Arrigoni Winery in Portland, CT

With the holiday season gearing up I definitely fell off the blogging wagon a bit. I usually keep all my blog ideas saved as scheduled drafts and I make sure I write them up before the schedule posting time but I felt so unmotivated that I procrastinated writing one and accidentally posted a title with no post body! Whoops! Before you go looking- yes- I deleted the post and tweet out of complete embarrassment.

I’m feeling back on track today so I’m going to write about my hands-down favorite Connecticut winery: Arrigoni Winery in Portland, CT!

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Every good winery needs to have a giant shrimp statue outside!

Not only do I really love Arrigoni’s wine but it holds a lot of sentimental value as the first Connecticut vineyard that I visited. I’ve also visited here the most and made a lot of fun memories that set it apart from the rest. Arrigoni is open year round so I’ve been in the spring as the trees start to bloom, the summer for yoga by the vines, and for fall which is complete with a fire on the back patio! They have a Christmas shop which makes them a perfect destination to sip wine and shop this holiday season!

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My favorites are the Orchard Valley and the Sugar House (bottom left corner.)

 

To be fair the one thing I don’t love about Arrigoni and that’s their tasting set up. Arrigoni uses a set tasting list so as a repeat offender I’ve tried those five wines many times! However, I like that they allow you to add on additional pours off the extensive wine list for $1/each. Often everyone in my party will pick one more to try and then we all share a sip which makes for a cheap way to try a bunch of new wines!

During summer months Arrigoni has wine slushies available in Mango Madness, Blackberry Sangria or a swirl of both flavors (my favorite!) During the fall and winter Arrigoni Winery serves mulled wines available in an apple or red flavor.

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I thought their slushies were good but HOLY MOLY THIS MULLED WINE IS AMAZING!

My most recent visit was my first one trying the mulled wine and it was amazing. Lucky for me Arrigoni is willing to share their secret by offering the mulling mix for sale!

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Arrigoni’s spacious grounds- during the summer they offer monthly yoga classes on the grass complete with a tasting on your yoga mat afterwards!

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If I’ve interested your enough to try Arrigoni Winery out make sure to check Groupon before you go. They offer a Groupon for first time visitors for a tasting for two or four people with a cheese plate. Exact hours and special event info can be found on their website here.

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Stay adventurous!

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Hartford Baking Co. in West Hartford, CT

Today I bring you another local coffee place that serves up coffee and so much more deliciousness! Hartford Baking Co. was another Yelp fueled discovery that I found in West Hartford, CT. They have two locations though I like to visit their New Park Ave shop because the parking is easier than the other location on Farmington Ave.

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Walking in I was immediately tempted by their baked good case!

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They also sell bread loaves, rolls, fresh made sandwiches and DO YOU SEE THOSE GIANT PRETZELS?!

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HOLY YUM!

My favorite thing they make (that I’ve tried so far) is the banana chocolate chip muffin.

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I came in close to closing time so I gobbled this down in my car.

One thing I really like about HBC is that they don’t do the typical pumpkin spice for fall- instead they offer a delicious autumn spice latte which I tried on my first visit.

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The autumn spice latte has a cinnamon/spiced type of flavor. It’s really good!

HBC has a good amount of tables so I can usually find a seat if I want to sit and work on my blog while I sip.

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Love to grab a seat in this cozy corner!

I’ve been to Hartford Baking Co. a couple times now. It’s definitely in my coffee shop rotation. They’re open daily 7:30a-3:00p (at both locations, I believe!) Let me know what you think if you’ve checked them out!

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Stay adventurous!