[Review] Boston Winery

Dear Reader,

Wine in the U.S. is big business — a $220 billion industry to be more exact. While 90% of the wines produced in the U.S. come from California, it turns out that each and every U.S. state has at least one winery. While Boston is not known for its wine-growing abilities, the city is home to a few wine-producing facilities.

On a whim, I booked a last-minute spot at Boston Winery for a wine tasting. The facility is located in Dorchester (south of downtown) on the water. The winery is situated behind a residential area in quiet plaza; the building stands out from its surroundings with its painted red brick, decorated outdoor seating area, and mural, depicting barrels of wine.

In the age of the pandemic, we were unable to do a tour of the small building, however, we were seated immediately upon our arrival. For $18, our wine tasting included the sampling of five wines, as well as some plain cheese pizza.

One thing that I have come to appreciate about such events is that you get to learn a lot about the product that you are sampling. However, at the Boston Winery, even though the venue wasn’t that busy (it was just us and three other parties), the host was very rushed in all of his explanations of the wines. Additionally, he would often begin pouring one of us the next wine even before the other had finished the current wine. Aside from the general haste, it was a pleasant experience overall. While none of the wines were “mind blowing,” the selection was nice and tasting some locally-produced wines was a fun experience.

My boyfriend and I gave each of the wines that we tasted a (super subjective) rating.

Rating scale:

• 5 = excellent/ outstanding/ mind blowing
• 4 = very good/ great/ would recommend
• 3 = not bad/ average/ unremarkable
• 2 = bad/ not inclined to finish drinking it
• 1 = terrible/ barf/ hope it’s not poison

Here are the wines from greatest to okay-est:

Mala Femmina

A white wine blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc

Joint Rating: 4.5

Rating explanation: Very good overall! It will certainly appeal to Chardonnay lovers, but the taste is nothing remarkable nor “mind blowing.”

Bread and Roses Rose

A semi-sweet rose with some fruity and floral notes.

Joint Rating: 4

Rating explanation: I personally gave this wine a 5. I loved everything about this rosé — the taste was flavorful, and it sat nicely overall with me. However, my partner gave the wine a 3, as he is not a fan of the “bouquet” (I think I just appreciate rosé more than he does 😉 ).

Montepulciano

A rich red wine with fruits sourced from California.

Joint Rating 3.75

Rating Explanation: The taste was good overall, but a bit on the acidic side.

Brachetto

An effervescent dessert wine.

Joint Rating 3.5

Rating Explanation: The taste is nice and bubbly, however, it tastes a little too much like juice rather than actual wine.

Super Tuscan

Boston Winery’s take on a Sangiovese with a rich blend of merlot and cabernet that gives the wine a chianti vibe

Joint Rating: 2.75

Rating Explanation: This wine burns going down; it was overall too acidic for us. But at least it smelled nice.

When I searched Boston Winery online, I saw very many 4 and 5 star ratings, however, I feel that our experience was closer to 3.5 stars (okay quality but good for the cost). To each his/her/their own, I suppose!

If you’re in the market for some Boston wine, hopefully, our unbiased, unprofessional opinion can be of service to you 😉

Love,

Raven