Newport Vineyards celebrates apples and autumn with their inaugural Cider Fest
Newport Vineyards is brewing up something new: their inaugural Cider Festival that will take place Sunday, September 29, from 12-5 p.m.
While of course "cider" is in the festival name, the celebration is open to all – drinking age or younger – who love fall.
Live music will play all day from Straight Outta Rehab, there will be lawn games and axe throwing, three chances for kids to go on a candy hunt through the vineyard, a pie eating contest, and a full menu of unique autumn-inspired food made by James Beard Award finalist Chef Andy Teixeira. In addition, cider- and winemaker George Chelf will be at the cider bar pouring samples of his concoctions from 12-3 p.m., and ticketholders will have a choice of five tastes from the special cider, wine, or beer bars, with a logo souvenir glass to sip from.
For the owner of Newport Vineyards, John Nunes, Cider Fest is more than just a fun event to put on the business' calendar. "We have been crafting hard cider since 1998 (and wines since 1995) and wanted to celebrate our lineup of hard ciders made in-house by our winemaking team," Nunes explains. His cider- and winemaking journey started about twenty-five years ago, so the festival represents a huge milestone for his career as a vintner. "Farming is our roots and has been in our family since 1917. We appreciate all Aquidneck Island has to offer – especially in agriculture – so we are excited to celebrate our ciders and the harvest season," Nunes says.
Cider is a staple on the drink menu. "We always have a few hard ciders year-round, with additional seasonal specialty releases," George Chelf, Newport Vineyards cider- and winemaker states. But the festival is a chance to highlight the prominent local apple orchards and showcase "agriculture beyond the grapes." The apples in these batches of cider were grown on Rocky Brook Orchard (Portsmouth), Sweet Berry Farm (Middletown), and Steere Orchard (Greenville).
"Our team visits the local orchards and picks apples. Then, myself and my assistant, Michael, press the apples in our cellar (it smells delicious!), add a kiss of champagne yeast, and ferment most of our ciders to seven percent ABV," Chelf describes. Busy with the grape vines and an onsite culinary garden, the Newport Vineyards team is more than happy to support local apple orchards and leave the stewardship of those fruit trees to established growers in Rhode Island.
There will be a total of seven hard ciders to sample during Cider Fest, ranging from dry to fruity flavors. Of the seven, some highlights include "our original award-winner Rhody Coyote [which was] named the Best RI Cider in the recent 2024 Big E Northeast competition, the 'Wicked Squashed' Pumpkin Cider, Strawberry Lemon Cider, Blueberry Cider, and "Mr. Green," [a cider] which features the local RI greening apple and is reminiscent of a sparkling wine," lists Nunes.
The Rhody Coyote, a traditional New England style cider, released over twenty years ago, so it's appearance at Cider Fest is iconic. Wicked Squashed features the flavor of estate-grown pumpkins from the Newport Vineyards culinary garden, and "we also have a lemon-lime 'cider-ita' that was a summer hit and almost sold out," adds Chelf. Other ways to enjoy cider at the festival include trying a cider slushy, or partaking in regular, non-alcoholic cider.
The vineyard will have special hours for Cider Fest, opening for their weekly Sunday brunch – held between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. – and will close at 5 p.m. after the festival. The hours mean a fantastic display of food all day. "Chef Andy will be cooking over an open fire pit, roasting up turkey legs, brisket chili, and 'pumpkin pie on a stick.' Our in-house pastry team will of course have apple cider donuts, warm apple crisp, and other treats including cotton candy," Nunes says. Festivalgoers are invited to come hungry, stay hungry, and (responsibly) drink apple cider. "Even if you've tried hard ciders before, or you don't think you're a fan of cider," Chelf prompts, "we encourage you to try ours – you can really notice the difference of how fresh ours are."
