Narragansett Bay Wine

Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay wine country runs along the bay's eastern shore and the Sakonnet River from Tiverton through Portsmouth to Little Compton. The maritime climate is Rhode Island's greatest viticultural asset: the bay and Atlantic moderate temperatures year-round, extending the growing season and softening winter cold enough for European grape varieties to succeed. Greenvale Vineyards in Portsmouth, growing Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc on a colonial-era estate overlooking the Sakonnet River, is the state's most acclaimed producer. Carolyn's Sakonnet Vineyard in Little Compton and Newport Vineyards in Middletown are also well-established. The wine tourism experience here is intimately connected to Newport's gilded-age architecture, world-class sailing, and New England coastal culture.