FAQs
What is Passport to CT Wine Country?
Passport to CT Wine Country is a program of the CT Farm Wine Development Council (CFWDC). CFWDC is a voluntary council administered by the CT Department of Agriculture, to market licensed farm wineries wishing to participate. Besides the popular Passport, the council provides education for the wineries annually and operates a successful wine booth in the Connecticut Building at the Big E each fall.
How can I participate?
The app is available at no cost through App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android). Simply search for “CT Wine Passport” and download.
Can anyone participate in the program?
Anyone over 21 years of age can participate, in accordance with Connecticut liquor laws.
Is there a charge or purchase necessary to get a stamp at a winery?
There is no purchase necessary to collect a stamp at the wineries.
Can people who are not Connecticut residents participate?
Any person over the age of 21 is allowed to participate in the Passport program. Participants do not have to be Connecticut residents.
What is the purpose of the Passport to CT Wine Country mobile app?
The Passport to CT Wine Country mobile app is an agritourism product, developed with funding from the CT Farm Wine Development Council through Community Investment Act dollars. It is a collection of participating licensed farm wineries offering consumers the opportunity to experience award-winning wines, experiences, and more throughout the state. It features 35 participating farm winery locations. Locals and visitors can use the app to navigate their way through CT Wine Country to seek new experiences and taste unique products. Create your own itinerary, explore by region, product, or experience, tag your favorites, collect stamps, and be entered in the prize drawing as you explore CT Wine Country.
I’m at a Connecticut farm winery but it’s not in the app. Why is that?
All farm wineries listed in the Passport to CT Wine Country app are licensed farm wineries using at least 25% Connecticut Grown product in their wines. Businesses must apply to participate and meet the eligibility criteria. We encourage all eligible farm wineries to learn more about joining Passport to CT Wine Country. Feel free to let them know that you’d love to see them in the app!
How many farm wineries are involved with Passport to CT Wine Country?
Passport to CT Wine Country has 35 participating wineries throughout the state.
What are the prizes as you earn rewards for the Passport?
For each participating winery you visit and hit “Stamp Passport” you earn 1 point towards a reward level. Once you reach a reward level, redeem to be entered into the prize drawing to be held at the end of the year. More than 60 prizes will be offered!
Visit all 35 participating farm wineries and achieve Winemaker status in the Passport to CT Wine Country! Redeeming this reward makes you eligible for the grand prize drawing. Prizes include 2 multi-day getaways and a chauffeured limo ride by Gateway Limousine to visit farm wineries in the future.
In addition, the first 50 users to obtain all 35 stamps will receive a special commemorative gift.
Visit 18 participating farm wineries to achieve Sommelier status in the Passport to CT Wine Country! Redeeming this reward makes you eligible for the drawing to receive a gift certificate to experience a destination or business in Connecticut. Prizes include hotel, spa, restaurant, theatre, and specialty cheeses and chocolates. A total of 24 winners will be selected, receiving a gift certificate to a designated business.
Visit 12 participating farm wineries to achieve Taster status in Passport to CT Wine Country! Redeeming this reward makes you eligible for the drawing to receive 2 bottles of wine from a participating farm winery. A total of 35 winners, each receiving a voucher to obtain 2 bottles of wine, will be selected.
How does the Passport feature work?
For each participating winery that you visit, you can have your passport virtually stamped, all you have to do is click “Stamp My Passport” in the Passport section of the App and GPS will take care of the rest. Stamps can only be earned at participating farm winery locations or festivals. Off-site events hosted by individual wineries are not eligible to receive a stamp (i.e. winery at a farmers’ market or fair).
(Having issues stamping your passport? Check out the FAQs below.) As a passport holder, once you reach a reward level you can redeem to be entered in the prize drawing for a chance to win. After one year, your stamps will expire, and you will begin your Passport anew. Don’t worry, your expired stamps will still be accessible in case you want to relive your past adventures.
What if I’m having trouble stamping my passport at one of the participating farm wineries?
First, try going to your phone settings to make sure your location services are enabled for the CT Wine Passport mobile app. If your phone still does not recognize that you are at a Passport stop it’s possible other factors like poor network connectivity could be interfering with the GPS feature. Not to worry! You can request a manual passport stamp inside the Passport section of the app. All you need to do is submit a manual stamp request along with a photo. This photo must show YOU inside the passport location or on the patio with signage in the background to definitively prove that you are at the winery location. Photos of food, beverages, coasters, menus, passport booklets, receipts, photos taken when the winery is closed, photos taken while driving by, images taken from the internet or other images will not be accepted. All inappropriate images will be automatically disqualified.
What if my app isn’t working right?
If you’ve got a question that isn’t answered here or want to provide feedback on the app, please feel free to email Support by going back to the menu where you found these FAQs and tapping “Feedback & Support.”
Where can I find more information about Passport to CT Wine Country?
For more information, please visit www.CTWineCountry.com and follow us on Instagram (@ctfarmwineries) and Facebook (@ctfarmwineries).