It was a Sunday in February, and the last day of our trip to Massachusetts.  We decided to take a leisurely drive through Massachusetts’ apple country to the Nashoba Valley Winery and Brewery. The brewery is located near Bolton, in a beautiful country setting, as described on their web site:

“The family-owned orchard, winery and  restaurant, set on 52 rolling acres, boasts a state-of-the art wine-making and distillation facility, an exceptional wine and gift shoppe, a brewery, and a gourmet restaurant.“

We started with a delicious brunch in the restaurant, set in an old farmhouse. I had two of their farm-brewed flagship beers on draft with my meal:

• Heron Ale, a traditional English-style ESB (5.3%)
• Wattaquadock Wheat, a quaffable Bavarian-style Hefeweizen (4.8%)

After brunch, we walked over to the wine and gift shop, where I learned more about the brewing operation. Interesting note: they mill the grain on site and grow hops used in the brews.

There was a huge selection of beer and wine in the shop, and I put together a mix of six different beers
(pictured from right to left):

• Bolt 117 Lager , a crisp German-style lager (5.2% )
• IPA, an American style IPA, full of hop flavor
• Blackberry Ale, a Golden Ale brewed with fermented blackberries
• Belgian Style Double, brewed in the Abbey Dubbel tradition
• Special Reserve Porter, a strong and tasty Porter
• Imperial Stout, a high-alcohol stout aged on oak to provide additional flavors (8.5% ABV, 70 IBUs)

I brought the six pack back to Maryland, and enjoyed a Nashoba Valley beer tasting on a recent weekend. All of the beers were excellent, and we really enjoyed our visit to the brewery. I would love to go back in warmer weather!