Long Island Vineyards

Wine Tasting on the North Fork

Mar 12, 2009

Escape for a one day vacation with a trip to the North Fork of Long Island to take a tour and go wine tasting at these great vineyards.

Long Island is a unique vacation destination, what with its close proximity to New York, beautiful beaches, and quaint little towns. One of its more popular places to go, though, is out to the east end of the Island, specifically, to its north fork vineyards.

There are dozens of fine vineyards out here, most of which offer tours, tastings, and otherwise complete and total isolation from the hustle and bustle of every day life.

Here are two of the very best vineyards that Long Island has to offer, in no particular order.

A Fun Vineyard to Visit with Friends

Located on 200+ acres of sprawling farmland, Martha Clara Vineyards is owned by the Entenmann’s Family – yes, the makers of everyone’s favorite soft cookies and cakes – with the vineyards actually taking the name of the founder’s mother. The land was originally a potato farm and the Entenmann’s had intentions of converting it to a thoroughbred horse farm, but as the North Fork soon became more popular with vineyards, they followed suit, and created what is now some of the Island’s most premier vineyard grounds.

The spacious, all-wood tasting room inside is cavernous and gorgeous, and you almost feel as though you’re actually within a wine barrel. The room itself is open year-round, Monday through Friday, from 11am-5pm, and Saturdays and Sundays, from 11am-6pm and is seemingly always filled with friendly local folk looking to share a warm conversation with out-of-towners. There are plenty of special events that take place here, too, including “Live Mic Night” at 7pm on Tuesday nights where a PA system is available and guest are invited to bring an instrument and take to the stage. Make sure to check out the vineyard’s web site before visiting for additional event information.

The Complete Vineyard Experience

Pindar Vineyards, Long Island’s longest continuously family-owned vineyard happens to also be its largest, with nearly 550 acres of ever expanding prime viticultural property. There are many popular varieties of wine offered here, including Cabernet, Merlot, and Chardonnay, as well as some lesser known styles, such as Viognier and Syrah. Altogether, Pindar produces over 60,000 cases of fine wines here at this one location.

A trip here allows for a greater appreciation to the struggles and, ultimately the triumphs and successes of a family-owned operation like Pindar Vineyards. The grounds that the vineyard is built upon are simply exquisite and the staff who work her are amicable and very knowledgeable when it comes to wine and the local area. Pindar Vineyards Winery & Pavillion is open 7 days a week, from 11am to 530pm for tastings and until 6pm for sales. Make sure to check out their web site before visiting – there are events taking place throughout the year, so there’s always something going on. Guided tours available from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The copyright of the article Long Island Vineyards in New York Travel is owned by Jeffrey Bausch. Permission to republish Long Island Vineyards in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.