Running neck and neck with the dining and food scene in Rhode Island is the winemaking art. There are several wineries within a short distance in our state, and there are many more within an hour’s drive. There is even a Coastal Wine Trail that extends from Cape Cod to eastern Connecticut and encompasses more than a dozen vineyards and wineries.
We are located within an American viticultural area, a designated wine-grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features. Our viticultural appellation, called the Southeastern New England Wine Growing Appellation, stretches from Cape Cod and the islands through the south coast of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and coastal Connecticut. The common thread through this region is the close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and our southeast-facing coastline, which captures the warm gulf stream waters in the summer and fall. We happen to be at the same latitudes as the winemaking regions of France and Italy. This was not lost on some visionaries who transplanted grapevines to such locations as Little Compton and Portsmouth in the 1970s.
In Little Compton, those vines were cultivated on farmland not far from the Sakonnet River, which became Sakonnet Vineyards. At the beginning of the foodie era at the end of the last century, it became a Rhode Island landmark and remains New England’s oldest vineyard.
James Davids and Marissa Stashenko assumed the management and winemaking responsibilities at the historic vineyard about a year ago. To make and market Sakonnet’s estate wines – made from grapes grown on the property – they brought on Matt Gant as assistant tasting room manager and Drew Eichinger as sales manager.
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CHEERS: Matt Gant, left, assistant tasting room manager, and Drew Eichinger, sales manager, at Sakonnet Vineyards are pictured in the tasting room at the Little Compton winery.
COURTESY SAKONNET VINEYARDS[/caption]
Sakonnet Vineyards brought its wines to the three Grand Tastings at the prestigious Nantucket Wine Festival in mid-May. This is the first time, at least in recent memory, that Sakonnet has been included at Nantucket, one of the leading wine tasting events in the nation.
As Gant and Eichinger pointed out in an interview, Sakonnet was the only local vineyard to show at Nantucket this year. Featured Sakonnet wines included the vineyard’s Blanc de Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Belcourt White and Red, Eye of the Storm Rosé and Pinot Noir.
Gant emphasized the importance of the sparkling Blanc de Blanc.
“We’re moving to really build up the sparkling program,” Gant said. “The New England region is really a prime example of how to make good sparkling wines.”
Eichinger added, “The Blanc de Blanc is very lovely. It was bottled in 2014, so it’s an older vintage.”
This is quite unusual for local wines, but the years were kind.
The Belcourt White, a blend, is entirely from Sakonnet’s estate production, predominantly Chardonnay with some Vidal Blanc, a hardy white grape that is one of those historic grapes first planted on the Sakonnet farmland almost 50 years ago.
Gant says the combination adds a kind of tropical nature to the wine that makes it very easy drinking and easy pairing with foods, particularly Rhode Island seafood. The Belcourt is already appearing on numerous restaurant wine lists throughout the state.
The Eye of the Storm – long Sakonnet’s flagship label – has undergone a freshening up. It has many of the characteristics of rosé, which is still enjoying popularity.
Gant says it is his favorite summer wine, calling it “super inviting and super drinkable.”
Sakonnet Vineyards is open for tours and tastings Thursday through Sunday. Gant and Eichinger said Sakonnet will be appearing at the Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival in September.
“Dining Out With Bruce Newbury,” syndicated weekly on radio, is heard in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and Indiana. Contact Bruce at bruce@brucenewbury.com.
