Martha's Vineyard AVA citing historical evidence that viticulture has been practiced on the Massachusetts island named Martha's Vineyard since at least 1602. The maritime location helps to create a slightly warmer climate than the nearby coastal regions of Massachusetts, and a growing season that is almost three weeks longer. The hardiness zone is 7a. Martha's Vineyard AVA The Martha's Vineyard AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Dukes County, Massachusetts, including all of the land on the islands named Martha's Vineyard and Chappaquiddick Island. These two islands are located off the southern Massachusetts coast, surrounded by Vineyard Sound, Nantucket Sound, and the
Martha's Vineyard (steamboat) Martha's Vineyard (steamboat) The Martha's Vineyard was a sidewheel steamer operating as a ferry serving the island of Martha's Vineyard during the second half of the nineteenth century. It was built in 1871 in Brooklyn, NY. It was a 515-ton vessel, 185 feet long, with a 29' beam. A 1961 "Vineyard Gazette" article noted the beauty of the vessel: "The "Martha's Vineyard"...had decorated paddleboxes that made large, rhythmic and beautiful half-circles on the sides." as well as how exposed it was: " The "Martha's Vineyard" at first had no hurricane deck open to passengers, and eventually only a partial one."