5 Best Wineries, Vineyards On Long Island
Whether you're looking for a romantic spot or a lively tasting room, here are five Long Island wineries worth visiting. By Carly Petrone.
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Coffee Pot Cellars is the perfect little spot to learn and educate yourself about wine. It's intimate, welcoming, and run by husband-wife duo Adam Suprenant and Laura Klahre. They use a traditionally minimalist approach to winemaking in order to preserve the natural essence of the grape's character. This place is a bit off the beaten path, but it features a full wine portfolio and has gained plenty of recognition within the industry. They're best known for focusing on ultra-premium wines from the region, including Merlot, Meritage, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc. Guests can also go home with a little something extra, since the winery also offer products from the bee-centric company, Blossom Meadow Farm (think lip balm, candles, honey, etc). Learn more about the winery and their wine club here. Open Friday – Monday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
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If you're looking to impress your date, then head over to Harmony Vineyards. The East Farm estate is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was built back in the late 1600's. It moved to its current location and restored in 1999. Enjoy pours of their outstanding Bordeaux-Style Red Blends, Chablis-Style Chardonnays, Long Island Beers, as well as gourmet plates. Stop in on Saturday nights from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. and listen to live jazz by Ray Anderson and Steve Salerno. They've also been known to show outdoor movies during the warmer summer months. Guests can feel good knowing that all profits from the vineyard are donated to a select basket of worthy local charities focused on eradicating hunger and providing education. Learn more here.
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Group gatherings can be difficult to pull off but it's easy at Osprey's Dominion Vineyards. Have a picnic along the grounds or have a more intimate affair along the patio. Guests can also let loose playing one of the multiple lawn games or racking it up at the all-weather pool table. Being surrounded, yet sheltered, by both the Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay, means that the 90-acres of grapes at this vineyard are of the highest quality character. This also the place to come to with a picky group because they offer the most varietals on Long Island. Guests can choose from 13 types of wine including everything from Pinot Gris and Reisling to Malbec and Cabernet Franc. They even have exclusives like Carmenere, Edelzwicker, and Spice Wine. Learn more here.
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The Macari family has always believed in eating and drinking well. Stop into the Macari Vineyards (as well as their tasting room in Cutchogue) for a refreshing flight or wine by the glass along with an artisanal cheese or charcuterie plate. What started out as potato fields has become a 200 acre vineyard with additional fields of compost and fallow farmland. Yep, you'll find plenty of animals like Texas longhorns, Spanish goats, Sicilian donkeys, horses, ducks, and rabbits roaming alongside the vineyard. The biodiversity of the Macari family farm provides an extraordinary environment that yields some of the finest fruit on the East Coast. Definitely try one of their popular red blends like Bergen Road or sweet dessert wines like the Block E Red. Learn more here.
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Those looking for the authentic wine tasting experience should head to Clovis Point Vineyard and Winery. This picturesque spot in North Fork offers sweeping pastoral views of neatly organized vine rows and cornfields (making it more than Instagram worthy). Clovis Point uses its 8-acres of land to produce small lot artisanal wines such as Rose, Chardonnay, and Merlot. Enjoy a master tasting menu for $18, a cold wine flight for $9, or a red wine flight for $13. Guests can also listen to live music on most weekends from their intimate tasting room. Learn more here.
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Carly Petrone is a freelance writer living in New York City.