We haven’t posted about our date nights in a while, and to be honest, it’s because we haven’t had one that didn’t involve a movie on our couch in quite some time. But October starts today and with that comes a ceremonial start to our favorite time of year. The weather, the apples, the leaves, the hearty chilis, the baked goods. Oh and those pumpkin spice lattes – who could forget those?!

With the most perfect fall day being forecasted for this weekend, we implemented date night, during the day! The terms changed a little bit:

Here are the terms to date days:

• The date chooser changes every other time
• The date must involve at least one fun activity and include a plan for food
• Dates that include alcohol are highly encouraged

We decided to head out to Bolton, MA. An early morning apple picking adventure followed by an afternoon wine tasting at Nashoba Valley Winery sounded like the best way to say, “Hello October.”

When we awoke Sunday morning it was a mere 42 degrees outside. Layers, bean boots and a vest were a must so we could adapt to the day in front of us, it was predicted to be a high of 65! At around 8:30am we headed to Bolton Spring Farm. Our goal was to miss the family rush that tends to arrive around 10am.

The idyllic pick-you-own orchard is across the street from the quaint farmstand. There are two parts to the orchard, the Flats and the Hills. The Flats have Macouns, pumpkin patches, and corn fields. There is a little hay ride that transports you around the property so you can easily pick the perfect orange gourd and transport it back to the checkout hut without breaking your back. And the hills are just that, a pretty big hill that you can climb up to the other orchards where the Delicious, Cortland, McIntosh, and Empires grow in abundance. The views from the top of this hill are so worth it – you can see for miles down Route 117 to downtown Bolton and the trees make you feel like you’re on top of the world. Inside the farmstand across the street you can find their own apple cider blend, adorable knick knacks, and gourds of all shapes and sizes.

At around 10:30, the orchards became full of people – this was our cue to move along to the winery. Nashoba Valley Winery is similar the Bolton Spring in that the property is also on a hill. Except they also grow grapes and pears in addition to apples to make the most scrumptious alcoholic concoctions, including wine, beer and vodka. We decided to do a tasting of five wines or beers for $8 each (and includes a souvenir Nashoba wine glass). Our favorites were the Gerwiirztaminer (a dry white), the Marion (a semi-sweet blackberry wine) and the seasonal Pumpkin Ale. We then walked amongst the families, couples, and groups of friends to explore the property. The vines were full of white and red grapes and are truly a sight to see.

We made our way back home with an amazing bottle of dry pear wine, three white pumpkins, a carving pumpkin, and a peck of freshly picked apples. Not only was our date day successful, but it was the perfect fall weekend to celebrate each other!

Wine/Beer Choices

Dry Reds: Blueberry Merlot

Off Dry Whites (mixture of dry and semi-sweet): Gewiirztaminer

Dry Whites: Baldwin

Semi-Sweets: Maiden’s Blush, Cyser, Cherry, Marion, Upland White

Beers: Pumpkin Ale, Oaktoberfest