The location is beautiful. There is no doubting that, but the weather unfortunately was not on our…read moreside the day we visited. Probably due to the rain, there were plenty of tables available inside. Two of our friends arrived before us and snagged a spot near the beautiful fireplace. They started to prep the snacks. My friend and I arrived a few minutes later. I quickly grabbed my rosé slushy, so that I could catch up. My first sip was a little strong, but I definitely got used to it as I kept drinking. The others shared bottles of red. I think that everyone liked what they had, because there were many returns to the bar for refills. The area can accommodate parties of all sizes. While there, we saw two large birthday parties, one was inside and the other outside. There were still plenty of tables and wide open spaces on the deck and in other rooms inside. The ladies at the bar and the other staff that were walking around were extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with. I would definitely consider coming back and even hosting a party here.

Gouveia Vineyard's is such a special place for me. Peaceful. 360* views of gorgeous landscape…read more Inside is so inviting. Bring your friends and family along with games and finger foods to pair with their award winning wines. The staff is so kind and knowledgeable

My friends and I checked out a winery while visiting New Haven. This was a nice spot that had ample…read moreselection. We ordered the wine at the cash register and found a spot outside. There were a lot of tables out in the sun or under the tent (for a hot day under the tent was best!) We also bought snacks of crackers and cheese that they had, although they were a bit pricey altogether. There was also a selection of chocolate and cigars at the front. Depending where your facing, there are nice views of the vineyard. There was also a graduation party that reserved half the tent space. This vineyard had humble views and hands-off service (every time we wanted a new bottle we went inside to ring it up, and we brought our bottle back outside with us). Come here for no-frills winery and good wine. I'd recommend bringing your own snacks to accompany their wine!

First time trying a Connecticut winery and I was pleasantly surprised. The winery initially seems…read moreoddly placed because you enter it in a subdivision but when you arrive to the winery it feels very secluded and peaceful. Very good vibe at Paradise Hills; tranquil is the right word. My husband and I accidentally arrived on a day where they were also having a craft fair which was super cool! The winery was busy but not so busy we couldn't sit down. We got to sip wine under the shade of the grape vines. The winery was also very enjoyable! I was skeptical having only been to vineyards in Illinois where the wine is subpar but this wine was really good! The whites are a bit stronger than the reds but the reds were honestly pretty good too! Overall, I really loved everything about the experience!!

Rosabianca Vineyards is a craft vineyard and winery that opened in Northford, Connecticut in 2015…read more It was founded by Charlie Rosabianca. The roots of the vineyard go back several decades. Charlie's father Andrea Rosabianca immigrated to Connecticut from Amalfi, Italy in the 1950s. He had dreams and aspirations to become a farmer, but with a family to support he was unable to achieve that dream. He instead became a carpenter, but he always had the most beautiful gardens. Beginning in the early 1970s, Charlie took up the hobby of making homemade wine. In 2010, he decided to retire from his job and pursue his dream of opening a winery. In 2012, he and his family purchased a ten acre property in Northford with the hopes of turning it into a vineyard. They planted their first acre of Cayuga grapes in 2014 and by the following year the tasting room had opened to the public. Charlie dedicated the winery to his father (who had passed away in 1997), and all the wines are given Italian names as a tribute to him. In addition to producing wines with estate-grown grapes, Rosabianca also sources grapes from California. Several members of Charlie's family are also involved with the business, including his cousin Maria Calabrese, his daughters, and multiple grandchildren. My wife and I have visited Rosabianca Vineyards multiple times since they opened. They have an excellent repertoire of wines and some even pop up seasonally (I have a soft spot for their Holiday Rosé). Although the winery doesn't distribute, it's no big deal for us because they are just a short drive from our house. The property is beautiful with a nice outdoor patio area, gardens, and beautiful views of the vineyards. My family and I recently stopped by the winery for a visit; it was our first one since the pandemic. The winery recently renovated and made additions to their tasting room. We still opted to sit outside on the patio. We chose this particular day to come because we knew that they had scheduled a pizza truck to come. Sipping some local wine on the patio paired with delicious wood-fired pizza is always a good time! My wife and I ordered and shared a bottle of the winery's "Bianco Rosato": a semi-sweet blend of Gamay and Cayuga grapes that has aromas of watermelon and undertones of cherry, raspberry, and honey. We all had an excellent experience and we plan to return to Rosabianca again and again!

