Trip on a Half Tank: Wine and Dine at Brignole Vineyards

Aug. 10, 2020 | Payton North
payton@thereminder.com

Brignole Vineyards, located in East Granby, CT, welcomes patrons to their grounds to enjoy wine, food and company – all while being socially distanced and following CDC guidelines.
Photo Credit: brignolevineyards.com

Once upon a time, The Reminder had a column called “Trip on a Half Tank.” The idea behind the column, if you haven’t already guessed it, was to feature local day trips that people could take in the area on a half tank of gas.

The column hasn’t been around for a while, but the news staff has been tossing around the idea of bringing it back to promote having safe, socially distanced fun in the area for those who may be interested in venturing out of the home.

I recently celebrated my 25th birthday, and a few friends (who I have been safely visiting for a while) and I decided to take a trip on a half tank to Brignole Vineyards in East Granby, CT.

I had been to Brignole once before, last December. It was a stunning location to be at during the holidays; with their fireplace crackling and beautifully decorated Christmas tree beside it, I was in cozy heaven.

Brignole is a sprawling vineyard that has gorgeous grounds where people can bring a picnic blanket and sit anywhere on the vineyard and enjoy wine, snacks and good company. For those who would rather a table and chairs, Brignole has a large, open–air tent set up with numerous picnic tables underneath, all properly spaced to CDC guidelines. In addition, there are also tables and chairs on the deck of the winery’s building.

Within the winery building, the décor is warm and cozy, while offering two bar tops that serve as their tasting area set-ups. In a pre-COVID world, guests could stand with their party at the bar and be walked through a tasting of six wines of their choosing from their expansive winery list. The guests could then purchase their favorite wines by the glass, or by the bottle, if they chose to do so.

Today, in a post-COVID world, Brignole is allowing guests to purchase wines by the glass and the bottle, however tastings are unavailable at this time. Guests must wear masks to be served, there is ample hand sanitizer available and social distancing is a must.

When my friends and I arrived, we walked into the building and up to one of the bar tops to purchase our beverages. Along with their delicious wine list, Brignole had multiple unique sangrias and two wine slushies available for purchase.

I had the pleasure of enjoying Brignole’s lavender lemonade sangria, and later, their raspberry lemonade rosé slushie. For someone who loves wine, both were a treat. I found the lavender lemonade sangria to be refreshing and light, while the slushie offered a welcome coolness on the hot, 85-degree day.

The winery sells to-go style cheese, crackers, fruit and veggie platters for interested groups. In addition, nearly each day, Brignole welcomes a food truck or two to their grounds for patrons to purchase food if interested. On the day we were at the winery, a lobster shack truck was on site selling scrumptious smelling seafood. For those who are interested in specific food trucks, Brignole lists which food trucks are coming to their wineries on specific days under “events” on their Facebook page.

My friends and I opted to sit outside at a picnic table, and were able to enjoy our wine and cheese. Eventually, a member of the staff of Brignole came to our table wearing a mask, gloves and carrying a large table–bussing bin. While in the past a winery may have refilled a patrons glass, Brignole took empty glasses after each use for a thorough cleaning. If a patron wanted another drink, they were able to purchase another one at the bar in a new glass.

Overall, my experience at Brignole was welcomed. It was so nice to have a change of scenery in the outdoors where I could enjoy my loved ones while being safe. I was happy to see the precautions the winery had in place to allow people a space to enjoy wine and food.

Brignole Vineyards is located at 103 Hartford Ave. East Granby, CT and can be reached at 860-653-9463, or visited online at brignolevineyards.com.

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