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Tag: saltwater farm vineyard

Hollywood loves Stonington Borough CT (“Hope Springs” with Meryl Streep is the latest movie shot there), a bit of Maine or Martha’s Vineyard squeezed into the southeast corner of the state.   Hilary and Ryan love this place too, and set their upbeat, super-summery wedding down in the Borough at the Calvary Church and up the road at the Saltwater Farm Vineyard.

As an aside…this is funny…last summer Hilary’s mom Sally contacted us and I had to laugh–I grew up in Cheshire down the street from them!   Back to their wedding…Hilary and the girls got ready at the Inn at Stonington with Jane shooting a fun walkabout in town while Ryan and his band of pirates (see photo) stopped by the Dodge Paddock conservancy down on the water.  Then onto the ceremony, where Ryan’s brother Michael–a great pianist–performed beautifully as did Hilary’s bridesmaid who sang amazingly…quite a talented group.  Salt Water Farm Vineyard has to be among the coolest places to share a drink with friends, looking out over the salt marshes towards Rhode Island with the Acela train flying by in the distance.  Great atmosphere for a party, which started with Hilary and Ryan’s whirling dervish first dance (to Veronica Martell and her band)….loved that dance!   And it continued with Hilary’s brother Paul MC-ing a great evening of speeches before more dancing.

Flowers seem to appear in every photo–another awesome burst of floral creativity by Yumiko of Hana Floral Design from her colorful bouquets to the towering Hydrangeas on the tables.  Such a fun wedding to photograph–it was great to see Hilary’s family again and to catch up with her cousin Tony who I played rugby with at Colby.

Congratulations Hilary and Ryan!!  Thanks so much for having us document your day!  To see many more pics click here…

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The web is teeming with wine websites and blogs giving recommendations for wine from all over the world.  But oftentimes at weddings, the wine choices are the old standbys..some kind of sparkling wine for the toasts and Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay.

Nothing wrong with that, but here are some idea starters to liven up your wine choices for 2010 and to discuss with your caterer and venue.  And you don’t have to break the bank in the process.

Just think of the M’s.

Meaning

Weddings are all about meaning…so why not follow suit with the wines.  If your family has Portuguese heritage, serve up wines from the Douro and Alentejo.  If your family is originally from Michigan, buy some bubbly from L. Mawby, a top sparkling winemaker from the Leelanau Peninsula in Michigan.

One of our brides from 2008 served red wines made by her dad’s company,  Black Rock Vintners, at her Fairfield County wedding.  And Sara, our 2009 client who works at a wine importer specializing in South African wines, naturally chose a Kanonkop South African red to pour at her wedding at the Branford House in Groton CT last summer.

And, of course, if you and your fiance have great memories of drinking Veuve Clicquot, well then…relive those memories at your wedding!

Menu

Instead of hard and fast rules on red and white wine food matches….just remember what the chefs and vintners say: “What grows together goes together.”

Whatever cultural direction your wedding menu takes, try to pair wines from the same region (or wines made in that region’s style).  Of course there’s oysters and Champagne (ok they don’t come from the same region…for that you could try a Muscadet), and for your tapas why not try an Albarino from the Rias Baixas region in Spain.  Rose wines from the south of France also pair well with rich wedding appetizers.  And a Cotes du Rhone or spicy southern Rhone wines from Vacqueyras (made from Syrah and Grenache) go well with all kinds of savory red meat dishes (the ’07 vintage is amazing).

Multitude

Remember that today there are wines made in all 50 US states (give me some of that Alaska vino!) and that great delicious wine comes from everywhere from Austria to New Zealand.  Broaden your search and have fun in choosing the wine for your wedding!

Bubbly ideas: don’t forget that there are delicious sparkling wines besides authentic Champagne from France.  Check out the Cava from Spain, Prosecco from Italy and top American sparkling wines.  Jane and I love J sparkling wine from California.

Or better yet…get married in a winery…check out the wineries along the Connecticut Wine Trail.  Several nice CT vineyards that host weddings are Jonathan Edwards Winery in North Stonington,  Chamard Vineyards in Clinton, and Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, Connecticut.

Have fun picking wines that you’ll enjoy with family and friends on your wedding day!

Cheers!!