In your sweeping glance of the 140 acre property you might just notice a large white blur and a smaller golden blur side by side. As these two figures approach you will see that they are actually the vineyard dogs, yes the large white one is a dog and not a horse. The white dog is Cooper and he is still a puppy. We rescued him from Alabama and he has been enjoying, probably more than anyone else, his free range of the farm land. Since he is a rescue we are not sure what type of breed he is, our best guess is an Akbash, which is a type of herding dog similar to a Great Pyrenees. If you've seen him walk you can probably tell that he has problems with his back legs, we have brought him to see specialists but he is still undiagnosed. If you have any suggestions that might help his hind legs we would love to hear them, but once you see him smile you can tell that Cooper's leg problems don't upset this happy go lucky dog. When we first got Cooper he was very shy and never wanted to visit the winery, but then he saw probably the most miraculous thing for a dog to see, a picnic basket. If you are one of those visitors that sees a big white dog near your picnic table trying to look as pathetic as he can, don't believe him he's not homeless and just tell him, "Cooper go home". He most likely will go home but he'll stop every few feet and look back with longing toward your picnic basket.

Now that little golden blur is Cooper's big sister Brandie. She is a four year old Golden Retriever who loves everyone. You might not see her very often because she likes to be inside the house, sitting on top of the sofa, and starring out the window dreaming about swimming in the pond. However, if you do see her outside please say hello to her and give a quick pat on the head if you would like, because she thinks that everyone that visits the winery is there to see her.

All of this is just on the outside of the winery; the inside of the winery is just as wonderful. When you enter the winery the first thing that catches your eye is the large stone double sided fireplace. Just imagine sitting by the fire as the snow is falling outside during the first snow of the season. If your eyes travel up the stonewall of the fireplace you begin to notice the ceiling. You may ask yourself why that ceiling is so interesting. The answer is that the whole front room of the winery is made in the post and beam method, which means not a single nail, was used when building the winery. These are just a few of the architectural features that bring alive the pastoral charm of the vineyard and winery. As you step into the larger tasting room you will be instantly reminded of why New England and its changing four seasons is a wonderful place to live and visit.

No matter how beautiful the views are and how wonderful the wine is these are not the only attributes that make Gouveia Vineyards a wonderful place to visit. The people that work here try each and every weekend to make visiting the winery an experience that you will want to repeat. The first person that you may see is the owner, Joe Gouveia. He may look familiar to you because he was on the August 2007 cover of Connecticut Magazine. Once you start talking to him you can see for yourself how warm and inviting he is. This is just one of the reasons that Gouveia Vineyards was voted The Connecticut Wine Festival People's Choice Award for Connecticut's Favorite Winery. While you're at the winery ask Joe if he would be able to give you a tour of the newly expanded wine cellar.

As you enter the winery you are greeted with a smile and told what you are able to experience during the visit. The wine servers will tell you that you can have a wine tasting for five dollars plus tax, which allows you to sample five wines and to keep the etched glass that you used to sample the wine. Or they may suggest buying a glass of wine for six dollars plus tax or a bottle of wine to share, with the prices ranging from fifteen dollars to twenty two dollars plus tax. The wine server will then remind you that you can bring in any type of food that you would like to the winery but you are not allowed to bring anything that can burn the tables or any other beverages. If you ask what we have to offer for non drinkers you will be informed that we offer a wide variety of nonalcoholic drinks and that we have complementary juice for young children. Once you are sitting at your table we have games, magazines, and books that you can use for your enjoyment. As your getting ready to leave the winery, the wine servers will ask you with a smile if you would like to have your bottle of wine placed in a bag so you can bring it home to enjoy for another night. As you approach the exit door we hope you sign our guest book and write down any comments that you might have. The wine server will then wish you a good night and a safe drive home. As the evening ends and the staff cleans up for the night we hope that you have enjoyed your visit and will return again with even more friends.