside. One of the friendly staff members led us out to their outdoor seating area with round tables and a scattering of chairs. It felt like we were hanging out in someone's backyard. Both of us went with the special Father's Day wine tasting flight because it consisted of all red wines. The wines overall were good. Some had some interesting flavor profiles. We bought a couple of bottles to go. If you're in the area, it's worth the stop and it's not too far from the highway. read more

It is a 35 minute drive from Salem to this super cute spot that offers 4 different tasting menus. They even had an additional menu for wine tasting to pair with unique cookies! My husband and I ordered the sweet wine tasting. Plum white wine was my husband's favorite, while I enjoyed the rose best. Additionally, we ordered a cheese board, with the gluten free option, and a meat charcuterie board. They offered multiple different gluten free crackers with the board, which is quite impressive. The goat cheese was my husband's favorite selection! They had ample portions for both boards. My only suggestion would be to add a mustard to the meat board. Definitely worth the drive out to try this place. Good wine with food pairings, that was all priced fairly. read more

Had a reservation in the vines and can 110% recommend it. Our server started working there because he was a member of the wine club and loved it so much he took a job there. That really speaks to the place that the owners are running. I tried all 3 of the flights and while I didn't like every wine (who could?) overall they were really enjoyable. The cider was fanatic as well and uses apples from the vineyard. We had the charcuterie which was a bit of a disappointment but I'm not knocking them for trying to still have something outside that can be served in a covid-safe way. It came in a takeaway container. read more

Very nice people. Very pretty ambiance. I'm writing this for folks who prefer a sweet wine for a heads up. Their "Sweet Sip" wine flight of four wines wasn't sweet at all. I can't believe I did this but I had to put sweet n low in them all to make them drinkable and one of the two women at the next table commented she wished she had done that. They should just tell you they don't have sweet wines and they are either not sweet but border on almost being semi-sweet at best and none are sweet. I'm not expecting dessert wine, just wine that fits their own description like sr other places I've gone. But the place is pretty, that's a nice thing and it's on the north shore and the folks there are extremely nice. It's $15 per flight, 6 oz total, so not bad if the wine were sweeter. read more

This Winery has phenomenal service, a great variety of delicious wines and it's a fun and beautiful establishment . I can't wait to be back soon! read more

Really nice selection of wines and outdoor seating is warm and kept clean. I see staff wiping down tables and chairs every time a party leaves. The only reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is that there is only one person who interacts with customers which makes service very slow. Other than that, great place and I'm sure during non COVID-19 time, the service is quicker. read more

Booked an hour and a half reservation with two friends on the patio. We got all three of the flights and the charcuterie and it was wonderful! The wines were really tasty and well portioned. We had enough for all of us to try every wine. The charcuterie was also a great snack. Highly recommend! The staff was super kind and we loved our experience here. read more

Mill River Winery - Wineries Near Me - Rowley, Massachusetts

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I used to love this winery however the costs for wine and samples were a bit over the top. I went on a weekend to take my girlfriend for the first time driving over 30 min - and they had a sign closed for an event!!! I was like what - there was no posting or voicemail or google notification. Fortunately they did let us In to buy wine - and went I asked to try a small sample of their new wine that I bought - They tacked on $8.., for a 1 ounce tiny sip!!!! That's just not right .. I didn't order a flight of wine - and I ended up spending over $58 for 2 bottles of wine. I still think the wine is delicious but the charges for a sip without telling your customers was wrong .., read more

Nice place to visit. Venue recommends a reservation and placed a $20 hold on your card in case you don't honor your reservation. My party ordered one of each type of wine flight. The reds were my favorite. Winery itself is small, but has extra seating on the patio and in the vineyard, with only one public restroom stall. So make sure your bladder is empty!! Service was fantastic. It's a beautiful place with tasty wines! read more

We can't wait to go back next month. Best Sunday in a long time. Beautiful atmosphere, fabulous wine, great snacks and awesome/friendly staff! read more

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I wish I could give Mill River endless stars! A couple years ago my parents, brother and I happened upon it on the way back from Nport. It was love at first tasting. The owners are friendly and make you feel at home. The staff is knowledgable and willing to teach you anything you could want to know about wine! Since that first visit all 4 of us have become members. I almost hate telling you how awesome it is to be a member (because selfishly I don't want it to get too crowded!). Once you get to be part of "pick up parties" where you wine, dine, and ALWAYS meet new friends to chat with, you fall deeper in love with Mill River. My favorite wine is the Red Dory and I savor every sip! Long story short if you love farm to table, if you love wine, if you love rustic settings, good vibes and amazing people you will love not JUST the wine but spending time at the winery itself. read more

Mill River Winery - Pick up party night! - Wineries Near Me - Rowley, Massachusetts

