A Trip to the North Fork (Long Island Winery visits)
Walking through the vineyards at Sparkling Pointe
What's better than a weekend away with friends? That’s right: A winery tasting tour weekend with friends! Because friends + lots of wine = nothing better! A few months ago, I took a trip to the Long Island wine region in New York for a weekend with my husband and a few friends. It’s not hard for me to convince pals to tag along for wine tasting, so off we went!
Are you familiar with the Hamptons? Well, that’s the other fork. Stay with me here, I chose the North Fork region for this trip, which is the eastern end of Long Island for the novices out there. There are two major wine regions in Long Island: The Hamptons AVA and North Fork AVA (more about this in a bit). We chose the North Fork region for its distinguished wine but hopped over to the Hamptons for a special visit to Wolffer. We visited on a lovely early spring weekend, before the leaves had even come in on the trees (and vines!). We were emerging from a deep-cold-covid-winter and we had the best time exploring and tasting. We had one glorious day of sun and one drizzly gray day, but when wine is involved, even the rain can feel friendly.
Hello, my name is Holly and I am a wine expert and (ahem) accomplished vacation planner. I can sniff out the best places to eat and stay and play anywhere in the world from my little laptop and might I say, this was no exception! I found some pretty amazing food and accommodations! I planned our weekend down to the minute and handed out itineraries to our group who are accustomed to my travel shenanigans and humored me politely. I like a good plan, do you? And so I present you with our North Fork wine tasting itinerary and you are welcome:
ITINERARY
Trying to figure out where to visit can be daunting. There are so many wineries and only a short amount of time to visit all of them. My advice is to focus on visiting three wineries a day and give yourself time to eat, hydrate and get to each winery. Since I have a little expertise here, it was easy for me to focus on the wineries who are at the forefront of the wine scene.
SUGGESTED WINERIES:
Lieb Cellars, Macari, Paumanok, Shinn/Rosehill, Sparkling Pointe, Bedell, Castello di Borghese, Lenz, McCall, Osprey Dominion, and Palmer. In Hamptons: Wolffer and Channing Daughters
EAT: Noah’s, Bruce & son, American Beech
STAY: American Beech
TIPS:
Hydrate! Always order a round of water with your flight, and pack along more waters in the car.
Don’t wear perfume because it is a big no-no when wine tasting (no one wants your eau de cologne to overpower the aroma of the wine)
Hire a driver (NY wine tours)
Eat food (That’s right-dive into that burger)
Three wineries per day is a comfortable amount, I don’t suggest any more
ABOUT LONG ISLAND WINE
Long island (LI) has an interesting history in winemaking starting with the first commercial winery in 1973. Within this short time, Long Island producers have played with pinot blanc, chenin blanc, merlot and Cabernet Franc. It took time for Long Island winemakers to figure out what works given the soil and topography and a newer wine area will always need time to play with styles, oak usage and what grapes compliment the terroir. I will graciously skip over the few years that LI was making “big oaky chardonnays” and chalk that up to trial and error. While they are still years ahead of exciting experimentation, Long Island is getting it right.
Long Island wine is broken into two regions; The Hamptons AVA and North Fork AVA (both within the greater Long Island AVA). The reason for the separation has to do with the different soil and climate in the North and South fork. AVA stands for American Viticultural Area. Basically, it was the answer in the US to compete with the French wine system. AVAS have many flaws and don’t dictate a lot of the same things the French AOC system does (grape varieties, planting, pruning, etc) but it is important for labeling and identity. In general, the AVA is more of a defined geographical area that insists that if you list Pinot Blanc on a label, 85% of that grape must come from that defined area. The long island AVA was created (2001) to allow for blending from different grapes on the island and to include areas left out of the other two AVAs. Richard Olsen-Harbich of Bedell Cellars was the author of the AVAs (Bravo, Richard!).
For Extra Credit here is a little Climate/Soil lesson that is a major effect on the wine here:Growers here feel like the Atlantic influence is similar to the Maritime influence in Bordeaux, France. The North fork is surrounded by the Peconic Bay (south) and The Atlantic ocean (east). The water plays a major role in Long Island in terms of climate, temperature and what grapes can be grown.
Why is water important? Because it moderates the heat and cold, it extends the growing season (great for grape growing and ripens Cabernet Franc and Merlot.) It also reduces daily temperature and helps with spring frost/fall frost. The water is the reason wine growing is possible here in Long Island. Some vineyards are able to focus on different grapes depending on how close they are to water. Vineyards closer to the water are several degrees cooler than those closer to the road. The west tends to have higher temperatures and cooler towards Orient point. The negative here is the humidity and rain that creates problems for growers, but that is nothing new here (or in other wine growing countries).
