Blackberry Days, Peachy Evenings

Yesterday I returned to Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton to pick blackberries. They let me loose in the blackberry patch to the south of the plum trees and north of the apples. No one was about, and I quickly learned which berries to pick and which to leave on the canes. I picked only a quart because they were expensive--eight dollars! There are only two other farms listed as selling blackberries in Massachusetts, and they're hours from the Boston area. Mind you, these are not wild blackberries--the small, tart berries that grow in brambles brandishing enormous thorns. The Nashoba berries are three times the size, and though tart, are loaded with flavor.

After picking, I tasted a few wines I've never tried with Jane, the store manager, who told me all about her recent trip to San Francisco, and tour of Napa and Sonoma. I took notes, in preparation for our 20th wedding anniversary trip to SF and Seattle next March (I hope). I really liked the Upland White (hard to believe it's an apple wine), which will be perfect for my garlic shrimp in a wine butter sauce (lime is the piece de resistance in this dish). I also loved the Strawberry Rhubarb wine she poured for me. No, I wasn't at Boone Farm. Both wines just mentioned are semi-sweet with incredible depth. Of course, nothing I tried beats their semi-sweet Blueberry wine. So much to savor in one sip--and that bouquet!

From there I drove east on Route 117 through Stow, Lincoln, and Weston (this is probably the only route in eastern Massachusetts that has not been ruined by Wal-Marts and strip malls. Beautiful farms, lush marshlands, and quiet towns (well, relatively quiet).

I just visited Nashoba Valley's Web site and am devastated to learn that their winemaker is leaving. Please don't change a thing, and hands off that Blueberry wine recipe--leave it just as it is.