Exploring The Connecticut Wine Trail has been on the very top of OUR Fall bucket list for years! Did you know that the CT Wine Trail includes 40 unique vineyards state wide? Many of them are close together, making it super easy to bop around to several locations in one day!
A few weekends ago, we decided to send one of our Brand Reps, Sam Lobo, on a very important mission to do some "wine research" :) Sam spent the day exploring a few local Vineyards that we’ve heard so much about. When we sent her on this adventure, we put careful thought into picking out which vineyards she would visit. The goal was to create a fun ‘Vineyard Hopping’ experience to give you guys the perfect itinerary for an epic ‘day trip’ experience for all of you! Together with Sam, we picked out three CT Vineyards that were all within 30 minutes of eachother. Here's how it went down--
One Day On The CT Wine Trail, With Sam Lobo & The Two Oh Three:
“ The Connecticut Wine Trail is truly a beautiful must do for fall”
- Sam Lobo
After a gorgeous drive through the back roads of CT, we found ourselves at our first location, Stonington Vineyards . As one of the oldest Vineyards in Connecticut, this location has a rich history & killer wine. Stonington was the first vineyard on my tour, and it was definitely my favorite stop of the day.
The wine at Stonington was delicious and the ambience was picturesque. Every glass I had was amazing. I’m not usually a Riesling fan, but their 2018 Riesling blew me away. Stonington Vineyards has a tasting room and also offers outdoor options. There was plenty of room to lay out with friends on the field or grab a table on their deck. During our tasting, we had every wine explained to us, along with food pairings for each. The food pairings were delicious, and they have prepared food by Gourmet Galley available for purchase onsite.
** Pro Tip: We loved that they also encourage and welcome visitors to bring food along and set up a picnic! I will definitely be going back to buy every bottle I tried that day!
Next, we hopped in the car for a quick 10-minute drive to the next winery. Here we made a quick stop at Saltwater Farm Vineyard before they closed to the public for a private event. In that time, we were able to fall in love with the property and we were all left wanting more! We toured the vineyard and grabbed a bottle of their 2019 Runaway White. The winery used to be an airport and was reimagined into a winery while still preserving the hangar. I found this absolutely fascinating and charming. (Totally want to have my future wedding here.) As for the wine from Saltwater, I was able to sample this at home. It’s a nice blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay — my two favorites. You will not be disappointed by a day trip to Saltwater!
Saltwater Farm Vineyard is a gorgeous spot to spend your day, and they offer a variety of outdoor music scheduled through the Fall months. If we weren’t on a time crunch, we could have enjoyed hours of time at Saltwater Farm Vineyard. *PRO TIP: Check their music schedule before you go, and plan your trip around one of these fun events. Bring a blanket, grab a few friends.. and head to Saltwater Farm for an afternoon of music and wine this Fall!
Last, but certainly not least.. we headed back towards home and made a stop at Sunset Hill Vineyard . Sunset had a very relaxing, cozy and romantic feel. We loved our time on this beautiful property, it was the perfect place to end our Sunday! We couldn’t do a full tasting due to the pandemic, but we were able to order a bottle of Zin Blend and split it as we overlooked the vineyard from the deck. Needless to say, we finished the bottle pretty quickly. Another thing I loved about Sunset Hill was that their menu paper is biodegradable and can be used in the soil in your garden! Establishments that are environmentally conscious hold a special place in my heart.
**Pro Tip: Sunset Hill also allows dogs to come along with you, as long as they are kept on a leash.
In addition to the vineyards that Sam checked out on her ‘Vineyard Crawl’ here are a few that we also LOVE....
Hopkins Vineyard: This spot is located in Litchfield Hills and has views that can not be beat! Sip your wine and set up a picnic while you listen to live music and overlook the most gorgeous views of Lake Waramaug. Hopkins always has something fun and exciting going on, like craft fairs, moonlight nights at the fire pit and socially distant picnics! We suggest checking out one of their outdoor concerts (typically on the weekends). They have one going down THIS Sunday.. see you there?
Paradise Hills Vineyard, Wallingford: Okay, Okay… this vineyard definitely knows how to have a good time. Socially distant outdoor music events going down all throughout the month of November (and the rest of October)! They also encourage guests to pack a picnic basket and stay a while.
Jones Family Farms: We have not actually been inside this tasting room, because we forgot to make a reservation before heading there (note to self, make reservations during global pandemic). We have many friends who have visited over the past few weeks and everyone loved it! We love that it’s right near their massive farm, so you can have a full day of Fall activities in one place.