Really nice property with a beautiful patio area. Pricing is very fair. They offer flights and…read morebottles. They also have light snacks (popcorn, cheese, crackers). Service was great. Plenty of parking. Would go back!

New England Cider Company is a great little spot in Wallingford to hang out on a sunny afternoon!…read moreAlthough if you're not looking, you might pass right by it! The building is located in front of an industrial complex, and blends into the surrounding buildings. Once you find it, there's a parking lot on the side and a tent out front with seating. The inside seating area is not too big, but it's cozy. When you first walk in, there's a bar with several different flavors of cider on tap including Pumpkin, Fresh Blend, Blueberry, Cranberry, Spruce Willis, and Sour Apple. You can get just a glass or fill a 32oz or 64oz growler. They also have flights available to try all 6 flavors, as well as cans of cider. There were also some small bites like chips, pizza, etc. listed on their menu, though I didn't get anything to eat, nor did I see anyone else there order anything. When I went, I tried the Blueberry Cider, which I thought was really good! The blueberry flavor wasn't super strong, but it was still tasty, and not too sweet. I sat at a table inside, where they have a garage door that opens to the outside when it's nice out. They also have a variety of board/card games to play. I went on a Saturday evening and they had a band playing out front, where they also have a small outdoor bar, which had different flavors on tap than the indoor bar, including Orchard Blend, Purple Rain, and El Noble, as well as regular (non-alcoholic) apple juice. It also seems like they have a lot of events most weeks. When I went they were advertising karaoke, "Cider with the Sanderson Sisters" for Halloween, and a bonsai class. The staff was friendly and the service was quick. Overall a cool spot to hang out, I would recommend!

I was in the area on a beautiful day and decided to pop into a new-to-me local spot for a drink…read more That's how I ended up at New England Cider Company. It's tucked inside an old industrial park. If you're not looking closely, you'll drive right past it. Outside, there's a casual setup with a tent, whiskey barrel tables, and some umbrellas, which sounds nice in theory, but the grass really needed a cut. It kind of took away from the whole outdoor vibe. I was planning to sit out there, so that was a bit of a letdown. Inside was a pleasant surprise. It's much bigger than it looks from the outside. The bar is right at the entrance, which made it feel like a high-traffic zone, so not ideal for lingering. There was a private party in the main room, so I headed back outside to enjoy the sun. Now to the cider: I asked for 2 samples and ended up with the cider that I didn't actually choose, but hey, I'm not one to make a fuss so I went with it. The cider I wanted was actually pretty tasty, so I might return just to give the menu another try. You know how some ciders are sweet and yummy? The one I got was the kind that tastes sour but has a higher ABV. Still good, but my goal was sweet and yummy. Service was fine but not overly warm. Nothing bad, just not memorable. Would I go back? Sure, on a really nice day. If they had live music, I'd absolutely give it another shot. There's potential here, especially for cider fans, but it's not quite my go-to yet. They did have a very cool bathroom sink. Points for that!

I've been here once before for a painting class and it was amazing…read more Since then, there have been many updates to the menu, including wine mixers, and different ciders. We got a flight of ciders this time, and tried to 8 different flavors. This has to be one of my favorite places for cider as there are about 20 different flavors ranging from sweet, sour, and even spicy!! There is an outdoor seating area and a bunch of seating inside. There are a ton of games to choose from. What's even better as this place this dog friendly!

