IN THE MEDIA
What is Greg Drinking?
Published November 2024
“Is it just me or does this year feel like it had a few extra months of material packed in? The sheer volume of unbelievable and remarkable events in these last twelve months has really pushed me to my limits. So, it is with a tired but hopeful heart that I reach out to the heavens (and to Allegra and Kelsey at Cove Ledge Wine & Spirits) for a little something to get us to the finish line - insert the 2023 Cerdon du Bugey from Renardat-Fache.”
What is Greg Drinking?
Published OCTOBER 2024
“Fall is here. Flannel shirts, leaves changing, pumpkin spice everything, and of course, Oktoberfest-style beers. Despite a vast personal preference for summer, the fall has many unique trappings that make it the best possible transitional period for people like myself who would rather have to pack sunscreen instead of a thermos on the weekends. So as the Halloween decorations are being hung in spots where once flowering plants were waiting to be watered, I invite you to partake in a little liquid respite for yourself: Wooded Streams fall lager by Kent Falls Brewing Co.”
Wine Wednesday, WFSB Channel 3
AIRED JULY 31, 2024
Olivia on the shoreline checking out Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, CT.
What is Greg Drinking?
Published september 2024
Grooner, white wine from Austria
“I can say with great certainty that the cliche of time being a thief, flying by, or whatever the expression you resort to can be quite accurate. When it comes to the greatest joy and challenge of my life, the journey of parenthood has been a blur of naps and walks that feel inconsequential at the time, but mean more than I would have ever guessed in hindsight. As my household prepares for the first fall where we are processing a ”back to school list”, I feel helpless against the tide pulling us towards the sea. It is exciting and terrifying, quite the combination of feelings. Times like this demand a beverage that signals excitement for a new beginning. In this case, it called for Grooner, by Weingut Meinhard Forstreiter.”
What is Greg Drinking?
Published JUly 2024
Champagne Pol Roger Brut Reserve
“John Maynard Keynes once famously said,“Life is too short to drink bad wine.”Most certainly this applies to the sparkling variety. If you are going to pop a cork to celebrate, it seems reasonable to want the beverage in question to rise (like the bubbles) to the occasion. During our journey through the collective human experi- ence, there are any number of reasons to mark an occasion as special with a shared beverage that expresses how the moment has made you feel. It is with the bittersweet happiness I feel for Annette and Keith Bienkowski, partners in so much more than just a successful wine and spirit store.”
Connecticut - of Whales, Wine and a Thirst for Knowledge
published June 6, 2024
“Connecticut. All too often, the southernmost of the New England states in the north-east of the United States is ignored when travelling from New York City to Boston. A mistake, because the Constitution State, as Connecticut is also known as, contains some real treasures. Vibrant cities, a wide variety of cuisine, a good dose of history and lots and lots of nature. From the expansive beaches along Long Island Sound to the hustle and bustle of Hartford or New Haven, home to Yale University, through to the whaling history of the Mystic Seaport open-air museum, there is so much to discover. We paid a visit to Connecticut. And we were thrilled.”
What is Greg Drinking?
Published JUNE 2024
“IPA’s can be Bitter, but they do not have to be.
When it comes to the beer scene here in the United States, one would be remiss to not include India Pale Ale. The beer that began its journey on Trans-Atlantic jaunts during the eighteenth century has undergone, by beer standards, one of the most improbable evolutions on record. Popularized stateside during the late 90s with its own‘East Coast/West Coast’rivalry to boot, this is the beer that is most associated with the craft brewing explosion that has over- taken the macro-brewing heavyweights of light lager that had run the tables for the previous few centuries in America.“
What is Greg Drinking?
Published April 2024
“Gratitude is a great feeling. It has the emotional essence of a hot bowl of beef stew, with fresh crusty bread enjoyed by a window separating you from a steady rain. Being grateful for something, anything really washes over you like a hot shower after a spring hike in the woods. It can come in short bursts like on a day when you are sorting through your books and remembering where you were when you read each of your favorites for the first time.”
THE PERFECT PLACE
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2024
“Every dream wedding starts with a dream location. Connecticut is full of one-of-a-kind wedding destinations, from rustic barns to mansions to vineyards and museums. You’ll fine beautiful flower gardens, New England colonial architecture, sweeping water views and more at these local favorites.”
What is Greg Drinking?
Published December 2023
“This was supposed to be a birthday present.
These were the words I would toss out at my now newly-married friend and coworker, Jess at Saltwater Farm Vineyard. It was a reference to a bottle of sparkling Chenin Blanc that had been purchased in July. It had been stashed in the wine fridge for safe- keeping knowing that it was not the right time to crack into it that day.”
What is Greg Drinking?
