Rhode Island has four wineries, the best known is Sakonnet, just over the Massachusetts border in Little Compton. We traveled to Sakonnet today to attend "A Tempting Fete: Sakonnet Salutes the Summer," a benefit for Women Chefs & Restaurateurs. The lure, to be honest, was the food not the wine. Twelve top chefs from Boston and beyond were scheduled to participate in the event, including two from restaurants we've been dying to try: Caffe Umbra (Laura Brennan) and OM (Rachel Klein.)  Our previous visit to Sakonnet had been less than memorable (although the ice cream stand about a mile away still puts a smile on our faces), but we hoped the wines had improved in the last few years.

It was a miserable drive—pouring rain and deep fog. As we pulled into Sakonnet, we glimpsed a billowy white tent in the distance and were glad the festivities had not been cancelled.  The chefs and their minions lined the perimeter of the tent, each preparing one or two tapas-sized bites for tasting. Before diving in to the food, we made a beeline to the Sakonnet table and got the first of many small pours. Lisa began with the 2004 Vidal Blanc, Gary with the 2003 Estate Chardonnay. We'll rank all of our tastings at the end of this post, but suffice it to say we were anxious to get to the food after tasting the wine!

What We Ate
Well, we ate everything, of course.  But what we loved includes:

1. The favorite by far was the Grilled Loin of Lamb, Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan and Green Olive Jam by Rachel Klein of OM.  We won't wait much longer before heading to her Harvard Square restaurant.

2. Amy Visco of Ellington's Jazz Restaurant & Club in Sanibel Island, FL made an outstanding Seafood Gazpacho with Avocado and Citrus Cream, topped with fresh corn salsa.

3. Mediterranean Chicken Kabob with Moroccan Spice and Preserved Lemons, Couscous Salad, and Cucumber Sauce from Cynthia Keller (Restaurant du Village, Chester, CT) was a real stand-out.

What We Tasted
Sakonnet was tasting eight of its wines, and we tried them all.

Favorites

Rhode Island Red 2003  (blend of Cab Franc, Lunberger, Chancellor, and Merlot)

Very drinkable. Great with rare lamb, cheeses, pizza. Not too heavy, clean finish.

Pinot Noir 2003

Light and refreshing, a faint ruby color; tasted strawberry and cherry. A bit thin.  None of this is what I expect in a Pinot

Gewurztraminer 2004  (discovered in the tasting room; not poured at the party)

A classic dry, spicy Gewurtztraminer; great for summer. We bought a bottle, which went from our car to our refrigerator and will be gone with tomorrow night's spicy Asian tuna steak

Sirius NV  (also not poured at the party but snagged at the winery)

They took the Vidal (see below) and made a good, sweet dessert wine out of it

The Not-So-Favorites

Vidal Blanc 2005

Lisa: Sharp yet bland. Not sure how they do that

Gary: A very basic white with fruit-forward, but thin (he liked it more than Lisa)

Port 2001
Port is a particular favorite of Gary's. According to him, this one reeked of cough syrup

Winterwine 2003
Another dessert wine, this one way too sweet and syrupy. Aiming for a Muscat, but fell short

Cabernet Rose 2004
Just ok. Not particularly refreshing or bold.

Chardonnay Estate 2003/Reserve Chardonnay 2003 (from tasting room)
Neither of the chards was memorable, but the Reserve gets Gary's harshest words: "It could have been a perfect chardonnay if it wasn't missing all the fruit and flavor! The fullness, creaminess, and oak were there—but no fruit to be found." Ouch.

Tasting Room Ratings
Atmosphere:             7    Nice rectangular slate tasting bar, well lit, not over-decorated
People/attitude:        10   Very friendly, honest about what was good/not good, accommodating
People/knowledge:    10   Very knowledgable, young staff
Palate cleansers:       6     Carr's water crackers—tasty but boring
Any free goodies?:    No

So, is it worth visiting Sakonnet and/or buying their wine?  We like supporting small, local wineries. We appreciate the 1.5 hour drive and the beautiful (if a little precious) surrounding town of Little Compton. We bought one bottle, which I think says, "Good work, keep it up. We'll come back and buy more when your stuff is even better."  Clearly, Sakonnet has a following. The parking lot was  swarming with nice cars (BMWs, Mercedes, Volvos galore) and the tent was full of well-dressed baby boomers enjoying the food and (we assume) the wine. It was a fun day, worth the trip, and we'll happily sip the Gewurztraminer tomorrow night and remember the event fondly.