Newport Vineyards & Restaurant — Restaurant in Middletown

My wife and I first visited in summer of 2014. They had just opened a tasting area (now a restaurant) at the front of the winery, there were maybe three other couples joining us for the tasting and following tour. What a gem we had found! My wife and I purchased several bottles of wine. We were then encouraged to enjoy on their property, now a farmers market. Fast forward to this past Saturday when we stopped in again while in Providence for the water fire.... What happened to the quaint little vineyard? First off there’s no parking, unless you want to pay a valet? No thanks! We drove to the front and were met with a sign, "Handicapped parking only beyond this point, all others will be towed". There were several parking spaces available not designated as handicapped, one of which we parked in.... Why is this? Upon walking into the new market/salesroom/ area I was immediately shoved aside by a girl leading tour group, excuse me for being in the way...? My wife and I were stunned by the new building, overwhelmed actually. We quickly grabbed two bottles and asked for a couple of cups to drink the wine from.... "You can't open those bottles here"... Not to repeat myself, but this was barked at me four times when I asked if there was a place where we could enjoy our $40+ purchase on the premises.... Nope, not like 2014, full of snobbery, (hey folks, this isn’t Sonoma or Napa) and rude angry people aren’t there to help, only collect your money. Huge disappointment to a previous wonderful visit, we’ll never return and suggest you don't bother stopping either!

NewportVine, Manager at Newport Vineyards, responded to this reviewResponded July 5, 2019

Hello! Thank you for stopping in, and for reviewing your time with us. We are disappointed to know that we failed to provide an excellent experience for you and your wife. We are glad to say that our vineyard has grown, in addition to the brewery and increase in private events, quite a bit the last 5 years. We have extremely limited parking on Saturdays as we do experience a high volume of customers. This past Saturday, a large portion of our Vineyard was closed down for the safety and comfort of both staff and guests, due to the possibility of rain. Since we serve so many people, we aim to control consumption as much as possible by not allowing guests to have open bottles on site. In place of open bottles, we offer glasses of wine or pints of beer. As always, safety is a main priority for us. We do apologize for any inconvenience caused by this. You are more than welcome to visit again, hopefully during a more quiet day, as we are open all week through October! Thank you again, and have a great day.

Notice how they completely deflect and avoid the issues and instead make excuses....

Response from the owner 22 hours ago Hi Randy. First, thank you for returning 10 years later. We want to take a moment to clarify to anyone reading that we don't have a valet, and parking is always free. We have plenty of spaces in our parking lot and overflow plans with extra parking. The sign to the upper parking spots does not state anything about towing, it reads "handicap access only" to save accessible spots for those who may need, as well as direct traffic to the larger parking lot on the other side of our building. We offer wines by the glass at reasonable prices ($8 - $10) to be enjoyed onsite rather than bottles so that we can ensure all consumers are 21+ and enjoying safely. While we've grown our operations to be able to accommodate the number of visitors we receive, our team really strives to provide superb service. We've received a lot of praise about our offerings and service this summer, and we're sorry that you didn't experience the same.

Response from Randy: Excellent! I guess y'all learned from what worked and what didn't, we'll have to...

Newport Vineyards is hands down the most amazing place to get married. If you don’t want to read my entire review, here’s a quick synopsis: this venue has it all—breathtaking spaces, incredible farm-to-table food, a top-notch staff, and the perfect vibes for any celebration. From start to finish, they made our wedding unforgettable, and we wouldn’t have changed a thing (except wishing the night could last forever!).

We dreamed of a cozy Christmas-winter vibe for our wedding, and Newport Vineyards brought it to life in the most magical way. Our ceremony was held in the stunning wine barrel room, which was intimate, warm, and beautifully set for the occasion. The ambiance alone was worth every penny, but the food and drinks were what truly blew everyone away.

Our guests are still raving about the food! The bacon-wrapped scallops were heavenly, the handmade pasta stations were a huge hit, and the late-night crab rangoons were the perfect touch to keep the energy going. One guest even said, "Impeccable espresso martinis and Pinot Noir"—and we couldn’t agree more. The vineyard’s wine selection, paired with perfectly crafted cocktails, kept our guests smiling all night.

The staff at Newport Vineyards truly made the experience unforgettable. Jenna, our coordinator, was a dream to work with. She made all the planning decisions feel easy and stress-free, and her attention to detail ensured everything was exactly how we envisioned it. Nick, our catering manager, orchestrated the evening seamlessly, and we never had to worry about a thing. The bartenders were not only talented but also so much fun, adding to the festive atmosphere.

A special shoutout goes to Jeannene, our VIP server, who went above and beyond to take care of us throughout the night. From making sure we always had a drink in hand to ensuring we had time to eat and enjoy ourselves, she was simply amazing.

Our only complaint? The night ended too early! We didn’t want the party to stop because everything was so perfect. If you’re looking for a Newport wedding venue that delivers exceptional service, unforgettable food and drink, and a truly magical atmosphere, look no further than Newport Vineyards. It’s everything you could...

My wife and I got married in April at Newport Vineyards. From the first day we walked in to tour the site (which was the same day we booked it) until walking out the door at the end of our wedding, the entire process was wonderful. Jenna and her team were amazing. She was always available, prompt, and happy to answer questions. Our day turned out more perfect than we could have imagined.

We were the first lesbian wedding at Newport Vineyards and never once were we made to feel different or that our day wouldn’t be perfect. We were stress-free planning a wedding knowing that Jenna and her team were by our side. Our tasting meeting was one of the best meals we have ever had. We ate incredible food made by Chef Andy and tasted wine for hours while finalizing our menu. When we wanted to do things a little differently, we were met with excitement and flexibility.

Planning a wedding with an outdoor ceremony space can be stressful, but knowing that there was a gorgeous indoor space if the weather didn’t cooperate allowed us to relax the week leading up to the wedding. We knew that the team would make either site perfect. They coordinated everything with our vendors, so there was very little we needed to do once vendors were selected. We were able to enjoy the day getting ready, not wondering if the cake or flowers showed up on time.

The staff made our night down right magical. Everything we hoped for went off without a hitch (or if there was a hitch, we didn’t know about it)! We had such an incredible evening surrounded by family and friends, enjoying incredible food, wines, craft beer, and signature cocktails crafted by Brenna. The event staff were wonderful, attentive and ensured that every guest was taken care of. Darcy was our right-hand woman at the wedding and made sure we ate, drank, and felt special the whole night. It was perfection. We would 100% recommend Newport Vineyards! Our only regret is that we can’t get married...