Step aside, Napa. Okay, the North Fork of Long Island might not have as many wineries as “Wine Country,” but there are still plenty of options for sipping and sampling. For those of you unfamiliar with Long Island, the eastern part splits into two: the North Fork and the South Fork. The South Fork is the Hamptons and Montauk and the North Fork is more low-key and includes towns like Riverhead, Cutchogue and Greenport. Starting in Calverton and ending in Southold, the North Fork Wine Trail ranges from small vineyards, ideal for intimate tastings, to larger ones for big groups. And it’s a much easier trip for us vino lovers on the East Coast than jaunting across the country.
Bedell Cellars
Come for the wine, stay for the view. Bedell’s tasting room is on a patio overlooking the vineyard and it’s gorgeous. While you’re sitting on the lawn in front of the vines at most wineries, the deck allows you to see the entire expansive property. Bedell’s tasting flight comes with a red, a white, and a rosé. It’s also very budget friendly: A flight of three wines is just $15. However, if you want to stick to just red or just white, you can pick and choose wines off the menu and do tastings of each.
Corey Creek Tap Room
Located in Southold, Corey Creek is absolutely stunning. You can sit on a picnic table and look out over the vineyards while sampling a wide range of wines. Here I got a flight of sauvignon blanc, rosé and merlot (the tap for the merlot was really fast and I basically got a full glass, which I was not mad about). During the summer, they have live music from 5-9 p.m. on Thursdays.
Ev&Em Vineyards
Ev&Em has a stunning tasting room in Laurel. You can sit on their gorgeous covered patio overlooking the property or at a picnic table on the lawn to be one with the vines. I’m not usually a pinot grigio fan, but their pinot gris is my favorite of their wines.
Jamesport Vineyards
One of the oldest vineyards on the North Fork, Jamesport Vineyards pretty massive. There’s seating inside, on the shaded patio and outside on the lawn. Inside of the wine house is Little Oak Wood-Fired Kitchen where you can order small bites and handcrafted pizzas. You can even buy their wine online and have it delivered right to your house on Long Island and in NYC.
Kontokosta Winery
Come for the wine, stay for the views. Kontokosta is one of the only spots on the wine trail on the water. Right outside of downtown Greenport, this is usually my last stop on the wine trail before heading into town for dinner. They close at 6 p.m. and stop serving flights somewhere between 5 and 5:30, so I recommend getting a bottle (or two) and making the trek across the lawn to the picnic tables near the bluffs that overlook the Long Island Sound. Plus they don’t kick you out of this part of the winery until around 6:30 p.m.
Lieb Cellars Tasting Room
Lieb Cellars is definitely one of my favorite vineyards on the trail. They’re located off the main street on Oregon Road in Cutchogue, giving it a quaint and cozy vibe. Lieb has a white wine tasting, which comes with four wines and an estate tasting, which comes with six wines – both red and white. Soak up all of that vino with “That Good Good” – a plate with warm bread, crackers, cheese spread, spicy prosciutto spread and hummus.
Lenz Winery
Open since 1978, Lenz Winery is one of the oldest vineyards on the North Fork. The massive estate spans 70 acres, including its adorable outdoor tasting room of about a dozen picnic tables. They’re equipped with umbrellas to keep you cool in the summer, as well as heat lamps to keep you warm in the late spring/early fall. Lenz has four different wine flights to choose from, but the best, in my opinion, is the chocolate pairing. It comes with five wines and four chocolates: one sparkling wine which stands alone, and two whites and two reds paired with various sweets from the North Fork Chocolate Company. While wine and cheese pairings are fairly common, this is the first time I’ve seen a chocolate pairing offered and it was absolutely fantastic.
Macari Vineyards
There are two Macari locations: The Cutchogue tasting room is temporarily closed, but the one in Mattituck is open. They offer wine tastings with cheese pairings for just $35. Right now you need a reservation to do a tasting on the deck, but even if you don’t have one you can still order a glass or a bottle and drink it at the tables on the lawn. If you are just doing a glass or a bottle, the “Lifeforce” Sauvignon Blanc is excellent.
Mattebella Vineyards
Mattebella Vineyards in Southold prides itself on its sustainable winemaking practices. They use organic fertilizers, organically-approved or “low impact” fungicides, native plants as a cover crop and don’t use herbicides. On the 15-acre vineyard, Chardonnay is the most predominant grape. At the Mattebella Tasting Cottage, they offer sit-down service, wine and food pairings, wine flight tastings, interactive vineyard experiences and VIP barrel tastings.
McCall Wines
Located in Cutchogue, McCall Wines is on the smaller side and has a more relaxed atmosphere. There are some high tops near the bar and picnic tables on the lawn for sampling wine. They have three different flights, or you can opt for the grand tasting flight, which is hosted by their sommelier and comes with a selection of reserve wines, cheeses, charcuterie, a baguette, olives, etc. What sets McCall apart from the slew of wineries on the Main Road is they offer a walking tour of the vineyard followed by a private tasting.
Paumanok Vineyards
Paumanok Vineyards has been in Aquebogue since 1983 and was named Winery of the Year at the 2021 New York Wine Classic. The Riesling came highly recommended, and while I’m usually not a fan of it, theirs is surprisingly good. You can enjoy the wine on their deck, at a picnic table on the lawn, or in a giant Adirondack chair facing the vineyard.
Suhru Wines
Suhru Wines is a tiny little tasting “house” in Cutchogue. The winery is family-run and “Suhru” is a combination of the owner’s names: Susan and Russell. There are picnic tables outside, but because they’re not on a vineyard and the view is of the parking lot, the spacious indoor tasting room is a great way to beat the heat.
For more wineries, visit liwines.com.
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