SoilThe soil here was impacted by the glacier that moved over the area ten thousand years ago leaving rock which ground into gravel with silt sized particles leaving a topsoil of silt, clay and fine sand which is poor in water holding capacity which requires irrigation but great for good wine. To get extra geeky the soils types here Riverhead Sandy loam (more west) and the eatern end of NF has more haven loam.
LONG ISLAND SUSTAINABILITY
https://www.lisustainablewine.org/sustainability
A group of producers here forged together to create a Long Island specific sustainable code and certification. Sustainability is about “best practices” and has become a growing concern for wineries. The three main drivers here are environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic viability. Wineries with certifications: Bedell, Channing Daughters, Lieb cellars (in transition), McCall, Paumonauk (in transition), Shinn (now Rose Hill), Sparkling Pointe, and Wolffer Estate.
LIEB CELLARS
If you are looking for a fun tasting to enjoy with friends but also drink good wines- this is your stop.
To say, I am a fan, would be an understatement. My favorite part is the vibe which is fun, bright, cheery, and just plain cool. Like most of the wineries here, you can taste inside or on a patio. Tasting under the lights of the patio while looking out across the vineyard is a highlight!
We picked all the options for tastings and shared. (Don’t worry- we all had our own glasses).
Our line-up included: white wine flight, red wine flight and the Lieb cellars estate tasting. The standouts here were the Sparkling Pinot Blanc, sparkling rosé, pinot blanc and the meritage.
Let’s talk for a second about pinot blanc. Pinot Blanc gets overshadowed by Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio but it is a fantastic grape varietal which should be drunk more. It is also versatile in that it can be used to make sparkling wine, still or sweet wine. Lieb has really made a case for this wine and expression on Long Island. Pinot blanc is often compared to Chardonnay because it is similar in body and acidity, but it really is nothing like Chardonnay! The pinot blanc here is dry with a nice body rounded out by fresh fruit flavors (apple, pear) and a crisp acidity. This is a great wine for sipping or drinking while eating something spicy!
I also really enjoyed the Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay here (both the oaked and un-oaked version). I tend to favor white wines in Long Island, but I want to highlight the Meritage here which is their version of a Bordeaux blend. This wine had a lovely structure which would pair great with a burger.
13050 Oregon road, Cutchogue, NY Open 2-7pm everyday.
Reservations recommended
Flights around $20
Make a reservation on the website or though RESY
Eric Asimov picked the pinot blanc 2019 as the top 10 NY State wines to drink. (Ny TIMES 4/22/21)
Bridgelane (sister winery)
35 Cox Neck Road Mattituck, NY
Pandemic accommodations: staff had masks and accommodated multiple glasses for sharing. Clean and safe winery to visit. https://liebcellars.com/visit/
MACARI
Beautiful spot with top notch wines to accompany.
Macari is situated in a beautiful spot. The patio looks out across the vineyard where you might spot a sheep or two. I love, love, love this winery. Macari has various tasting rooms and options for visiting. Next trip- I am exploring the wine bungalow.
Macari has really thought about everything here for a beautiful tasting experience. The spring tasting is $35.00 for 3 wines accompanied with a cheese & Charcuterie board. The private tasting bungalows or tasting room is $185.00 per person.
The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Shout out to Audrey!
One of our favorites here was the sparkling Cabernet Frac called Sparkling horses. A great dry sparkling wine with low sugar which was juicy and delicious.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
We had the pleasure of meeting Gabrielle. The general manager and fellow diploma grad. She gave us a tour and talked about how important sustainability is to the family! We also tasted the Chardonnay Estate 2018, Rose 2019, Dos Aguas 2016, Syrah 2016, Lifeforce sauvignon blanc and Bergen road flagship red blend.
150 Bergen avenueMattituck
Tastings are appointment only: https://macariwines.com on a platform called tock
Opened 9-5pm Friday, 11-6pm Saturday & Sunday
ROSE HILL ESTATES (Formerly, SHINN ESTATE)
Charming farmhouse winery with a wide range of wines
Shinn opened in 2002 and was an early adopter of sustainable farming. They pushed the region to be adopters which can be hard given the notorious dicey climate. Shinn estates was recently sold to Randy & Barbara Frankel which ushered in a name change, Rose Hill Estates.
Tastings are held inside the barn and outside on the patio. A perfect set up to enjoy an afternoon. The wines here are well-crafted and stylistically creative. You can find a pinot blanc (oaked), a white blend (Sauvignon blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay, and pinot blanc) fermented separately and blended together. My favorite of the day was the Wild Boar (Bordeaux blend) and the non-vintage red blend.
