NORTHFIELD — When Paul and Leslie Cameron moved their winery from a Main Street storefront to the barn next to their 1824 home on Millers Falls Road, they gained access to a deep history of hosting get-togethers and encouraging socializing.
With this history in mind, the Camerons are offering a Midwinter Dinner series between January and April in which a 9 p.m. “gathering of the guests” social hour will follow a 7 p.m. meal with wine pairings. Meals are on the second Friday of each month, starting Jan. 14.
“You can stay and talk, and of course the bar will be open,” Leslie Cameron said of the “gathering of the guests” segment. “You may be meeting people for the very first time. Years ago, they’d be gathering together, and they might not know who was going to show up to dinner. … What a great way to meet new friends.”
The inspiration for the dinners and subsequent social hours comes from delving into the house’s history and the town’s history, Cameron said.
“Northfield history is very good reading,” she said. “I researched it, how people were when they lived in our home.”
Some information came from Maryland resident Mary Ann (Repetan) Alagimonier, who grew up in the Camerons’ home in the 1930s. Alagimonier recalled how children rode their bicycles around the circle in the summertime, and adults would convene for meals in the winter.
“It seemed like they always took care of people’s bellies first and getting people warm,” Cameron said. “In thinking about the history of the place, 100 or 200 years ago, people would have what is called a midwinter dinner.”
After arriving by horse and carriage, guests would convene around the table, warming up by coal stoves, and enjoy spirits and conversation about their families, politics, their neighbors and more after the meal had concluded.
“The whole point was to be a good storyteller,” Cameron said.
Although Cameron’s Winery operated a kitchen at its Main Street storefront, the new location at 1046 Millers Falls Road has seen the business focus more on its “gourmet market,” with cheese platters, including lactose-free cheese and gluten-free crackers, and other small offerings. Without a food license, the Camerons sought out a caterer to collaborate with on the Midwinter Dinner series and ultimately joined forces with Kathleen Tomaus Catering of Greenfield.
“She loves to make food for people,” Cameron said of Tomaus. “She loves to make people feel welcome. She takes what you’re doing and she personalizes it.”
Tomaus, who has operated her own catering business for 18 years with help from family members, said the Midwinter Dinners will help Cameron’s Winery grow its business and help her grow Kathleen Tomaus Catering.
“We’re gonna try different things to see what people like and to get a feel for it,” Tomaus said of the meals, noting there are at least three menu options for each dinner. “We’re hoping to do something special for Valentine’s Day, St. Patty’s Day, Easter.”
The Jan. 14 dinner offers a choice of pork roast, chicken marsala or vegetarian eggplant parmesan. Dessert, salad and coffee are included, as well as two wine or cider pairings.
Cameron said tables — situated on two floors in the barn — will be spaced far apart to allow for social distancing and will be illuminated by old-fashioned lanterns. Forty guests are welcome at each dinner, with more than half the tickets already being sold for the January dinner.
Each ticket is $55. Some mulled wines, including apple pie and elderberry, will be available. Cameron explained mulled wines are infused with spices, and then warmed up, being careful not to boil out the alcohol.
To reserve your tickets, contact Cameron’s Winery at 413-225-3420. For more information, visit cameronswinery.com.
Reach Shelby Ashline at 413-772-0261, ext. 270 or sashline@recorder.com.