A couple of weeks ago, my boyfriend and I set out to do the typical fall activity: apple picking. We were in Connecticut and decided we'd do some Googling and then drive in the direction of the closest orchard. We were in for a treat.
We drove to Bishop's Orchards in Guilford, CT and were immediately impressed with the extensive rows of apple trees and the lanes of pumpkins near the entrance. Sidetracked by the farmer's market selling all of their homegrown fruits and veggies (along with some less healthy apple cider donuts and pies, etc.), we quickly forgot the apple picking that we had gone there for.
Connected to the market was a winery offering tours and tastings and we took our (unintentionally) perfectly timed arrival as a sign that we needed to partake. We met our tour guide minutes later and he took the two of us through the process of crushing the fruits, adding sugar, yeast and other ingredients, and letting it ferment before filtering out the imperfections.
The most interesting thing about Bishop's Orchards Winery is that all of the wines they make are purely non-grape wines. They use fruits such as apples, peaches, pears, strawberries and raspberries to create their specialty wines and all were delicious! We ended the afternoon with a tasting of a number of these wines - paired with some bites of apple cider and pumpkin donuts - and considered it a successful day. We each left the market, he with a bottle of cider in hand and I with the below wine, knowing we'd be back again!
So, why not fall for fall and indulge in a fun fall activity before the season's over?
