Mother's Day Brunch at J's Restaurant, Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, MA

Nashoba Valley Winery

100 Wattaquadock Hill Road, Bolton MA 01740

www.nashobawinery.com

For the second year in a row, I took my mom to brunch at J's Restaurant at Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, MA. Last year, we decided it needed to become a tradition. One of my sisters joined us this year for an amazing spread that included local ingredients. In season, some of the ingredients are grown right outside the restaurant's door. Included in brunch was a tour of the winery. You can see the tasting station (one of quite a few) in front of the giant stack of wine casks.

In addition to wine, they also make spirits and microbrews. After the tour, I tried something called Baerengfang (with that name, how could I not, right?) which was a honey brandy. It would definitely keep you warm on a cold winter's night! They have a pretty extensive selection of fruit wines, grape wines, distilled spirits, and microbrews. Something for everyone. Now that the weather is warming up, it's also a good time to try (which I haven't yet, but plan on doing) their picnic lunches. You order a lunch online on the day of your visit, and come to the winery to enjoy it. In season, they have fruit picking, but it's also a beautiful spot just to relax and enjoy a good lunch (and adult beverages, if you so choose).

Nashoba Valley Winery, Bolton MA

Nashoba Valley Winery

100 Wattaquadock Hill Road, Bolton MA 01740

www.nashobawinery.com

This place is definitely worth a visit. It's an an absolutely beautiful orchard where you can pick your own apples, peaches, pears, and berries. They also are, as their name points out, a winery, and they specialize in fruit wines. They have a large selection, so you will be able to find something you like without a problem. My favorite right now is their port-style blackberry wine. I went apple, peach, and plum picking here last weekend on a gorgeous day and found that they now carry micro-brewed beer, although I couldn't tell if they were the brewers and I forgot to ask.

Here are the plums that I picked. They were yellow in the trees, but have ripened to a blushing purple on my counter and are waiting to be baked into a plum tart.

Also worth checking out is their restaurant. I took my mom there for their Mother's Day brunch, have been there for dinner, and would definitely go back. Recently, I discovered that they also have picnic lunches you can order on-line. Pick them up when you get there, along with a bottle of wine or a beer, and you're ready to dine at a table on their large wrap-around farmer's porch. Or, bring a blanket and pick your own spot. They don't mind if you bring your own food to eat. I saw a large number of people who had brought their own along with them.

Definitely worth the trip and it's the perfect time of year to go. Next Sunday, they have a barbecue and a live folk band scheduled. October 25th is beer, bluegrass, and barbecue. Could it get any better?