Press Releases
12/06/2024
Redeem Your Passport to CT Wine Country Stamps
December 6, 2024
Redeem Your Passport to CT Wine Country Stamps
Submit by December 31 to be Entered in Drawing Featuring more than 100 Prizes
(HARTFORD, CT) – The 2024 Passport to Connecticut Wine Country, a program of the Connecticut Farm Wine Development Council (CFWDC) administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, will end on Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Participants are encouraged to submit their passport books or redeem digital points on or before that date to be eligible for the prize drawing featuring more than 100 prizes valued at over $10,000 collectively. The 2024 prize drawing will be held no later than January 31, 2025. The Passport program will restart in May 2025.
“Amid the rush of the holiday season, plan a visit to a Connecticut farm winery,” said Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “Whether you are participating in a sip and shop event, enjoying a quiet moment next to a fireplace with a glass of wine, or picking up a bottle as a hostess gift enroute to a holiday party, remember to bring your passport to collect another stamp and most importantly, redeem your Passport to take part in this fun program.”
There’s still plenty of time to collect the base number of 12 stamps to be entered or finish off the next level to improve your chances of winning a prize. Prizes include two bottles of wine from each participating farm winery for those at the Taster level, gift certificates to destinations throughout the state for the Sommelier level, and grand prizes for those who visited 35 or more farm wineries including a private champagne charter flight with Aer Blarney Balloons, a stay at Saybrook Point Resort & Marina, or Poet’s Lounge Sailing Charter out of Mystic. View the full list of prizes by category on our website.
How to Redeem Your Passport
- Mobile app
- Users must redeem digital stamps collected for each completed category level no later than December 31, 2024, to be eligible for the prize drawing.
- Make sure to click on the level completed and select “Redeem” to be entered.
- Paper passport
- Users who have visited a minimum of 12 stamps should fill out the inside front cover of the passport with their contact information and return the booklet to any participating farm winery on, or before December 31, 2024.
- Reminder: One entry per individual. Please only submit either digital stamps or a paper passport.
Prize Categories
There are three prize categories:
- Taster for those who have visited at least 12 farm wineries
- Sommelier for those who have visited 18 or more farm wineries
- Winemaker for those who have visited 35 or more farm wineries
- Bonus: 50 participants who obtain stamps to all 38 participating farm winery locations will be randomly selected to receive a commemorative gift.
Connecticut has more than 45 licensed farm wineries, with 38 participating in the Passport program this year. All licensed farm wineries in Connecticut are required to use a minimum of 25% Connecticut Grown fruit. Additionally, some farm wineries have the CT Grown designation as part of a voluntary program to highlight farm wineries using at least 51% Connecticut Grown fruit.
For more information on the Passport to CT Wine Country program or to find a farm winery, visit CTWineCountry.com.
Connecticut Farm Wine Development Council is a voluntary council made up winery owners, research institutions, and representatives of Connecticut Department of Agriculture, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 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 (CT DoAg) 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.
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Rebecca Eddy, Rebecca.Eddy@ct.gov
860-573-0323
