Goats, Wine and an Airbnb: There’s A Spot In Lee That Has All 3!

It seems these days that folks are on a quest of one of three things;

A place to unwind, a way to unwind, and someone or something to unwind with.

What if I told you there's a spot, less than an hour outside of Bangor, that has all 3 of these things?

Let me introduce you to Josh and Kathy Crise, the fine folks from Marble Creek Acres in Lee.

"Marble Creek Acres is a small acreage in Northern Maine, sandwiched between the towns of Lincoln, Winn, and Springfield. We operate a small-scale winery, tasting room, Airbnb, welcome Harvest Host members, and manage a small farm shop with local goods."

Josh and Cathy have been living in this spot for 20 years but decided about 10 years ago to start homesteading and farming on their land.

"We have chickens (gateway animal to farming), Kiko goats (meat breed), and then started planting a dwarf/semi-dwarf apple (and other trees) orchard. "

"This orchard ultimately led to winemaking. Started out as a hobby, exploring other wines, not just fruit, but maple, honey (mead), berry, grape, and other specialty wines."

"The orchard was part of the jumping off point but we also Host RVs through Harvest Host and RV Overnights, and have an Airbnb."

"We were exploring avenues to bring in additional traffic. I kept saying that I wish I could license/permit for craft fermenta that we could share with visitors. That led to taking the plunge to go all in."

"We don't want to be a big box winemaker but rather produce craft wine and have a tasting room where people can come relax, try our latest craft batch wine and pickup a bottle of whatever they like."

Josh and Kathy say the tasting room is a work in progress, and that they're hoping to be able to open slowly, with a soft opening at the beginning of April and maybe a grand opening in honor of National Wine Day, which falls on Saturday the 25th of May.

"Our goal is to produce craft batch fermentations ("craft fermenta") for customers who are interested in trying new wines. Ultimately making wine for those who don't like wine."

"We are currently retailing our wine at; Why Not Stop (Lincoln) Steaks N' Stuff (Lincoln) Smith's General Store (Springfield) Damon's (Bangor)."

With agreements currently pending with several other locations to carry Marble Creek Acres wine and other goods, chances are you won't have to go far to try some of their stuff.

If you want to learn more about what the folks at Marble Creek are up to, you check them out at their website, their Facebook page, or their Instagram page.

Check out some of these other spots you might find some moments of chill.