A Colorful Tour of Long Island’s Wine Country

It’s spring in wine country! Vineyard workers scurry, positioning shoots and combing vines. Vintners are bottling their new wines and proudly release their newest vintages. It’s a time of celebration as individual wineries and wine trail groups prepare for a seasonal schedule that includes tours, tastings, concerts and festivals. Long Island, New York’s newest wine-producing region, has been experiencing explosive growth since the first winery was established in the late 1970s. Now there are nearly 20 others. Long Island is the only wine region in the state with ocean frontage, giving it the longest grape growing season in New York. Here wine lovers will find robust merlots, full-bodied chardonnays and other great European classics, both red and white. The North Fork of Long Island is home to more than a dozen wineries, most of which are clustered along a 125-mile stretch of main road (Route 25). The closeness of the wineries makes it possible to visit most in a day, but if you really want to savor the wines, enjoy the ambiance and take in the quaint seaside towns and seafood restaurants, plan on spending more time. For most Long Island visitors, the journey to wine country begins with a trip down the Long Island Expwy. (Interstate 495). For visitors arriving by air, both J.F.K. and LaGuardia Airports are convenient to the expressway, but many domestic travelers are finding MacArthur Field, located mid-Island in Islip, a convenient alternative. As the Expressway ends at exit 73, in Riverhead, travelers encounter a world of small towns and tranquil farm land crisscrossed with vineyards. Both Riverhead, gateway to wine county, and Greenport at the eastern end of the wine route, make excellent bases for visitors to the North Fork. Both have ample lodging facilities and a collection of charming restaurants. Greenport, noted for its unspoiled beauty and wonderful seafood restaurants, offers newcomers a sense of Long Island’s maritime past. With the local ferry service, Shelter Island, the Hamptons and the lighthouse of Montauk Point are only a short trip away. For wine lovers, the first stop from Riverhead should be Palmer Vineyards, one of only four wineries not located on Route 25, (head east on Route 58 to Osborn Ave.; turn left on Osborn and continue until the road ends at Sound Ave.; turn right on Sound Ave. and continue six miles to Palmer). Once there, enjoy a taste of award-winning wines in the atmosphere of an authentic 18th century English pub. From Palmer, continue east on Second Ave. to Church Lane where a right turn will return you to Route 25. At Route 25, turn east (left) and begin following the green grape cluster signs from winery to winery. The first stop is at Paumanok Vineyards. "Paumanok" is the Native American word for Long Island. Paumanok produces limited amounts of high quality wines and is noted for the wonderful old-world hospitality of its owners, the Massouds. Sample wines on the winery deck overlooking a gorgeous view of the vineyards. Just down the road is Jamesport Vineyard, housed in a reconstructed 150-year-old potato barn. Explore what used to be the hayloft, a beam bears the inscription "Wayne and Abby, 1858." Stop for lunch in Jamesport, perhaps at the Jamesport Country Kitchen where entrees are complemented by local wines. Other North Fork eateries include Ross’s in Southhold and the Meeting House Creek in Aquebogue. The afternoon should allow time for stops at Pellegrini Vineyards and Gristina’s Vineyards, a few miles down Main Road from Jamesport, near Cutchoque. The impressive architecture and striking, airy design of the Pellegrini winery is unsurpassed in most of New York State. Gristina’s strength is its meticulous vineyards, which yield Bordeaux-style wines. Travelers with the luxury of more time will want to sample the other wineries along the trail. No two Long Island wineries are alike, except for their warm hospitality and fine wines. Drink in moderation and use a designated driver. For a free set of brochures for wine trails throughout New York State, write Wine Trails, New York Wine and Grape Foundation, 350 Elm St., Penn Yan, NY 14527.