By Mary Schwager
TGV contributor
This is by far one of the cutest and classiest vineyards in New England. As an added bonus, the wine here is also top of the vine! Make a day out of it at Nashoba Valley Winery, which is an easy drive from Boston and Worcester.
The winery is open year round and the property is darling. On a nice day it’s a real treat to sit outside and sip your samples on Nashoba’s beautiful wooden porch, just steps from the tasting bar. To test drive wines is fun and spirited–not just in the alcoholic sense. Nashoba charges $4 for five tastings, but the wine is poured generously in a nice, regular sized glass, so you get your money’s worth. The tasting counter is large and it’s not the kind of scene where you’re there with one guy who’s pouring wine into little sippy cups and waits and watches while you try it. You can take your glass and take your time tasting, walk around the store or peruse the 52 acres of gorgeous grounds.
The wine selection is amazing and Nashoba also has its own cider, beer, vodka and brandy. Bottles of wine run from about $11 to $36 and is also sold by the case. The vineyard has 5 acres of grapes and more than 20 varieties of wine.
Their Chardonnay won over this writer, who’s not usually a fan of the grape. It was very pleasant with a nice finish, crisp but not sweet. This Chard’s grapes are grown in Massachusetts and it’s barrel fermented and aged in a mix of French, Eastern European and American oak barrels. It was very impressive.
The Vignoles was another pleasant surprise. It actually had a “happy” taste to it, light and snappy with a dry finish.
Nashoba’s Vidal Blanc was very good and smooth. The fruit for this vino is grown in Massachusetts and New York and aged in stainless steel tanks.
The Dry Blueberry wine was a surprise, yikes! Holy dry, this one was dry. Like tongue sticking to the roof of your mouth dry. Nashoba’s wine listing describes it as, “A richly textured, complex dry wine with mixed berry aromas with nuances of oak.” This wine drinker says one word says it all: DRY!
After Dinner Peach was a real treat. It has a bit of spicy zest that lingers in your mouth for a bit and finishes very smoothly. It would be a great fall dessert wine. Nashoba suggests pairing it with pumpkin pie and ginger ice cream. That made this writer salivate just thinking about it.
Nashoba Valley offers winery tours every Saturday and Sunday year round. For $7.00 per person you get the scoop on how they make their fruit wines and brandies. At the end there’s a tasting of several wines, and as a bonus, you get a commemorative glass to bring home. Tours run every 30 minutes on the weekends beginning at 11am and the last tour is at 4pm. Reservations are not required.
If you want to spend the day at Nashoba, you can eat brunch, lunch or dinner at “J’s” the Zagat rated restaurant located right on the grounds. It’s set in a rustic farmhouse, where you can dine inside or on the patio. Reservations are strongly recommended and usually required.
Several publications call the winery one of the best places to pick apples in the area. And they don’t skimp on the fruit selection, there’s more than 100 kinds of apples, 18 types of peaches and other kinds of seasonal fruits to pick.
Don’t leave without checking out the gift shop there’s the usual delicious farm stand treats like syrup, apple butter and salsa’s, but there’s also adorable martini glasses, wine accessories and a mini art gallery.
There’s a lot going on at Nashoba Valley Winery and if you have out of town visitors this is the perfect place to go. While drinking some spirits, you can show them the spirit of a real New England vineyard without trekking farther north.
Check out the hours and location right on the website: www.nashobawinery.com.
