Hilltop Orchards (Furnace Brook Winery)

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Mar 12, 2012

Favorite Wine: Charval

LOVE this winery. We frequent it often in winter and summer. Summer outside seating available at tables, adirondack chairs, etc. Nice views. Indoors plenty of seating. Love sitting by the fireplace during the winter. They also have snowshoing during the winter and are known for their Johnny Mash Hard Cider. Wines are fantastic. My only (minor) gripe about these guys is out of all the wineries visited in MA, CT, VT, etc...these are the only ones that you do not get a glass free with your tasting. You have to purchase seperately. While we know this is common practice in other places (i.e. NY), the new york wineries charge $1-3 for a tasting then you buy the glass. MA, CT, VT avg $5-8 per tasting and you get the glass. FBW is $6 I believe and no glass. (Yes I'm splitting hairs, just relaying info)

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Oct 25, 2011

Favorite Wine: Zinfandel

Very nice setting on the grounds of the Hilltop Fruit Orchard. Now doing wine too. First winery we visited in the Northeast so we didn't have anything to compare to. Our tasting hostess told us that the wines would be a typical New England style in that they are lighter bodied. I would agree they were lighter bodied but pleasant nonetheless. Sort of refreshing. Between the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot, I liked the Cab better and my wife the Merlot. Both of us liked their Zinfandel best. It was approaching a medium body in our estimation. Unless you select fruit wines, all the grapes are shipped in from elsewhere. Later visits to other wineries in the area pointed out that Furnace Brooks wines are lighter in comparison. I would probably prefer bigger wines but still a good drink and an excellent day in the country at the orchard. Got a peck of Honey Crisp apples and some of their Hard Cider on our way out. The apples were fantastic.

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Jan 29, 2010

Favorite Wine: Sparkling Muscato, Johnny Mash Cider, Reisling

Nice little place. Visted this winery in the winter where they rent snow shoes and have a cross country trail starting right outside the winery. Nice fireplace and a few tables and chairs to relax.