Passport to Connecticut Wine Country 2026: Explore Wineries, Win Prizes

This article breaks down the 2026 Passport to Connecticut Wine Country season. It highlights the 37 participating farm wineries, new entrants, how to collect stamps, the enhanced prize pool, and why residents from across Connecticut—including towns like Lebanon, New Preston, Southington, and beyond—should plan a wine country tour this year.

What’s New in 2026

The Passport program opened on May 1 for the 2026 season. Now it features 37 participating farm wineries statewide.

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This year brings three new entrants—Ox & Oak Vineyard in Lebanon, Spring Hill Vineyards in New Preston, and Long View Ciderhouse in Southington. Each one offers something pretty different, from woodland scenery to historic farm settings and a cidery with orchard views.

To make things easier, the booklet’s inside cover now includes a QR code for quick registration. Some wineries can issue stamps using live QR codes on site.

You can stamp your passport by scanning the code, tapping “stamp my passport” in the mobile app, or just showing a stamped printed booklet. The Connecticut Farm Wine Development Council runs the program under the state Department of Agriculture, which also works on education, research, and farm wine development.

How Passport Works

The idea’s simple: visit Connecticut farm wineries, collect stamps, and enter prize drawings as you hit stamp milestones. The season runs through Dec. 31, 2026.

End-of-season prize drawings happen by Jan. 31, 2027. Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz points out that Passport invites people to discover not just the wineries but also the broader attractions in each town—shops, trails, restaurants, and scenic byways included.

New Entrants for 2026

Ox & Oak Vineyard — Lebanon, woodland‑adjacent setting, offering a classic farm winery experience.
Spring Hill Vineyards — New Preston, historic farm atmosphere with hillside terroir and tasting options.
Long View Ciderhouse — Southington, a branch‑to‑bottle cidery pairing with orchard views.

Prizes, Tiers, and Timelines

The prize pool’s been bumped up to $15,000, split across multiple drawings in three categories: Taster (12+ stamps), Sommelier (18+ stamps), and Winemaker (35+ stamps). You don’t have to win to enjoy the experience, but hitting higher stamp counts gives you more chances in the drawings.

Wineries can issue stamps through live QR codes, and you can also stamp your passport via the app or at a kiosk with a printed booklet. The structure really encourages longer visits and deeper exploration of Connecticut’s wine country.

Why Connecticut Towns and Wineries Matter

Passport to Connecticut Wine Country shines a light on the local economies and community attractions around each winery. The program connects wine tourism with broader experiences in towns statewide—from Hartford and New Haven to Stamford, Bridgeport, Norwalk, Greenwich, and Old Saybrook, plus inland spots like Litchfield and the Lebanon–New Preston corridor.

Honestly, a day trip or weekend can easily pair tasting rooms with shopping, hiking, museum visits, or farm markets. That’s probably why the program’s reach goes well beyond just the vineyard gates.

Connecticut has over 45 licensed farm wineries, and plenty use 25% or more locally grown fruit (some even 51% or higher). Passport readers get to taste not just wines and ciders, but also a real commitment to Connecticut’s agricultural heritage and sustainability goals.

Plan Your Visit

To learn more, register a booklet, or find participating wineries, just head over to ctwinecountry.com. You’ll also see the latest prize details there.

The Passport program blends viniculture with a bit of regional adventure. It invites folks from Waterbury to New London, Groton, and Danbury to savor Connecticut’s farm wineries and wander through the state’s towns and trails.

Maybe you’re in East Hartford or Danbury. Either way, this season looks like a flavorful and educational trip through Connecticut’s ever-changing wine country.

Here is the source article for this story: Passport to Connecticut Wine Country offers prizes

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