Sakonnet Vineyards Hosts Celebrity Chef Event

The award-winning vineyard and winery, Sakonnet Vineyards, toasted its 35th anniversary on June 27 with a grand gourmet event at its Little Compton estate in Rhode Island. The five-course ‘Elegance in the Afternoon’ luncheon was hosted by five celebrity chefs from across the country and was the first in a series of anniversary events throughout the summer.

Located in the charming Rhode Island town of Little Compton, Sakonnet Vineyards was founded in 1975 on the well-researched premise that the microclimate and soil conditions found along the southeastern New England coast closely resemble some of the great wine regions of the world, particularly the maritime climates of northern France. The estate consists of 170 acres, of which 37 acres are planted in vines producing an average of 8,000 to 9,000 cases of “Estate Grown” wine. The wines have received numerous medals in international competitions, including “Best of Show” for a Gewürztraminer at the 2004 Monterey International Wine Competition.

Sakonnet Vineyards welcomed five nationally recognized chefs to the 35th anniversary event—Anne Quatrano, chef/owner at Bacchanalia, Floataway Cafe and Abbatoir in Atlanta, Georgia; Jasper White, chef/owner at Summer Shack in Boston, Massachusetts; Johanne Killeen and George Germon, chefs/owners of Al Forno in Providence, Rhode Island; Casey Riley, Director of Culinary Operations at Newport Harbor Corporation; and Emily Luchetti, pastry chef at Farallon & Waterbar in San Francisco, California. Each chef prepared a special course paired with a Sakonnet wine.

An established and award-winning vineyard and winery on the east coast of the United States, Sakonnet Vineyards is being offered for sale at US$10.5 million by Lila Delman Real Estate with international marketing provided by Christie’s Great Estates. In addition to the vineyards, there is a residential component to the sale—Sakonnet Vineyards includes five homesites, with each lot encompassing more than 13 acres. The plan is to create a small community of compatible homeowners who will live in harmony with a working vineyard/winery and share the values of privacy, open space, agriculture and sustainability.  For a special few, a coveted lifestyle is available without the work or responsibility of winery ownership.

Pictured above: Chef Emily Luchetti of Farallon and Waterbar, San Francisco, California; Jasper White, chef/owner of Summer Shack; and Robin Nicholson of Lila Delman Real Estate