If you’re looking to add some spice to your winter, consider a visit to Newport, Rhode Island for the inaugural edition of the Viking Wine Festival. The Viking Hotel will hold a sequence of winemaker-hosted dinners featuring top personalities from the world of the vine. No need to head to Napa or Sonoma to get cozy with the lush Cabs and buttery Chardonnays that draw throngs of oenophiles to the Golden State. Respected California wineries including Frog’s Leap, Donelan Family Wines and Opus One Winery will be headed east to participate. The five Saturday dinners run from January 23 until March 19, 2016.
Wines will be paired with a four-course, fixed-price meal designed and executed by chef Barry Correia, who helms the Hotel Viking’s One Bellevue kitchen. Expect Correia to meticulously select the tastes that define this state’s vibrant food culture to perfectly partner with each distinct wine. The Ocean State is bound to the sea, so look forward to an abundance of boat-to-table edibles. Meats, game, sustainably raised produce and luscious desserts will round out each menu. The all-inclusive cost is $95 per person, with the exception of the Opus One dinner, which costs $175.
Bargain hunters are in luck as many of Newport’s top-notch hotels’ rates tumble during the chilly months. The Hotel Viking is offering budget-savvy overnight deals (starting at just $89!) so pack your toothbrush. You can spend the rest of the weekend exploring this coastal haven’s year-round culinary scene and cold-weather coastal charms.
Get Here: Ride the Peter Pan bus to Providence from Port Authority or take Amtrak from Penn Station. Once in Providence, you can hop bus number 60 run by RIPTA from Kennedy Plaza towards Newport. Get off at the last stop at Newport Gateway Center at 23 America’s Cup Avenue. The ride from Providence takes just over an hour.
To learn more about Newport, read oM’s story. For additional information on Newport, visit Discovernewport.org.
Photo: Frog’s Leap
Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributes travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She is fluent in Italian and Spanish and laughably adequate in French. Her background as an Early Childhood Educator gives her an added understanding of what it takes to travel with kids in tow. She firmly believes that the most important part of education takes place outside of the classroom, on the road, around the world. She never misses a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. Follow Allison at @gourmetrav.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram