Since 1992
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“Maine has the opportunity to provide and present wine in a different angle to what California has done.” — Clem Blakney
UNITY — Clem Blakney (pronounced with a long A) is widely recognized as one of the most passionate wine masters this side of the Appalachian Mountains. Most describe Blakney as eccentric, passionate and personable, and if you were to visit Younity Winery, you would see him in action in all his splendor and embellishment.
For starters, that would definitely make the trip worthwhile, as he is a truly unique character. Most will also tell you that once they sample his wines, they know this trip is well worth the price of admission — which is free and includes samplings of a true wine master’s inventory.
It does seem strange that out in the middle of nowhere stands the Younity Winery, one of only five wineries in the state of Maine with its own substantially-huge grape vineyard. It wasn’t until the early 1980s that wineries started springing up in Maine. Presently there are 46 in the state dubbed “Vacationland.”
These 46 wineries come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. So when you think of Unity and its incredible views, it’s hard to believe one of the biggest vineyards in the state is located there.
Once you meet Blakney, it’s very easy to see why Younity Winery has grown so big. For more than 53 years, Blakney has been presenting his eclectically non-traditional wines. In the early days, he honed his craft in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Back then, Oregon and California were the only states producing wine on a large-scale basis. At that time, U.S. wineries were being snubbed by the European versions.
Blakney was among the first wine rebels, and they all had new ideas and new ways of making wines with exciting flavors that were nontraditional for the times. Out of that mastery of bringing wines to a new “wine a verse,” as Blakney notes, you can now take advantage of supplying yourself with some of Younity Wineries’ more popular bottles like “Tickle Pink” — a blend of Down East Maine cranberries — found all over the state in wine shops and grocery store chains. Presently, Younity Wineries newest libation, “Rumpkinstiltskin,” is gaining great traction, described as a combination of pumpkin and rhubarb delivering an eclectic experience that’s dry and leaves you wanting more.