I came to Valor Wines for an event, and trust your GPS! I thought I was being directed to a random…read moreconstruction company, but Valor Wines has a door in the "elbow" of another building. There are signs and arrows. There is parking, but not a huge amount. The inside is indescribable in a few words. Elvis is on a balcony, theres a carousel horse, and the lights on what may be barrels are changing periodically. They also have their own merchandise. The seating includes plush velvet couches, a really long table, and outdoors with lights. There are two restrooms. The drinks themselves were fun. For non-drinkers, they are a Coke spot. I had a blueberry lemonade sangria, and could feel the antioxidants. It was something I actually enjoyed, and it's rare for me to say. The star was the adorable puppy. I hope she was tipped well.

Came here in the past and enjoyed it so ended up stopping by because I was in the area. They have…read moreAmazing hard cider here and they are Dog friendly too! Service is fast and friendly.

Great place! It was hard to choose from the large selection but you can't go wrong! Everything we…read moretried was really good and some unusual mashups!

Never had Meade before and I'm kicking myself now. I'm not a fan of "hoppy" drinks, BUT the hoppy…read moreMeade I will drink and actually got me to venture down other "hoppy" lanes, like beer. Especially for someone who likes cider and wine, the Meade has a nice, refreshing flavor. The different flavor nodes of the honey make it sweeter and not bitter (personal preference). Awesome sit in areas with TONS of games for socialization with friends. In this order are my favorites!! Wally, Whip, Lemon, Bouchot, Ginga, Cherry, Hoppy, Pecan

Bergen House is a craft meadery that opened in Middletown, Connecticut in September 2020. It was…read morefounded by army veteran Talon Bergen. He first began experimenting with homebrewing when his brother-in-law gifted him a Mr. Beer kit. The first batch of Bergen's homebrew was awful, but the kit came with an interesting book that he read over and over again. He soon became fascinated with the science behind brewing and fermentation. Later on, a friend gifted him a bottle of homemade mead. Bergen's wife Emilie liked it much more than any beer she ever tried, so he decided to try his hand at crafting mead. Mead is a fermented beverage made from a mixture of honey, water and yeast. It is the oldest fermented beverage known to man (predating beer, wine and cider). Like his first batch of beer, Bergen's first batch of mead was also awful. After several months, Bergen finally began making mead that was drinkable. The Bergens later had an idea to open their own brewery. After seeing how many breweries that Connecticut already had, they instead decided to open a meadery. The Bergens found a space in Middletown's old trolley barn building to house their meadery and taproom. Although not the state's only meadery, Bergen House is the only one to have its own taproom for on-site consumption. I recently visited Bergen House for the first time after going for a long bike ride on the nearby Air Line State Park Trail. I was greeted by Emilie Bergen who was very friendly and talked to me about the different meads. There were eight different meads on tap during my visit. Each one has different spices and fruits added for flavoring. I ordered a sampler flight which featured "Crime Scene" (Rye Bourbon Barrel-Aged Sweet & Sour Cherry Mead), "Local Buzz" (Dry Mead made with local honey from Hilltop Apiaries), "Wally" (Off-Dry Mead made with wildflower honey, green tea and Citra hops), and "Grapefruit Meads Business" (Wildflower Mead flavored with rosemary, grapefruit & ginger). The latter two were my favorites! Emilie also gave me a small sample of "Bochet": a traditional French Mead made with wildflower honey caramelized before fermentation. I ended up taking home a growlito of "Wally", which tasted a lot like a honey-infused New England IPA. I had a great experience at Bergen House and I look forward to returning!

Food, wine are all delicious. The decor is super rustic and adorable…read more Our server was funny and friendly. One of our favorite wineries in CT.

Food was absolutely delicious. The cheeses paired great with the wine. The service was a little…read moreslow, could be because we went there on a weekend. Atmosphere was nice, the inside was very lively.

Fun winery that hosts great events . Make sure you check their website for tickets and arrive early…read morebecause it gets very packed here. Bring your own snacks...only downfall is that the bathrooms are outside and when it's raining or cold out, you have to be inside you can't sit under the stars, but it's really a nice place to come sip wine and hear great music

Owner was extremely friendly, gave us a tour & allowed to taste a few of the wines before we choose…read morewhich one to drink. They have a stage outside & have shows every weekend. Looking forward to returning.