Vermont General Stores: Field Notes from a Fan

Stop In, You May Be Surprised

The Fall foliage season has arrived in Northern New England, and it’s off to a beautiful start. It’s a great time for hiking, antiquing and just driving around taking in the natural beauty.

One of my favorite things about Vermont is its general stores. Yes, some are indistinguishable tourist traps that peddle cheese, maple syrup and candy, jams/jellies, a few bottles of locally made wines, and gifts. These places often seem like they were drop-shipped from Hollywood and put on their foundations.

But in my travels over the last 15 years of living in Northern New England, I’ve come across some real gems that transcend the genre. By “gems,” I mean thoughtfully and creatively presented stores, staffed by warm owners and people who clearly love what they do - and who love to talk about it. Size doesn’t matter – sometimes the smallest stores deliver the most wonderful experiences.

As a food and wine lover, I particularly like exploring stores and finding delightful and thoughtfully selected wines – usually tucked in the back.

Here are a few of my favorite stores:

Chapman’s Store, Fairlee, Vermont: A funky general store housed in a former Rexall drugstore. It’s been in the Chapman family for generations: the patriarch was a pharmacist. Today, owner Aleta Chapman offers toys, creative clothing, wines and more. Chapman’s offers an ever-changing range of domestic and international wines in different price ranges, and Aleta is adventurous in her choices. For example: the store was one of the first in our area to start carrying Spanish whites like Albariños. Case discounts kick in at three bottles, and the staff is always ready to point out great values. Update as of August 2010: Chapman's has a new web site, with online ordering of some items.

The Taftsville Country Store, Taftsville, Vermont: This is a picture-postcard Vermont store, offering the usual cheese etc. in addition to grocery items and a small but inspired deli counter. There is a shop in the back with a small but creative collection of wines. Each wine has a small hand-annotated sign with tasting notes. On my last visit, the collection was heavy on wines from Italy, Spain and Argentina, which are my favorites these days because of their variety, quality and value. Case discounts start at six bottles. I always hope to catch the owner – a wine-lover – when I visit, but haven’t yet. Nice people, and two old dogs that you will have to step over.

The Newbury Village Store, Newbury, Vermont: Newbury is a charming little town on the Connecticut River north of Fairlee. The store, with its inviting front porch, is housed in an old building across from the town common. The store is the place where locals buy deli and pick up grocery items, but there is also a tiny wine collection with some surprisingly exotic selections, from Argentina and elsewhere. Don’t expect any help with wine selections, but nice people.

FH Gillingham & Sons, Woodstock, Vermont: I find Woodstock too Disney-fied, so I had low expectations for Gillingham’s, a Woodstock institution since 1886. But they do a nice job of catering to tourists and locals. They carry groceries – including pantry staples and many wonderful gourmet items; they even have a produce section with locally made cheeses (beyond cheddar), patés, fresh pastas, pre-made entrees, and ice cream, along with bread from local bakeries. Their wine nook tends toward the higher-end wines, but there are also some great values, and it’s an international list. If you are looking for gifts, you could do your entire Christmas shopping here (except for clothing). There are toys, tablecloths and napery, crockery, naturally made toiletries, baskets, and more – all at Woodstock prices. The staff members are generally nice and helpful, and most have an owner’s pride – surprising given the size of the place. Warning: you may have to move the cat before you can pick up your shopping basket.

The Fussy Diner awards Two Forks Up to each of these establishments.

Other general stores on my list to explore in more detail:

The Warren Store, Warren Village, Vermont

Bailey’s & Burke, Burke, Vermont

So, if you pass a general store, take a moment to drop in. You may be surprised by what you find, and you will be supporting the local economy if you find something worthy of buying.

If you want to go to the source, there are a number of wineries in Vermont, producing mostly fruit wines but also some interesting varietals, such as Seyval Blanc. Most welcome visitors.