Wine And Rosecliff 2018

With Nancy Bean (R) of Wise Up Events and friend.

 

We kicked off the Newport Mansions Food And Wine Festival with a big party at Rosecliff mansion for Wine And Rosecliff.  The festive gala is a bit dressier than the others and although the wine was flowing and the food being served all night it was definitely more of a party atmosphere.

 



We caught up with great friend Nancy Matheson-Burns of Dole And Bailey.  She has just been named to the Massachusetts Restaurant Association Hall Of Fame for her service to the local restaurant and food scene.  One of only three women to ever been named to the Hall Of Fame we cannot think of a more worthy recipient.

 

Nancy Bean (l) and Chef Lydia Shire.

 

There was live music and dancing in the ballroom, tables set for a more relaxed sipping and snacking alternative and plenty of colorful characters to liven up the night. 

 



All in all, it was a terrific evening set against the glamor of Bellevue Avenue, the Cliff Walk and, of course, the mansions. 

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Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival 2017

The clouds and mist gave way to brilliant sunlight as we approached Marble House for the 2017 Newport Mansions Food & Wine Festival.  It's definitely our favorite celebration of the year.

After being welcomed in we briefly stepped into the sumptuously ornate first floor dining room, one of many in the mansion, then rushed out to see who was there before the event was opened to the public and attendees streamed in.

Each guest is greeted with a glass and a quick pour before entering the massive tent where vintners and vendors await.

We simply could not walk by the station our friends at Dole & Bailey were hosting.  They grilled up steaks and shrimp all day to the sellout crowd proving to be, without question, the most popular vendor at the festival.

The famous Chinese Pagoda was hosted for VIP guests by Chateau d'Eclans.  After a few stops at some wine and restaurant booths, we entered the party.

The day long party was hosted by none other than Paul Chevalier, Managing Director at Chateau d'Eclans.  We sipped Whispering Angel and Rock Angel, their newest rosé, both great, as we chatted with others.  Wine Enthusiast gave the Rock Angel a great review, noting the "depth of flavor from the zest and red berry fruits."

The Pagoda was beautifully laid out with comfortable settees and couches and decorated in the signature pale rose wine color.

After mingling for a bit we basically had the very best seats in the house, a table on the porch of the Pagoda overlooking the entire event including the cooking demo stage and the ocean views.

Trudy Cox, CEO of the Newport Mansions Preservation Society even stopped by to say hello. 

The weather and stunning backdrop make this event a spectacular affair every year.  The perfect weather, variety of participants, really friendly crowd from all over the country (we even snagged an invite to the Kentucky Derby 2018 from new friends we met from Louisville) and all of the great food made this the very best festival we've attended.  They just seem to get better and ramp up the quality of the experience every year.

We tasted plates from some great restaurants both local and neighboring locales, including Boston, along with some great new wine discoveries.  More on that later.

All in all a wonderful weekend yet again of like-minded food and wine lovers!

We attended this event as members of the media with no remuneration or any promise of editorial consideration.

Wine And Rosecliff Gala 2017

A heavy, cold mist and brisk winds could not keep the crowd away from Rosecliff mansion in Newport last Friday to kick off a wonderful evening of socializing, drink, and food at the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival 2017.

Among the guests we ran into were Kylie McCullough (l) of Bravo's Real Estate Wars and Amy Bruni (r) of Ghost Hunters fame.  Oh, how we'd love to tag along and see what upstairs/downstairs paranormal activity she'd discover on Bellevue Avenue!

Dean Igoe, our photographer, was even able to take a little time to enjoy meeting some of the guests.

 

Bill Burns and Nancy Matheson-Burns of Dole And Bailey

Nancy Matheson-Burns, CEO/President of Dole & Bailey, was there.  The Dole & Bailey cooking demo area proved to be THE most popular at The Grand Tasting events showcasing their meats and seafood.

And we met many, many new friends there, as well.  As far as the foods, we absolutely loved Rachel Klein's Corn Mousse with Clams and The Red Lion Inn's Corn Tortellini.  Chateau d' Eclans Whispering Angel was our favorite sip of the night but there were many other interesting wines.  More on that to follow.

All in all, another fantastic gala event to kick off a great weekend in Newport.

We attended this event as members of the press/media.