On Nettleton Avenue, North Haven has its own working winery, and on most weekends, one of the area’s busiest live music rooms.
Small Batch Cellars, at 37 Nettleton Ave., opened in June 2020. It calls itself an urban winery and music venue, and the combination works: wine barrels share the room with a stage, and the wine poured at the bar was made on site.
Two founders, one shared obsession
The winery is the work of Michael Annatone and Kristen Parsons, who met years before opening and made wine together for several vintages, according to the winery. They kept their batches small and tried “to push the envelope and make wine outside of the box,” experimenting with varietals, blends, styles and unusual ingredients. In the summer of 2020, they decided to open a space of their own.
Parsons is the winemaker. She has made wine professionally for more than 15 years, starting with a business degree from Babson College before earning a degree in viticulture and enology at Washington State University. Her career took her through wineries and vineyards in Washington State and Virginia before she came home to Connecticut, where she has been the winemaker at Chamard Vineyards in Clinton since 2015.
Annatone is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Executive Landscaping and Naturally Green, among other businesses. At Small Batch he’s the cellar master, and Parsons likes to call him the “resident engineer.” Walk around the winery, the founders say, and you’ll spot his inventions and custom designs.
Wine that changes with the vintage
The founders’ philosophy is to let each harvest speak. “They don’t want to produce year after year a wine that tastes the same, but instead bring out what that vintage has to say,” the winery explains. The lineup has included reds, whites, rosé and sparkling wine.
Look closely at a bottle and you’ll notice something missing: the foil capsule over the cork. The winery says it skips capsules on purpose. They’re no longer needed to protect corks in modern cellars, and making and discarding them creates waste from aluminum, tin or largely unrecyclable plastic.
The music
Small Batch has become a regular stop for tribute bands, jam bands and songwriters. Shows generally start at 7 p.m. and are all ages. The October calendar includes Big Brooklyn on Oct. 10, Mystic Dead on Oct. 16, The Blue Hounds on Oct. 23 and The Garcia Project’s Jerry Garcia tribute on Oct. 31. The free 21 Songwriters Music Fest takes over on Saturday, Oct. 24, with performances starting at 4 p.m.
In summer, the Sunday Vine & Vibes concert series brings shows outdoors, moving inside to an air-conditioned space if the weather turns. Tickets for shows are sold through the winery’s website. Later this fall, the calendar includes Comedy & Cabernet on Dec. 4 and a return of Wicked Peach, a band one Google reviewer below still raves about, on Dec. 12.
What to order
Soul Shine Sauvignon Blanc
The 2020 Soul Shine Sauvignon Blanc comes in a bottle with an agave on the label and the words “let your soul shine!” It’s a fitting pour for a night of music, and a good bottle to take home.
A white and a red, side by side
Can’t decide? Order one of each and compare. Because the founders let each vintage lead, what’s in the glass changes over time, so ask at the bar what’s pouring now.
A glass among the barrels
Part of the fun is drinking the wine where it was made. Grab a glass, pull up near the barrels and add à la carte cheeses, meats, crackers, baguettes or spreads from the winery’s daily selection.
Why we like it
Small Batch Cellars is something North Haven didn’t have before 2020: a place to drink wine made a few feet away while a band plays. Whether you come for a quiet Friday glass or a sold-out tribute show, it feels like a local secret that’s getting harder to keep.
What diners are saying
“Small Batch Cellars has recently emerged as one of my top Go To live music venues in the greater New Haven area. … the wines are tasty, the staff and guests are very friendly.”
— Stefan, Google review
“Small Batch Cellars is always an amazing time! It’s a great place to dance and I always see the best music there!”
— Starling Art, Google review
“Had a great time at Small Batch Cellars last night dancing and enjoying the music by Wicked Peach. Highly recommend it as a venue.”
— Paula, Google review
Good to know
Guests may bring their own food on Fridays and Saturdays, but outside food isn’t allowed on Sundays. Leashed dogs and children are welcome; the winery offers non-alcoholic drinks and snacks for kids. Small Batch hosts wedding receptions, ceremonies and corporate events, and sells gift certificates in $25 increments at the winery.
The wine club has three tiers, all with four pickup events a year: the Petit Cellar (3 bottles, $90 to $160), Vino-Philes (6 bottles, $180 to $320) and Grand Cru (a case, $283 to $545). Members get complimentary pours, members-only releases and events, discounts and priority on show tickets.
Key facts
- Where: 37 Nettleton Ave., North Haven
- Hours: Fri.-Sat. 3-9 p.m.; Sundays for Vine & Vibes summer concerts
- Phone: (424) 722-9463
- Price range: Not listed; wine club $90-$545 per release
- Founders: Michael Annatone and winemaker Kristen Parsons
- Website: smallbatchcellars.com
Playing a show or planning an event at Small Batch? Tell us about it, or send another North Haven tip, at northhavencourier.com/contact.
Photos: SallyRockinEats via Google; ELizabeth Glossa via Google; Chris Gee via Google; Photos courtesy of Small Batch Cellars
