Hidden gem alert: Aquila’s Nest Vineyards in Newtown, CT has quietly become one of the busiest live music stops on the trail, with acoustic acts and full bands playing nearly every week this summer on their 150 person lawn. If you haven’t been, this is the month to go.

Gooseneck Vineyards in North Kingstown, RI has live music and food trucks every weekend at their beautifully restored historic barn on Tower Hill Road, an easy stop on the drive back from the South County beaches. Keep an eye out for local musician Bobby Ferns on the schedule, a favorite of ours who plays there from time to time. Check their site for each weekend’s lineup.

Meet Priam Vineyards in Colchester, CT, a 40 acre family run farm with a quietly impressive claim to fame: in 2010 it became the first winery in New England to run entirely on solar power. Their wines are also vegan friendly (they skip the traditional fish bladder filtration for a plant based method instead). Run by Ryan Winiarski and Meredith Lanoue, Priam feels unpretentious in the best way, with a heated year round patio and a policy of welcoming well behaved dogs. Worth the drive inland.

Head for the Litchfield Hills and spend a day around Lake Waramaug, one of the prettiest inland spots in Connecticut. Hopkins Vineyard has been growing grapes here since 1979, making it the state’s first winery, and the upstairs “Hay Loft” bar has the best lake view of the bunch. After tasting, walk it off at Lake Waramaug State Park, grab a bite at The Smithy Cafe, or swing by Kent Falls Brewing on your way home.

If you make it to Hopkins Vineyard for that weekend trip, save room for their peach wine. It’s a longtime visitor favorite and exactly the kind of easy summer sipper that converts people who “don’t really like wine.”

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Know a winery event we missed? Hit reply, because we read everything.