Wine and waves are best enjoyed back to back.
Wine tasting and surfing may seem like unrelated experiences, but they have more in common than you think. If anyone has the knowledge to speak to both, it’s Erin Swain, recreational surfer and a sommelier who has worked at properties like Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.
“It takes time to understand the nuances of the ocean, and when surfing, you’re forced to be in the element,” she says. The same can be said of wine. “It can overwhelm you with its beauty and power. You need to stay present to pay attention to the aromas that are expressive right under your nose.”
And it’s not uncommon to find people who appreciate both activities. Kyle Knox, former pro surfer and founder of J. J. Knox Wine, is another surf-and-sip enthusiast: "There's nothing better than a glass of world-class wine and good eats after a solid surf session,” he says. “I look for those made by winemakers who sustainably farm and believe in minimal manipulation to let the grapes show their natural territory.”
When the weather cools, Swain follows fall storms up the coast. In New Hampshire, she rides the swells at Rye on the Rocks before getting a glass at Bridge Street Bistrot; in Maine, she surfs at Higgins and York beaches, then unwinds at Old Vine's Wine Bar.
Here are five more places that attract surfers with a love for wine.
“It takes time to understand the nuances of the ocean, and when surfing, you’re forced to be in the element,” she says. The same can be said of wine. “It can overwhelm you with its beauty and power. You need to stay present to pay attention to the aromas that are expressive right under your nose.”
And it’s not uncommon to find people who appreciate both activities. Kyle Knox, former pro surfer and founder of J. J. Knox Wine, is another surf-and-sip enthusiast: "There's nothing better than a glass of world-class wine and good eats after a solid surf session,” he says. “I look for those made by winemakers who sustainably farm and believe in minimal manipulation to let the grapes show their natural territory.”
When the weather cools, Swain follows fall storms up the coast. In New Hampshire, she rides the swells at Rye on the Rocks before getting a glass at Bridge Street Bistrot; in Maine, she surfs at Higgins and York beaches, then unwinds at Old Vine's Wine Bar.
Here are five more places that attract surfers with a love for wine.