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A cute lil winery outside of Boston... We had a good time there. It's a little far out though. read more

Having a day out with wife, our last stop for wine tastings was here. The wine tasting building is this cute little shop on Route 1 in Rowley. The hardwood floors and little shop make this spot cozy. Plenty of tables and outdoor seating. It was a little hectic here, a lot of people here enjoying the local wine. The servers were a little slow and appeared to be overwhelmed. They were otherwise pleasant. Otherwise, the wines were otherwise good, there were a few that I thoroughly enjoyed. read more

Cute little winery north of the city, definitely worth stopping by. Not as personable an experience as you might get at other wineries, but the wine is pretty decent. They also have a small food menu if you are looking for that, as well as outdoor seating. read more

Gorgeous Winery, Wonderful selection and great customer service. The outside seating area is a great place to enjoy a flight! read more

My husband and I went here during our 10 year Anniversary on a Friday before the first weekend in June. The 3 options for wine "flights" for the tasting included four 1.5 oz tastings for $10. The sommelier was okay, engaging with limited insight in to the wines, but was nice. There was no food available this day (it was Friday at 12 and they "didn't go shopping yet"). I was disappointed they didn't offer anything to eat during the tasting. Other than that this is a nice spot, limited outdoor seating, but the inside is nice and rustic feeling. I would go back but wouldn't do a tasting unless there was something to nibble on. read more

This is a great little spot with surprisingly fantastic wine. We got the red wine flight so can only speak for that, but fantastic options with great food pairings for a little extra. It was very warm in there, so planning on spending some winter weekend days there for sure. Pleasant staff and great, cozy atmosphere. read more

Mill River Winery - Wineries Near Me - Rowley, Massachusetts

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Didn't plan on stopping here but the Open sign was very inviting as we were driving by and we stopped in for a tasting. The owner was in the shop and you could tell he had pride in his business and was happy to share facts about all the wines. The wines were pleasant, with great aromas and the owner also brought us a few for free that were on the house! Great experience with a great local business! Keep it up! read more

Mill River Winery - Wineries Near Me - Rowley, Massachusetts

Wanted to love this place, beautiful building. We were excited to go to a female owned winery. With that said, the staff was what caused me to give 2 stars. We had reservations and stood at the front door counter, as staff looked at us and walked away, took about 10 minutes before someone came over. Once seated, they gave us the flight menus, and walked away. No explanation of the different wines, it felt like we were intrusive. We got our flight and never saw the women again until we asked for our bill. Would not go back read more

To celebrate a birthday this weekend my girlfriends and I decided to do a tasting at Mill River Winery on Saturday. We all went in with very LOW expectations - both of the atmosphere and the wine. I've been to a few wineries in NH and the experiences were not great (as was the wine). I've been to quite a few wineries in Napa Valley, CA and Shenandoah Valley, VA and I wasn't expecting exceptional wine in Rowely, MA, but was hopefully for something enjoyable. We were beyond pleasantly surprised! We walked into a very nice, rustic storefront and tasting room. Plenty of wine accessories, snacks, chocolate to purchase. The place was absolutely packed (a rainy but warm day, guess everyone was looking for something to do) so seating was tough. In general I would suggest they add a little more seating (I'm not sure if they have seating outside when the weather is nice. If not I would suggest that too since there was no place to go and enjoy a purchased bottle of wine.) The wine was actually very good! The tastings included five pours and I really liked three of the five (the other two were not bad, but not everyone is going to love every wine, of course). The select cab was our collective favorite and although it was very good, I do think the bottle was way overpriced (It was a very good, local wine but it was certainly not a $50 bottle of wine.) They kept hors d'oevres out and I'm not sure if that's an every day thing or special for that day, but they were all very good too and made for an even better afternoon considering it took about two hours to complete a tasting. I will say that they were very understaffed for the crowd there that day, but I'm just going to assume they weren't expecting such a rush. Overall, we'll go back again. If the crowd and service is the same I'll knock the rating down to a 3 (it shouldn't take nearly that long for a tasting) but provided that part was a fluke this is an enjoyable way to spend a couple hours drinking good wine. read more

Again, "North Shore Magazine" hits the mark. My wife and I stopped by after reading a piece in North Shore Mag. We both ordered a flight sampler and enjoyed tasting and learning of the different wines which were sampled. I'm sorry to say I've forgotten the name of the person assisting us, however, I do remember he was very knowledgeable, friendly and super helpful. His excitement was such that we couldn't help but to jump right in with both feet and purchase a case of wine to bring home. Not only that, but we became members of Mill River Winery's wine club. We're looking forward to our first delivery and also the many the special events in which we will participate. Thanks again to North Shore mg for turning us on to this very special, intimate winery. We look forward to the great wine and great times. read more