Published October 2023
“Cabernet Franc is, in many ways, the liquid equivalent of the 2004 Boston Red Sox.
Gritty and scrappy, compared and competing with varietals that have more prestige and notoriety, yet never backing down. It thrives under duress and lives in the wine world as an underdog, a role it relishes. You can count on many things when you are opening a bottle of Cabernet Franc, but never count it out. “
What is Greg Drinking?
Published September 2023
“When September arrives, the stored memories of Oktoberfests long past appear like a meter of schnitzels to a table of famished friends. Welcomed, certainly, but with admitted trepidation. There is a beer for just this moment: Hedwig, an offering from Alvarium Beer Co.
Alvarium Beer Company certainly did not exist when I was bouncing between double shifts at East Side Restaurant and spending the hard-earned tips at exotic locations like the Dug Out Cafe (all in New Britain). What did exist was my fondness of a childhood book series that was actively releasing volumes well into my twenties. That, combined with a trial by fire training regiment regarding beers from the Deutschland, created fertile ground for choosing this Connecticut concoction so many years later: Hedwig Festbeir. “
Our 24 Hour Itinerary In Mystic, CT!
PUBLISHED JULY 12, 2023
This past week Emma and I checked off yet another thing on our summer 2023 bucket list– a trip to a coastal CT town! If you’re looking for an action-packed, quick and easy overnight trip this summer, look no further than Mystic, Connecticut. Emma and I have you covered with our 24 hour itinerary in Mystic, CT! Keep scrolling for where to stay, where to eat, and things to do!
What is Greg Drinking?
Published May 2023
All pilsners are lagers, but not all lagers are pilsners. This will be important to remember as we clear up some convoluted critiques regarding those particular cervezas. Disregard the ‘dirty thirty’ of Keystone Light you shared with your dorm mates. Move aside the macrobrewed mediocrity you have been maligned with at sporting events and concerts alike.
What is Greg Drinking?: The Daffodils are giving Hope Vibes
Published April 2023
April, as the kids say, just hits different. The transition from the doldrums of winter, even a relatively mild one, to mornings spent watching the grass finally grow is glorious. Shania Twain, a Canadian who would know something about the seasonal switches might have put it best:“Looks like we made it.”
Michael and Merrily Connery Create Dramatic Spaces in Stonington and North Stonington
Published October 25, 2022
It takes great vision to turn an airport into a winery at Saltwater Farm Vineyard (SFV) in Stonington and a gas station into a fine restaurant at the former Mbar in Mystic. Michael and Merrily Connery have done both and now they've reimagined a contemporary barn in their newest creation, Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard (KOH) in North Stonington.
10 wineries and vineyards you must visit in New England
Published October 6, 2022
Winemaking in New England is an innovative field, producing award-winning wines from hybrid and native grapes, locally grown berries and even rhubarb! These 10 wineries and vineyards welcome visitors year-round with tastings, tours and special events that vary by the season.
Stonington, Connecticut tops the list as one of the prettiest coastal towns in New England
Originally aired july 26, 2021, wcbv abc 5
Shayna Seymour ventures south of the border to Stonington, Connecticut and takes in the saltwater air on a harbor cruise and hits Saltwater Farm Vineyard.
Savor A Day Trip To A Cluster Of Three Stonington-Area Wineries
Published: October 2016 Hartford Courant
For many, autumn snaps with fresh starts, new notebooks, as well as apple and pumpkin picking. But it’s also an ending, sometimes a sweet ending, as is the case with Connecticut’s ripened grapes ready to become wine.
That makes fall a great time to “taste the adventure” as suggested by the folks at the Connecticut Wine Trail. The trail, comprised of 25 vineyards, winds through the state from the Litchfield Hills to Long Island Sound. Click to read the full story.
Nikita Costars Lyndsy Fonseca and Noah Bean Tied the Knot
Published: October 2016 People Magazine
Congratulations are in order for Lyndsy Fonseca and Noah Bean!
The Nikita costars tied the knot on Oct. 2 and PEOPLE has exclusive details — and photos! — from the couple’s big day.
Fonseca, 29, wore a lace-embroidered wedding gown from designer Sabrina Dehan for the couple’s outdoor wedding while Bean, 38, donned a charcoal suit by Ted Baker. Click to read the full story.
Coastal Wineries in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts are Seeing Record Demand
PUblished: October 2016 What’s Up Newport
Look out, Napa! Wineries in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts are seeing record demand for their whites, reds, and sparkling beverages. The Coastal Wine Trail, a nonprofit group of 14 wineries that weave through the heart of Southeastern New England, has quietly built a reputation for serving nationally recognized wines in unique tasting rooms that offer a deep connection to the roots of each bottle. Tourists and locals alike are taking notice, making the Coastal Wine Trail a top destination in New England. Click to read the full story.
