Press Releases
05/12/2023
Connecticut Farm Wineries Launches 2023 Passport Program
Visit 38 Farm Wineries for a Chance to Win More Than 100 Prizes
(HARTFORD, CT) The Connecticut Farm Wine Development Council announces the start of the 2023 CT Farm Wineries passport program on Friday, May 12. The Passport to Connecticut Wine Country, which runs through December 31, 2023, encourages consumers to engage with the state’s more than 45 farm wineries — 38 of which participate in the passport program. Available as a user-friendly mobile app available on most devices, search CT Wine Passport to download from the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
“The Passport to Connecticut Wine Country program offers yet another way consumers can explore our great state while engaging with award-winning farm wineries,” said Connecticut Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “We encourage residents and visitors to download the app, CT Wine Passport, plan their trips with friends and family, and start their journey to collecting stamps while making lasting memories and supporting local Connecticut businesses along the way.”
In 2022, the first year of the mobile app, more than 22,700 winery visits were recorded with over 8,500 users downloading the app. At each winery location, participants can collect a digital stamp which equals one point towards a reward level. Upon reaching a prize level, those points can be redeemed which enters the participant into a prize drawing.
In 2023, more than 100 prizes will be available, valued at more than $10,000 total, as visitors explore Connecticut Wine Country. There are three tiers of awards – Taster (12 or more stamps), Sommelier (18 or more stamps), and Winemaker (35 or more stamps). Participants who visit all 38 participating farm wineries will also be eligible for a commemorative gift, up to 50 names will be drawn at random to recognize their support of Connecticut’s farm wineries.
For those who have traveled the state visiting farm wineries in the past, they will have the chance to visit perennial favorites along with two new wineries this year. Joining the Passport program are Worthington Vineyards in Somers and Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard in North Stonington. Worthington Vineyards was founded in 2000 and officially opened their tasting room, located in the Worthington’s Warming House, in 2022. Visitors will enjoy their more than 20 meticulously kept gardens while they enjoy an afternoon picnic with wine. Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard, purchased in 2018, is situated on 50 acres atop a hill provides sprawling views of vines, forest, and wildlife. A sister property to Saltwater Farm Vineyard, their tasting room will be opening soon.
For more information about Connecticut Farm Wineries or the Passport to Connecticut Wine Country, visit their website at ctwinecountry.com.
About Connecticut Farm Wineries
A voluntary council made up winery owners, research institutions, and representatives of Connecticut Department of Agriculture and Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development. The council is responsible for promoting state wines and related products, offering educational programs, recommending research projects, and advising groups on farm wine development.
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture mission is to foster a healthy economic, environmental, and social climate for agriculture by developing, promoting, and regulating agricultural businesses; protecting agricultural and aquacultural resources; enforcing laws pertaining to domestic animals; and promoting an understanding among the state's citizens of the diversity of Connecticut agriculture, its cultural heritage, and its contribution to the state's economy. For more information, visit www.CTGrown.gov.
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For Immediate Release: Friday, May 12, 2023
Contact: Rebecca Eddy, 860-573-0323, Rebecca.Eddy@ct.gov
