If you have the patience to sit in the traffic on the LIE, I suggest a visit to the Long Island Wine Country. Honestly, a weekday visit would be worth it, as there is less traffic to get out there and the tasting rooms tend to be less crowded. The North Fork…once potato farms is now an area with lots of vineyards and wonderful wine.
If you are planning a trip out there to taste, there are some wonderful B&B’s. One of my favorites is The Harvest Inn. Darolyn and Chris are wonderful hosts and Chris is a wonderful Chef.
Some of my favorite wineries: Lieb Family Cellars; Martha Clara Vineyards; Raphael;Schneider Vineyards; Shinn Estates; Waters Crest Winery; Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards ;Lenz Winery.
There are some wonderful restaurants to dine in as well. Don’t forget your bathing suit. After an afternoon of tasting, there is still time for a trip to the beach.
If you are interested, there is the Long Island Wine Camp. It is a comprehensive program where you learn and get a hands on in the winemaking. Here are the details.
Wine Camp is a 3 night, 4 day adventure in Long Island’s Wine Country. A vacation and life experience. We provide Wine Campers with a fun environment to learn, while they enjoy wonderful wine and terrific food in an absolutely beautiful setting. The value of the package is quite extraordinary, and includes:-Tastings and interactive learning sessions-Premier accommodations -Sensational breakfasts-Al fresco lunches in the vineyards-Dinner the first evening at the beautiful waterside restaurant, Scrimshaw-An elegant ‘Food & Wine’ Pairing Event at Castello di Borghese…This wonderful 5 course, 6 wine paired dinner is prepared by Chef Steve, owner of Black Tie Caterers and Wine Camp’s Executive Chef!-Each couple will also receive a case of wine -And special gifts to remember wine campThe Wine Camp experience…>Learn how to taste wine like an expert >Discover the history of this exciting region>Work with our talented winemakers >Blend your own white and red wines>Have fun with the chemistry of winemaking>Participate in seasonal work in the vineyards>Celebrate the magic of Food and Wine pairing>Journey from the vineyards, to the crush pad to the fermentation area to the cellar…As we say from the ‘vine to the wine in the bottle’!This program includes many of the region’s award winning wineries:
Bedell Cellars
Castello di Borghese
Corey Creek Vineyards
Jamesport Vineyards
The Lenz Winery
Peconic Bay
The Old Field Vineyards
Paumanok Vineyards
Raphael
Waters Crest
And some free time to visit other local