events

I maintain a mental list of all of the things that I want to do during a Massachusetts summer, and I don’t think I could get to it all unless I had at least a month off. As I mentioned in last week’s post about day trips from Boston, we decided this summer to stick around, enjoy our new house and yard, and take day trips that brought us back home each night. We also took a few random Fridays off to ensure we had time to do this.

Last Friday, after a beautiful day in Westport, we finally got to one of the activities I have really been wanting to do, take in the Sunset Music Series at Westport Rivers Winery and Vineyards.

I’ve long been a fan of Westport Rivers wines, and I always try to include them on our Coastal Wine Trail travels. Their winery, paired with a visit to Travessia Urban Winery, makes for the perfect day of wine for me and always feels like a little vacation.

The Sunset Music Series at Westport Rivers is an easy, laid back way to spend a Friday night. It’s $10 per carload, and you can bring in all the food you would like. Beer from Buzzards Bay Brewing and wine from Westport Rivers is for sale by the bottle or glass.

The concert is held out on the lawn in a stunning setting overlooking Westport Rivers’ vineyards. People had some serious setups with tables, chairs, candles etc. We opted for a simple sheet and some bug spray so that we could lay back and look at the sky while enjoying the music.

Before we sat down, we wandered to the vines to check on the grapes. I love following the stages of grapes in various places. In Sonoma, veraison (change in skin color) has begun to take place and some grapes are already getting ready for harvest. Due to our climate we have a later harvest here usually. I love all of the little factors that go into winemaking, though I know it is very stressful for the vineyard owner!

We arrived at Westport Rivers before setup and were able to go inside and taste their Farmers Fizz before buying a chilled bottle to bring outside. The Farmers Fizz is easily my new favorite sparkling wine. It’s made in the traditional Champagne method and is so full of yeasty brioche notes, great body, and features a beautiful golden color. This sparkling wine could, in my opinion, give certain high end Champagnes a run for their money. . . and it’s only $20 a bottle!

Since we had been out and about all day, we also opted to take advantage of all of the food offerings at the concert. Compton Clambakes were on site with lobster rolls, hot dogs, pulled pork, and stuffed quahogs, and Cuttyhunk Shellfish were shucking up littlenecks and some of the best oysters I have had. I polished off 10 on my own.

(Cuttyhunk Island is another day trip I want to get to. We need more time off in the summer or a longer warm season here! )

Westport Rivers is the perfect place for a concert. The lawn was full of happy families and friends, the wine and coastal food were flowing, and the music put smiles on everyone’s face. I would love to make this a weekly tradition, but since the concerts happen at 6:00 on Friday night, we’d be lucky to get there before they were over, with Boston traffic and all! It was nice to have a day off to be able to head down to experience this summery New England event.

Have you discovered any new to you summer events this year?