God's Love

My summer of indulgence continues. On this sweltering hot day, my mom and I savored some of nature's fruits in liquid form. Wine. With only a few days left at home until I move to New York, we wanted to do something fun and different. My mom suggested a trip to Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, MA. She had been for dinner before, but neither of us have done their wine tasting. Unfortunately, tours of the winery are only offered on the weekends, so we had our own little "tour" by eating the food and sampling the wines.

We first dined in J's Restaurant, which is set in a restored rustic farmhouse. The dark wood and unique light fixtures creates a homey, cozy atmosphere that looks across the 52 acres of vineyards and orchards. For lunch I had seared rainbow trout with a garlic herb crust, brown rice, and cucumber creme fraiche. The fish was light and flaky, and the cucumber creme fraiche was so refreshing on such a hot day. My mom had a roasted turkey sandwich with sun-dried tomato mayo. I didn't try hers, but she said the mayonnaise was especially delicious! Although each item on the menu is also listed with a suggested wine pairing, my mom and I both stuck to our favorites: Riesling for me and Pinot Grigio for my mom. Both of the wines were from the Nashoba winery. My Riesling was perfect--crisp and fruity--just the way I like it!

Then it was off to more fun for the wine tasting! The wine shoppe is set in a barn-like building with quirky sayings on chalkboards, such as "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!" and a

quote from Ben Franklin: "Beer is God's proof that He loves us and wants us to be happy". The inside is cool and calm, with beautiful bottles of wine, beer, and spirits everywhere.

The sampling was only $4 per person, which included 5 samples and a complimentary wine glass. What a deal! My mom and I started with the Dry Pear--a dry, white wine that has won the winery several awards. It had a surprisingly strong aroma, which my mom was not too fond of, but the taste was much softer and more delicate. This was not my favorite, but I imagine it would be good with some cheese.

Next we tried the Blueberry Merlot. We both tend to go for white wines, so the server suggested we try this merlot for its milder taste. This wine smelled strongly of alcohol.

As my mom said, "I don't like to smell the alcohol when I'm drinking it". And I would have to agree. This was probably my least favorite that we sampled. Guess I'll be sticking to white wines for now...

Third up was Maiden's Blush, a semi-sweet wine. Ding, ding, ding! We found a winner! Maiden's Blush was definitely my favorite wine that we tasted. This wine has also won several awards for its clean, refreshing, and fruity flavor. Our little wine guidebook informed us that the Maiden's Blush is a great comparison with a variety of cuisines, which is a good thing because I bought a bottle of it!

Fourth on the list was my mom's choice--Upland White--another semi sweet wine. This was also very good. Not as fruity and sweet as the Maiden's Blush, but very light with a tart flavor, like fresh apples.

Last, but certainly not least, I tried the winery's seasonal beer: Blackberry Ale. I told the woman I like fruity beers, such as Blue Moon, so she suggested this one. After finishing my entire sample, I think Blue Moon has met its match! The Blackberry Ale had a subtle berry flavor, without being too fruity or overpowering, but still tasted like beer.

I also bought a six-pack of this one. (Don't worry, I won't drink the bottle of wine and the beer in one sitting. Although they were both so good, it is tempting!)

Instead of the beer, my mom tried the raspberry dessert wine. This had a very intense, sweet flavor. The woman said this wine is delicious poured over some vanilla ice cream. Of course, this had both of us sold, so also bought a bottle.

After leaving with an assortment of wines and beer fit for any meal or dessert, we now can indulge in the charm of the Nashoba Valley Winery in our own home!

Click here for more info on the winery: Nashoba Valley Winery