Worth a visit to try something different!
2000 Oregon road
Mattituck, New York
Open daily 11-5pm
Reservations strongly recommended via open table
Flights cost $24.00 (classic & new release)
PAUMANOK
A quaint farmhouse set on rolling vineyards.
The tastings are held outside on the deck. The vibe here is more serious with focus on well-crafted wines. You won’t hear music piped in on the deck, but you will taste a beautiful Chenin blanc. The staff was friendly and savored telling us how the vineyard won 2020 winery of the year at New York Wine Classic.
The winery is family owned with a focus on sustainability and solar powered roofs. The sparkling blanc de blanc was lovely but at $50.00 it was a little too expensive for my taste. My favorites were the Chenin blanc and the barrel fermented Chardonnay which spends 7 months on oak.
My one problem here is that you must pay for water. As an expert wine drinker who highlights the merits of hydration during wine tasting-this bothered me. Water should be served to help guests not overindulge.
1074 Main road Aquebogue, NY
Open daily 11-5PM
Reservations only
SPARKLING POINTE
Perfect spot for bubbly lovers
A winery exclusively producing sparkling wine. They grow classic Champagne grapes; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The tastings were restricted to the tasting room during our visit. The inside tasting area is a large room with bright paintings and chandeliers around the room. The staff was not overly friendly, and our tasting felt more like a corporate meeting than an enjoyable wine tasting. The outside looks over the vineyard which might be a more relaxed setting.
The sparkling wine is well-crafted with a focus on excellence. My only hesitation is the price point. You will typically see these prices in the Champagne region in France, and in comparison, it is hard to consider this reasonable for the sparkling wines from the area, however good they are and well-made.
Try the topaz imperial brut rose and 2015 blanc de noir. These were my favorites.
39750 Country Road (48)Southold, NY
Reservations only
Open daily 12-5PM
BEDELL
Good wine, good fun and stunning art work
Richard Olsen has been at the helm as winemaker here for the last ten years and is one of my favorite guys here in LI. Richard authored the North Fork AVA in 1986 and has always focused on the quality that Long Island has to offer. He also co-founded the Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing. Bedell was started by Kip & Susan Bedell planted in 1980 and sold to the Lynne Family in 2000. Jonathan Lynne recently passed away, which has left Ninah Lynee in charge.
Bedell is situated on a beautiful property on the North Fork. The atmosphere is relaxed and fun. If you are a lover of art- you must visit the gallery inside the tasting room. There are a few options in terms of tasting. The patio with views of the vineyard or the tasting room. You can buy tasting portions, wine by the glass or a bottle. They also have cheese & Charcuterie boards available.
I am a huge fan of the quality of wine that is produced here and getting better every year. My favorite is the Musée, which is a bordeaux blend. My other favorites are Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grist, and the Cabernet Franc.
36225 Main RoadCutchogue, NY 11935
Open daily 11-5pm (until 6pm Sat/Sun)
No reservations necessary
photo by Traci Giles
Wolffer Estate
Gorgeous tasting room and patio
Take a little trip to the South Fork to visit wolffer They might not need an introduction (Ahem- Summer in the bottle rosé) but Wolffer is located in the heart of the Hamptons! (One of three wineries located in the South Fork).
Wolffer was founded by Christian Wolffer in 1988 when he bought the land, which was a potato field. Currently his children (Joey & Marc) run the estate, while Roman Roth remains the winemaker and now partner of Wolffer.
Fun fact: Pre 1997 the winery was called Sagpond Vineyard and the name change accompanied the opening of the new facility.
There are two ways to taste: The tasting room or the wine stand
Tasting Room: The tasting room is a great experience. It’s decor is beautifully decorated as you sit, relax and drink wine on the patio overlooking the vineyard. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and you can order a bottle or sit and taste (with snacks-of course)! We went for a tasting and I loved the Perle Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and the Sparkling wine! 130 Sagg road, Sagaponack
The Wine stand: The wine stand is a more relaxed environment with people dropping in on their way home from the beach or back to the city. You will see lots of picnic blankets and chairs scattered about. It is a great way to buy a bottle or two or some cider and sit and hang out.
3312 Montauk Highway, Sagaponack
Do yourself a favor- make a reservation and visit!
Bruce & Sons Greenport
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
While, I couldn’t visit EVERY winery there few more worth visiting are: Palmer, McCall, Pindar, Osprey, Lenz, and Castello di Borghese.
When it comes to winery visits there are so many options and I hope I helped. Long Island is not just a fun trip but also a wine region that stands on its own merits. Whether you want serious wine competing on the global market or a fun time hanging out in the vineyards with friends- this is your place!
Drop me a line and tell me what you think!