The Cellar: The ‘New’ Newport Vineyards
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Friday, August 07, 2015
Steffen Rasch, GoLocalWorcester Wine Writer
If you haven’t visited Newport Vineyards in a while I urge you to do so soon! I recently made the trip south and was blown away by the winery’s recent and absolutely stunning transformation. The place has practically doubled in size from 18.000 square feet to more than 35.000 square feet. Among the many improvements is the creation of a bright and inviting tasting area with an open floor plan that leads out to a porch overlooking the vineyard and an increased number of the tasting stations - so there is less of a wait to be refilled. Besides from the brand new tasting room, the ‘new’ Newport Vineyards also houses a great deli restaurant, an upscale restaurant named ‘Brix’ and an expanded wine/gift shop.
On the wine side many things remain the same. The winery continues to produce a series of really good wines from the estate’s 60+ acres; wines ranging in style from bone dry to lushishly sweet made from grapes including Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon – just to mention a few. During my visit I had the opportunity to sample through the current releases of which there are many. My personal favorites were the ’14 Pinot Gris and the ’13 Cabernet Franc.
While technically made from the same grape Pinot Gris is stylistically different than Pinot Grigio. Whereas Grigios are meant to be light and refreshing, wines made in the style of an Alsatian Pinot Gris are usually much richer both in flavor and texture. And the 2014 Pinot Gris from Newport Vineyard is both of these things. The flavors include those of ripe peach and pears with a hint of spice and just a splash of citrus essential in drying ones palate at the finish and keeping everything in balance. The finish is long and persistent – the sign of a well made wine.
The 2013 Cabernet Franc was my favorite red wine of the tasting. This delicious cool-climate grape variety grows really well here in New England and it is a wine I encourage you to try. It is a gorgeously textured, medium bodied wine with hints of green bell pepper and earthy spice, with a deep and solid core of savory dark fruit and toasted wood. Again, the finish lingers on.
Tours and tastings are available daily. Check out their online calendar for other interesting events including live music, farmer’s markets, comedy shows and even yoga classes. In September there is a 4 mile long race planned along the Aquidneck Land Trust’s Sakonnet Greenway Trail – followed by (you guessed it) a wine tasting and BBQ at Newport Vineyards.
Cheers,
Steffen Rasch is a Certified Sommelier and Specialist of Wine. Feel free to email him at [email protected] with any wine-related questions or learn about wine in person by signing up for one of his tastings through the Providence Wine Academy.
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