Refurbishing vintage properties into new businesses
Published: June 2016 WTNH Channel 8
They were outdated, underutilized vintage properties in Connecticut and now they have come back to life.
A farm that dates back to the 1600s, which was also the site of a 1940s era airplane hanger, has become Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington. A 1950s gas station near downtown Mystic is about to open as a coffee and wine bar restaurant called MBar. Both are owned by Michael and Merrily Connery, who had a deep love for Connecticut. Click to read the full story.
Steven Slosberg: Renowned architect left his mark in Stonington
Published: May 2016 Westerly Sun
John Ware Lincoln was an architect by trade and an engineer, author and inventor by inclination and inspiration, who lived and worked and left a legacy of landmarks in Stonington. Still, he deemed his most successful design a rather dubious achievement: the modern Quonset hut.Click to read the full story.
Connecticut Wines: Drinking It In
Published: October 2012 Connecticut Magazine
The Experts’ Top Picks…
Impressed and admittedly surprised, the judges gave a thumbs-up to (most of) the wines they tasted. They scored the wines independently, and we did the math. Here are the top three winners in each category (descriptions are from the winemakers themselves). An asterisk (*) designates a wine made with 100 percent Connecticut grapes. Click to read the full story.
5 stops on the Connecticut wine trail
Housed in a 1930s airplane hangar with a vaulted roof, milled aluminum exterior, and massive timber trusses, Saltwater Farm overlooks the tidal marshes of southeastern Connecticut. Saltwater makes eight wines, including an unoaked chardonnay and a classic Bordeaux-style cabernet franc-merlot blend aged in French oak. This summer there’s live music on Thursdays from 5- 7 p.m. 349 Elm St., Stonington, 800-818-7258, www.saltwaterfarmvineyard.com. Wed-Sun tastings $10. Click to read full story.
THE E-LIST FEATURE
New England viniculture, French winemaking, and small production vintages are not the only unique qualities you’ll drink in during a trip to Saltwater Farm Vineyard. The centerpiece of the 100+ panoramic acres, bordered by tidal marshes of the Wequetequock Cove and vistas of Long Island Sound, is a former WWII-era airport hangar. Lovingly converted to a winery, it is spectacular with its vaulted roof, timber trusses, and silvery milled aluminum exterior. Click to read full story.
Wineries Widen their Appeal
Connecticut Wineries Widen Their Appeal
Converted from a World War II-era airplane hangar into a spectacular looking winery, Saltwater Farm Vineyard is set on a 108-acre nature preserve that is host to a variety of shore birds. Seek out the observation deck in the woods for some secluded birdwatching, or relax on a bench, perfectly perched to view the feathered sights while sipping a glass of Saltwater’s award-winning Estate Chardonnay. Click to read the full story.
Featured in “Connecticut Cottages & Gardens”
April 2012| Saltwater Farms Vineyard, Stonington | “Flight Tested”
by Baroness Sheri de Borchgrave
Connecticut Cottages & Gardens released its April issue with a glowing article on the vineyard. It was written by
noted wine & spirits columnist, Baroness Sheri de Borchgrave. The vineyard was refereed to as one of the most stunning natural sites she had ever seen. Please click the link below to read and enjoy the fantastic article in Connecticut Cottages & Gardens.
Finding Wine Amid Marshes
By CHRISTOPHER BROOKS
The New York Times | Published: October 15, 2010
Contrary to the idealized concept of a winery set among rolling hills of volcanic substrate, Saltwater Farm Vineyard is on flat land surrounded by a briny tidal inlet. And unlike the chateau-style production plants of Napa, Sonoma and the Loire Valley, Saltwater holds its tastings in a converted airport hangar, with a grass landing strip nearby.
Click to read full story.
Finding a variety of wines off the beaten path
Boston Globe | Published July 25, 2010
By Ellen Albanese
One of the most visually striking wineries is Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, housed in a 1930s airplane hangar with a vaulting roof, milled aluminum exterior, original wood sheathing, and massive timber trusses dominating the interior. Owner Michael Connery, who describes himself as “a recovering lawyer,” bought the property in 2001, and opened it for tasting this year. Saltwater makes four wines — cabernet franc, merlot, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc — all from grapes grown on site.
Click to read full story
A vineyard grows in Stonington
The Day | Published June 12, 2010
By Katie Warchut
A small, decrepit airport quietly becomes a winery and banquet facility
Nine years ago, about 100 acres of land near Stonington’s Wequetequock Cove was overgrown, with a fairly decrepit airport hangar and a runway and taxiway.
Click to read full story