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Southeastern New England

Our viticultural appellation, called the Southeastern New England Wine Growing Appellation, stretches from the Cape and the islands through Southwest Massachusetts, Coastal Rhode Island and Coastal Connecticut.

Our viticultural appellation, called the Southeastern New England Wine Growing Appellation, stretches from the Cape and the islands through Southwest Massachusetts, Coastal Rhode Island and Coastal Connecticut. The common thread through this region is our close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and our Southeast-facing coastline which captures the warm gulf stream waters in the summer and fall. We are a cool climate grape growing region featuring vinifera, hybrids and Sparkling Wines.

Editor’s spotlight
Featured Winery · Southeastern New England

Saltwater Farm Vineyard

★ 4.2

Saltwater Farm Vineyard is located on a stunning piece of land that used to be a World War II vintage airplane hangar and runway. The property consists of more than 100 acres, 16 of which ...

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◉ Southeastern New England on the map1 winery plotted

Know the wines of Southeastern New England

ChardonnayCabernet FrancVidal BlancRiesling
The grapes and styles that define Southeastern New England — tap any to explore.
Browse all Southeastern New England wineries →

Wineries to visit

Estates open for tastings across Southeastern New England
Saltwater Farm Vineyard
Stonington

Best time to visit Southeastern New England

The Southeastern New England AVA, established in 1984, spans coastal Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, its cool-climate whites, sparkling wines and hybrids ripened by a growing season stretched by Atlantic moderation. The wineries sit minutes from Newport’s Gilded Age mansions and the region’s coastal towns. Late spring through the fall harvest is the peak season.

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The shoulder months either side of summer — and the Sep–Oct harvest — are ideal: active cellars, good weather, thinner crowds. High summer is busiest.

More about Southeastern New England

Best Wineries to Visit in Southeastern New England (2026)

The region’s wineries dot the coastline of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, moderated by the Atlantic:

  • Sakonnet Vineyard (Little Compton, RI) — New England’s oldest vineyard, planted 1975, whose original estate petitioned the AVA into being.
  • Newport Vineyards (Middletown, RI) — the largest grape grower in New England, with 100-plus acres, 30-plus estate wines, an on-site restaurant and brewery.
  • Greenvale Vineyards (Portsmouth, RI) — a sixth-generation family farm on the Sakonnet River with a waterfront tasting room, noted for Chardonnay.
  • Westport Rivers (Westport, MA) — a four-generation family farm growing vinifera since 1986, known for cool-climate sparkling wine.

Southeastern New England Wine Tours

The Coastal Wine Trail links member wineries from Cape Cod across coastal Rhode Island to the Connecticut shore, with a passport for tasting-room stamps. There’s no transit between the estates, so most visitors self-drive or book a local guided winery tour; reservations are required at most wineries.