The Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival is one of the premier tasting events on the east coast. The 9th annual event was held Sept. 19-21 at three Newport mansions: The Elms, Rosecliff and Marble House, with proceeds continuing to benefit the preservation of these iconic properties. Some 30 wineries, selected by invitation only, poured their best vintages at Friday evening’s tasting at Rosecliff — where “The Great Gatsby” was filmed — to a sold-out crowd donning cocktail attire. Saturday and Sunday’s Grand Tastings were a more casual affair, with hundreds of wines from some 100 wineries poured under a tent on the Marble House grounds, along with a Stella Artois Beer garden. There were also food samplings from 20 caterers and restaurants, and cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, including Martha Stewart. There were dozens of exhibitors, from Johnson & Wales University to Alex & Ani.

The event is founded and presented by the Preservation Society of Newport County. Trudy Coxe, CEO and Executive Director of the Society said, “When we created this event nine years ago, it was part of an effort to introduce the Newport Mansions to new audiences. We succeeded even beyond our expectations. Certainly the unique location is a big part of that success.”