Newport Vineyards Celebrates 30 Years with Harvest Festival

You don’t need to tell brothers John and Paul Nunes that 30 years go by in the blink of an eye. This month, they’ll be raising a glass to the hard work it’s taken to transform a modest vineyard into a thriving enterprise over that time. A beloved attraction, community cornerstone, culinary and craft beer compound, and model of thoughtful land preservation, Newport Vineyards will be toasting the season at the annual Harvest Fair on October 19.

“We’re celebrating the harvest. We do it every year,” says John. “We have a lot of folks that come in, and my team puts all kinds of activities together, with grape stomping and pie eating and old school kind of fun things, as well as lots of wine to taste.”

Lots of wine is an understatement. The Middletown vineyard’s portfolio spans from crisp whites, including chardonnay, pinot grigio, vidal blanc, sauvignon blanc and riesling, to bold reds, such as merlot, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, port and more, plus there are rosés and interesting blends (like a popular white blend called In the Buff, merging unoaked chardonnay with a hint of gewürztraminer and riesling). But to commemorate this year’s landmark, Newport Vineyards’ longtime winemaker, George Chelf, crafted two 30th anniversary edition wines: Milestone Red and Milestone Blanc. Each is presented in a sleek, dark glass bottle, elegantly adorned with the anniversary emblem. The Milestone Blanc, an unoaked white, is made from select estate Dijon clone Chardonnay grapes, which are idyllic for Aquidneck Island’s cooler climate and offer bright citrus and stone fruit flavors with balanced acidity.

“It’s all chardonnay, and it’s from a particular one of the first clones that we planted,” John explains. “Usually that section of the vineyard would get blended away into our regular chardonnay, so we separated it out, because I always liked it so much, and we did a really nice wine with it.”

The Milestone Red is a bold, expressive, oak-aged red crafted exclusively from estate-grown Blaufränkisch grapes, offering a bright acidity and smooth finish. “Blaufränkisch, which we planted in 1998, is mostly found in Germany and Austria,” says John. “It’s just always a nice, fruit-forward red and still easy drinking.” Nunes notes its cherry and raspberry notes, adding that the wine spent about eight months aging in French oak, giving it subtle hints of violet, tobacco, and warm spice.

It doesn’t matter if you’re Team Red or Team White at the Harvest Festival; the event welcomes all palates, wine novices and aficionados alike, plus craft brew fans (Newport Vineyards is also home to Taproot Brewing Company, which produces hop-forward, small batch beer) and non-drinkers who can experience mocktail and non-alcoholic drinks too. Setting the soundtrack for good vibes will be Pete LaGrange and The Ghost Riders, and you can test your aim at axe-throwing, giving it your all in the Stein Hoisting competition, or channeling your best Lucy and Ethel by rolling up your cuffs and getting dirty in the grape stomping competition. Between the music and the face-offs, enjoy artisanal treats from the charcuterie cart and savory bites from the live-fire food station, all overseen by Newport Vineyards’ James Beard Award Best New England Chef semifinalist, Andy Teixeira. (And the pastry crew has dessert covered with an on-brand wine cupcake.)

“Our Harvest Festival is a fun celebration of fall and the wine harvest season – our favorite time of the year here!” says Kendra Carlisle, who’s been at the vineyard for eight years. “Those ages 21-plus receive tasting tickets to walk around to our various wine, cider, and beer stations and choose their own tastings. We make over 30 wines and ciders to choose from, plus a dozen beers. And Chef Andy will be cooking turkey legs, steak sandwiches, and have a brisket chili bar from the open fire set up by the vines.” There’s also a full brunch menu offered with an Instagrammable chicken and waffles dish or the donut trio (cider donut, pumpkin cheesecake filled brioche, and a cranberry glazed crumb brioche).

“We see a mix of families and groups of friends, and love welcoming everyone. The event is perfect for groups celebrating an occasion, too. We see many festival regulars year after year, plus many first-timers,” adds Carlisle. The Newport Vineyards Harvest Fair takes place October 19th from 12pm-5pm. For information and tickets, visit NewportVineyards.com

Deep Roots

For the Nunes brothers, the anniversary is just one mile marker along a multi-generational legacy. Their great-grandfather Francisco Nunes acquired historic Bailey Farm on Wyatt Road. Fast-forward nearly 70 years later, retired Navy Captain Alexander planted the first vines and in 1995, John and Paul took over from the captain, creating Newport Vineyards and acquiring more land over time. Today, Newport Vineyards is New England’s largest grape grower. They rely on sustainable farming practices to produce nearly 30,000 cases annually, but it’s not all about production and profit. The Nunes story is also one of preservation, and a commitment to maintaining the pastoral character of Aquidneck Island. By 2002, 100 acres were placed in perpetual preservation through a partnership with the Aquidneck Land Trust and the State of Rhode Island, with 55 acres planted in vineyards today — a vineyard with more milestones to come.