Yoga And Wine–An Unexpected Combination in Clinton

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Marie Burkle calls Chamard Vineyards the hidden gem of her neighborhood.

Burkle often comes through the black wrought iron gates of the Clinton vineyard to sip a glass of wine, listen to music and relax on the gravel patio after a hard day’s work on her Killingworth farm. Now she is also coming to Chamard to practice yoga as part of a new summer series at the vineyard.

“I live down the street so I try to take advantage of everything Chamard has to offer,” said Burkle, who was at her first yoga class Wednesday night since undergoing kidney surgery three weeks ago. “I’m a nature girl and I love yoga so this is the perfect setting for me. I’d rather be here than in a studio.”

The classes are the brainchild of Branford yoga instructor Ava Tyler, who teaches in Guilford, Old Saybrook and New Haven and was recently named the Shoreline’s best yoga instructor by the E-List.

Tyler, 54, approached Chamard executives and offered to do classes as part of her ongoing initiative to offer yoga in unexpected places. She hopes to add museums, art galleries and other spaces to expose more people to yoga.

“This is a studio without walls,” said Tyler, surveying the vineyard’s lush 40 acres lined with rows of grapevines, rambling stone walls and a pond with a soaring fountain. “This is a very spiritual place. There is no noise and there are birds, water and fresh air. My hope is that by offering yoga outside of a studio, I’ll be able to reach a lot of people and show them that they need to be doing yoga.”

Known along the Shoreline for her innovative classes and focus on breathing, Tyler’s attitude toward yoga has changed since she first began at age 16 while trying to stay limber for her first love, modern dance. In her younger years, Tyler admits that she often felt competitive, considering it a feat to test her body and twist her legs behind her back. Today, she said her practice has mellowed and her ultimate goal is to listen to her body and keep it properly aligned. Like many of her clients, she has to cope with some physical limitations, including arthritis in her hands.

A resident at Turtle Bay in Branford, Tyler worked in real estate and retail before deciding to devote herself full-time to yoga about 10 years ago. Besides a busy class schedule, she has a long private client list that includes some of the Shoreline’s biggest movers and shakers. She said she wants to bring yoga to new places because she feels the world would be a better place if more people practice it.

“The world is getting to be a bigger place and more crowded and people are more stressed out than ever before,” she said. “Yoga gets you in touch with who you are. Your breath can tell you what’s right and what’s not working. Everybody should be practicing yoga.”

Though the one-hour classes are usually held on the grass near the pond, Tyler moved Wednesday night’s class inside a rustic barn when a light rain began to fall. About 12 people, including a few Chamard staffers, took their places inside the barn lined with huge oak barrels and a rough-hewn wooden bar, moving through poses while Tyler implored them to pause to “soak in the view, drink in the view.”

Jeff Vernon of Essex, manager of the winery, participated in the class and then quickly switched gears when four women wanted to sip wine after the mats were rolled up.

Pouring wine from a pitcher, Vernon explained that offering yoga is part of Chamard’s ongoing effort to draw more people to the vineyard and allow them to share the beauty of the property.

Founded as a winery in 1988, Chamard is owned by Guilford residents Jonathan and Bonnie Rothberg and produces about 6,000 cases of wine each year.

“We think this is a cool place, a special place that we want to share with the community and we feel that yoga is consistent with that spirit,” Vernon said. “I’ve had people tell me that they feel transported when they come through the front gates–like they’ve driven six hours when they are only 25 minutes from home. We want to share that feeling with a lot more people.”

Tyler plans to offer the $15 classes at 6 p.m. Wednesday throughout August at the vineyard. Other events this month include live music by area songwriters with food and wine from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night. It's located at 115 Cow Hill Rd. in Clinton.