furnace brook winery at hilltop orchards

This was my first time at Hilltop Orchards. My friend and I were participating in the moonlit snowshoeing event that happens once a month. We went March 7, 2015. Thankfully the weather wasn't as cold as it has been so 20 something felt wonderful. There were over 60 participants in the snowshoe walk. We had a glass of wine before we left. It was absolutely a beautiful walk. Very dark but some folks had small lights attached to their hats which was nice. Helped us to see but you can see pretty good although it is dark. We walked about a mile I'm guessing. The hills were challenging but totally do-able. While on our walk it started to snow. It just could not have been a better night. So beautiful. On our return we stopped at a bonfire and our guide talked alittle bit about getting rid of negativity in our lives and attracting good and positive energy. The total time of this walk was approximately 1:30 to 2:00 hours. Back to the store and more wine!!! They also sell maple products and have a small bakery and oh yea they sell wine. I have say the wine was fantastic and I do plan to go there just to purchase the wine. They also rent snowshoes but I am not sure of the cost. If you have your own its a $10 charge that's so worth it. Actually a great deal. Wine is $7 a glass. Let me tell you....its a good size glass! I don't know if children are allowed on the evening moonlit walks. I didn't see any. I think day time would be a much better family outing with children. I am looking forward to going back to Hilltop Orchard and participating in their summer hikes as well. If you haven't tried this....Just Do It!!!! Have a blast!!!

Great Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and the added attraction of wine-tasting--a tough combination to beat in winter. We've been here a number of times and continue to enjoy the grounds, the friendly staff and the wine and cider. The owner, John, is extremely welcoming and has created a great venue for winter enjoyment. The full-moon snowshoe events and hikes are great, with wine and music following.

We visited Hilltop Orchards for the cross country skiing, with adults and children. Their ski rentals are top notch, at a great price, and there is a huge stone fireplace to warm you up when you return from the trails. Some of us in the group were first timers, so my only comment would be that the beginner trail was a little too hilly for someone just learning to handle the skiis, and my only reason giving this great little place a 4 instead of a 5. They did have an instructor available on the trails, for an extra fee, and he actually gave my son a few pointers for free. It is a beautiful trail system weaving in and out of the orchards, with great views. There is also the wine tasting, maple syrup, awesome cider donuts, hot cider, and chili. Will definitely return here.

We had a great wine tasting here, after which we spent a good bit of time chatting with the Manager David. It was a pleasure listening to him tell us about the apple wine making, he even gave us a tour of the facility. We ended up spending a few hours here and really had a great time.

If you have to drive a long way it is worth it to try the cider donuts. Great selection of local goods. Best donut I have had in years. You can see them being made and the smell is great.

It's such a quaint place I had six different wine tasting. My favorite was the Pinot. You can also buy apples and there wonderful donuts. The market is tiny and cute.

After a day of walking around on vacation, to go here and enjoy wine tasting and a view was great. We did the tasting and then all shared a glass of wine while sitting in the muskoka chairs was very good and throughly enjoyable.

What a gem in the woods! My wife and I were traveling through the Pittsfield area and stopped-in at the orchard for a wine tasting, but it became so much more. We were greeted by a most enthusiastic hostess, who was very pleasant and helpful without being pushy. She was a wealth of knowledge about the wines and made some very thoughtful and individual suggestions about wines to sample. The wines were very good, and reasonably priced. They also had a large selection of baked goods, jams and jellies, and of course their wine and cider products for sale. We bought the last of the batch of home made cider donuts. Let me tell you...they were the best cider donuts I have ever tasted! We brought them home (what made it home before getting consumed in the car) and they were still fresh and delicious days later. I would make a return trip just for the cider donuts and a few bags of their delicious apples.

This place is just down the road from my new house. Imagine how excited I was to find out that I can pick apples, hang out in a comfortable chair, meet lots of people, entertain visiting kids, walk my dogs, and in the winter hit the nordic tracks. When the owner found out I was his new neighbor, he personally came over to greet me, gave me suggestions for things to do in the area, told me about the local fare, and their sustainability efforts. Some people have a neighborhood bar, but I have a neighborhood orchard.

We initially drove past the Orchard but turned around to check it out...we were glad we did! The apple orchard offered up a small store with cider donuts and even a wine tasting. The lady serving up the wine samples was a great hostess...she was a pleasure to speak with and most helpful. If you're in the area you should definitely make a pit stop here and sample their wares!

Not only was the wine host knowledgeable and informative, the tasting was a lot of fun. And, all of their wines are really good. Hilltop Orchards also makes the very best apple cider donuts I've ever tasted.

We stopped here after visiting Naumkeag and walking around Lenox. It's a nice setting in an orchard. The first tasting(sip) is free and the next five are $5.00. You can't go wrong for the price but the tasting is just a sip. I found the wine to be on par with other local wineries we have visited. The reds are very light, good for late summer or early fall.

We went during the day a very scenic ride down some old country roads. Sure it would be spectacular in fall. An Apple Orchard/Winery that offers an opportunity to sample some of their home made wines and hard cider, Four or 5 samples for just $5 and some friendly conversation from the bartenders made this an enjoyable visit.

This is truly a no-pressure tasting experience. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful When I expressed an interest in their ice wine, a young lady said she had to tell us that "it is our most expensive wine." It was delicious and it was $33 and we bought it (having paid more than three times that for ice wine in Ontario). It is a working winery but the tasting area is very plain and straight forward. The first taste is free and you can taste five more wines for $5. In addition to the ice wine, we really liked the sparkling Muscato and the Mead. Outside, some very pretty views to enjoy while you have a sip of wine, mead or cider with your picnic basket.

The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The wine tasting was phenomenal especially the Sparkling Moscato was so fantastic that I just had to purchase a bottle. Fantastic way to spend a day!