Ernie Lewis Solo Acoustic at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard
Ernie Lewis Solo Acoustic at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard brings the longtime Wicked Peach vocalist and guitarist to North Stonington for an early-evening performance on Friday, September 11. Lewis will trade the full-band sound familiar to generations of southeastern Connecticut music fans for an acoustic set from 5 to 7 p.m. at one of the region’s newer vineyards.
The performance is part of Kingdom of the Hawk’s regular live music programming, which pairs local and regional musicians with wine, countryside views and the contemporary tasting room overlooking the vineyard.
For anyone who has seen Lewis front Wicked Peach at festivals, casinos, clubs and waterfront venues around the region, Friday offers a different version of a very familiar local performer.
Ernie Lewis: From Wicked Peach to Solo Acoustic
Ernie Lewis is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist for Wicked Peach, a southeastern Connecticut rock band that has been performing throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, and southern New England since 1996.
Over nearly three decades, Wicked Peach has become a fixture of the regional live music scene. The band’s repertoire crosses between rock and pop, with performances built around recognizable songs spanning several decades rather than a narrowly defined genre.
Lewis has been central to that sound as both guitarist and lead vocalist.
His solo acoustic performances pull the music into a much smaller setting. Without the volume and instrumentation of a full rock band behind him, the focus shifts toward Lewis’s voice, guitar and the songs themselves.
It’s not unfamiliar territory for him.
Lewis has maintained an active schedule of solo acoustic appearances around Connecticut in addition to his work with Wicked Peach. He has also performed with Wicked Peach guitarist Dan Watson as 2 Cat Zoo, an acoustic duo whose repertoire draws from decades of rock and popular music and emphasizes acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies.
That acoustic side of Lewis’s career has taken him to restaurants, taverns, waterfront venues and vineyards around the region. His September 11 appearance at Kingdom of the Hawk continues that tradition, this time surrounded by vines and the wooded landscape of North Stonington.
Live Music at Kingdom of the Hawk
Live music has become a regular part of weekends at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard.
The vineyard generally schedules performers on Fridays and Saturdays, with occasional Sunday music as well. Rather than operating as a separate concert venue, performances take place as part of the winery experience, allowing visitors to settle in with a glass or bottle while listening to music.
Lewis performs from 5 to 7 p.m., putting the show at the beginning of a September evening rather than late at night.
It’s a setting that suits his solo format. This isn’t Wicked Peach at full volume. The acoustic performance is designed for the more relaxed environment of a vineyard, where conversation, wine and the surrounding property remain part of the evening.
South County Barbeque Brings the Smoke
Wine and acoustic music won’t be the only things on the menu Friday evening. South County Barbeque will be at Kingdom of the Hawk serving its Southern-style, wood-fired barbecue during the event.
The Rhode Island mobile barbecue and catering company was founded in 2022 by Arthur Evans, a veteran who spent more than 20 years with the Rhode Island Air National Guard’s 143rd Airlift Wing. Evans traces his interest in cooking over fire back even further, to his years working toward becoming an Eagle Scout. What began as a serious barbecue hobby eventually became a business serving farmers markets, breweries, festivals and private events around Rhode Island.
South County Barbeque takes a competition-style approach to barbecue, cooking its meats low and slow over wood-fired coals. Its regular lineup includes hand-cut beef brisket, pulled pork shoulder, St. Louis-style spare ribs, pulled chicken, smoked chicken wings and pork belly burnt ends. Homemade barbecue sauce and dry rubs are part of the operation as well.
The sides stick close to barbecue tradition, with offerings that can include mac and cheese, baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw and honey cornbread, while banana pudding and homemade apple crisp appear among its desserts.
The food truck has also developed a following beyond its South County home base. South County Barbeque says it was named Rhode Island’s Best Mobile Food Vendor statewide in both 2023 and 2024, and it regularly travels to breweries and events across the state.
The exact food-truck menu available at Kingdom of the Hawk may be smaller than South County Barbecue’s complete menu and can vary by event, but expect smoked meats and classic barbecue sides to provide a considerably heartier option than the usual vineyard snack.
About Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard
Kingdom of the Hawk is a relatively recent addition to southeastern Connecticut’s wine country, but the people behind it have considerably deeper roots in the region’s wine industry.
Michael and Merrily Connery purchased the North Stonington property in 2018 and began planting vines that year. The couple had already established Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, transforming a former World War II-era airplane hangar into one of the shoreline’s distinctive winery destinations.
Kingdom of the Hawk became their second act.
The vineyard opened to the public in 2023 on a sprawling property along Pendleton Hill Road. Instead of recreating Saltwater Farm, the Connerys developed a winery with its own personality and architecture.
The centerpiece is a contemporary interpretation of an agricultural barn. The building combines the broad proportions and vaulted interior associated with a traditional barn with steel, stone, concrete and large expanses of glass.
Those windows aren’t incidental. The winery sits above portions of the surrounding property, opening views toward the vineyard, fields and woods beyond it.
Even the name comes from the landscape.
Hawks are regularly seen flying above the property, inspiring Michael Connery to incorporate the bird into the vineyard’s identity. He wanted the name to suggest a place rather than simply another winery, resulting in the somewhat grander Kingdom of the Hawk.
The Wines at Kingdom of the Hawk
The vineyard produces a range of red, white and rosé wines, including varieties particularly familiar to wine drinkers in southern New England.
Offerings have included Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir Rosé, Cabernet Rosé and Cabernet Franc, along with the vineyard’s Raptor Red.
The Connerys work with French-born consulting winemaker Gilles Martin, who also has a long association with Saltwater Farm Vineyard. Martin’s winemaking career has included work in France, California and on Long Island’s North Fork before his involvement with Connecticut wineries.
Kingdom of the Hawk operates a little differently from the traditional winery model visitors may expect.
The vineyard doesn’t offer conventional wine tastings or flights. Instead, guests choose wine by the glass or purchase a bottle. Connecticut craft beer and cider are also available, giving non-wine drinkers additional options during an afternoon or evening at the property.
A Friday Evening in North Stonington
The September 11 performance brings together two familiar pieces of southeastern Connecticut’s weekend culture in one place: a musician whose career has been built largely in the region and a vineyard created by people who have spent years developing Connecticut wine destinations.
For longtime Wicked Peach listeners, the biggest difference may be what’s missing.
There’s no full band behind Lewis. No wall of guitars or drums driving the room. Instead, the songs come down to one musician, his voice and an acoustic guitar as Friday evening settles over the vineyard.
Details
Event: Ernie Lewis Solo Acoustic at Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard
Date: Friday, September 11, 2026
Time: 5–7 p.m.
Performer: Ernie Lewis (Wicked Peach)
Music: Solo acoustic rock and popular music
Food: South County BBQ
Venue: Kingdom of the Hawk Vineyard
Address: 113 Pendleton Hill Road, North Stonington, CT
Beverages: Kingdom of the Hawk wines are available by the glass or bottle; Connecticut craft beer and cider are also offered
Wine Tastings: Kingdom of the Hawk does not offer traditional tastings or flights
Featured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people, location, or activities shown.