Newport Vineyards
Located about 10-minutes from downtown Newport Vineyards should definitely be added to your schedule while in Newport. Usually walk-ins are accepted, but during COVID reservations are required so be sure to plan ahead.
If you have a group of people and are looking to spend a good chunk of time this is the place to go. Newport vineyards is much larger than some of the other vineyards in the area – they have two restaurants, a patio, gift shop, corn hole, and large grounds you can walk around. Due to the fact that they have restaurants on site while tasting or sitting on the patio outside food is not allowed. However, they do allow picnics on their lawn out by the vines (during COVID no outside food is allowed). If you’re picnicking on the lawn you can really make a full day out of it, order wine by the glass, or bottle, play some corn hole, and walk the grounds. Perfect way to spend a warm day. Kids and dogs are allowed, so bring the whole crew with you!
Newport Vineyards produce a wide range of wines including white, rose, red, ice, and port. Their dry rose is by far my favorite of their selection.
The vineyard is usually very lively they often bring in live music and have a farmers marketing in the summer.
Greenvale Vineyards
If you’re looking for a low key afternoon of wine tasting then this is the vineyard for you (you can even bring your dog)! The vineyard is charming, and has beautiful views of the Sakonnent River in Portsmouth, RI. Located just minutes from Newport Vineyards and a few miles from downtown Newport. As you drive in, down a long dirt road, be sure to look around as you’ll pass some beautiful horse farms! This vineyard was once a farm that has been transformed into a vineyard. The old stable is now the tasting room. You can taste their estate-grown wines by the glass, bottle, or tasting flight. Be sure to pack some snacks as there is no restaurant on site. You can enjoy your picnic and the wine on their lawn.
Unlike a lot of vineyards in New England all the wines they produce are from grapes grown on site. Many wineries in New England use a mix of imported and local grapes. As with most New England wineries I prefer their whites to red. Red varieties are notoriously hard to grow in New England due to the climate.
Every Saturday (March – November) they bring in live Jazz music, there is an additional $5 entrance fee on these days. They often bring in food trucks as well. For a relaxing day this should definitely be added to your list!
Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard
We haven’t had the opportunity to visit Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard yet, but it’s on our list (once COVID travel restrictions in New England are lifted). Let us know if you’ve been here before!
All three wineries above are part of the Coastal Wine Trail. The Coastal Wine Trail includes wineries in the Southeastern New England AVA. At any of the participating wineries you can pick up a passport book, if you get a stamp from all the wineries (in a calendar year) you can enter to win some really great prizes!