No vacation to Long Island is fully complete without a few good glasses of wine, so what are the Long Island vineyards you just can’t miss? Find out here!
Long Island has a vast, delicious wine culture that, if you’re a wine lover, can’t afford to miss. There are many vineyards scattered all over the island that you can visit for a tour around the winery, tastings of their product (best part ever!), and possibly buy your favorite bottles after learning about the wine-making process.
Regardless if you’re a red, white, rosé, or sparkling wine kind of person, you’ll find Long Island wineries that specialize in just that kind of wine, so you’re in luck!
Let’s find out what are the best Long Island Vineyards to add to your list.
Sparkling Pointe
Sparkling Pointe is the island’s single winery that only produces sparkling wines, and they do so following the traditional Champenoise method (the wine undergoes its second fermentation process in the bottle) so you can bet they know what they’re doing.
Whatever your favorite bubbly stuff might be, you’re likely to find it here, although keep an eye (rather your palate) on other styles when enjoying the wine tasting, as you may discover something new and delicious.
Sparkling Pointe is among the best North Fork wineries as it offers the whole experience, including a tour around the vineyards and very interesting insights on the process of winemaking.
Address: 39750 County Rd 48
Opening Hours: Daily from 11 AM to 4 PM
Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard
As its name states, Baiting Hollow is a farm vineyard that offers a laid-back, rural experience. This award-winning winery produces red, white, and rosé varieties, as well as a sweet dessert wine, all of which you’ll get to try at their 19th-century Tasting House.
Baiting Hollow winery also features a large backyard with picnic tables and events that take place every weekend, where you can enjoy good music, great food, and even more superb wine.
As expected, they also have a shop where you can buy a souvenir; if you’re narrowing your list of Northfork vineyards to visit, this has to stay!
Address: 2114 Sound Avenue
Opening Hours: Thursday to Sunday from 12 PM to 6 PM
Macari Vineyards
Run by two generations of the Macari family, Macari Vineyards produces pretty much every style of wine, from the classic reds to whites, sparkling, and rosé; you can even buy their merchandise as a souvenir, along with a (few) bottles!
If you’re looking to enjoy good quality Long Island wine tours, you’ll certainly enjoy this one, as not only will you learn about the wine and the efforts of Macari Vineyards to carry out organic farming practices and grow its grapes without any kind of herbicides, but you’ll also see the cattle, goats, Sicilian donkeys, and adorable mini-pigs that roam in the vineyards.
Definitely one of the best wineries in Long Island, and one you shouldn’t miss!
Address: 150 Bergen Avenue, Mattituck
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM, Saturday & Sunday from 11 AM to 6 PM
Bedell Cellars
Bedell Cellars make great wine. You can attest that not only for their award-winning bottles (the Merlot is particularly acclaimed) but because those were served at the 2013 US Presidential Inauguration.
Being one of the best vineyards in North Fork, this over 40-year-old winery has certified sustainable grapes and a strong commitment to sustainable farming, handcrafting their wines with artisanal methods.
At Bodell Cellars you’ll find red and white wines, that you can pair with charcuterie, cheese, and other accompaniments during your tasting. Buy a taste, glass, or bottle of their various wines, or sample a flight to find your favorites.
Address: 36225 Main Road
Opening Hours: Daily from 11 AM to 5 PM. Unlike most wineries, this one doesn’t require a reservation.
Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards
Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards boasts over 90 acres of Carmenere, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Gris grapes, and its stands by its philosophy of allowing them to grow naturally, with the least possible human interference, so they have something different to work with every year.
They not only have a great tasting room, but also an outdoor picnic area where you can enjoy your own snacks, and fun games and activities to practice while tasting some of their over 20 varieties of wine, from a pool table to corn-hole, and plenty other lawn games.
If you want to tour around the grounds, there’s a bus that will take you around. Could there be a better winery experience? Osprey’s is doubtless very high on the best vineyards on Long Island list.
Address: 44075 Main Road
Opening Hours: Daily from 11 AM to 5 PM
Wölffer Estate Vineyards
Wölffer Estate Vineyards is also a sustainably farmed, family-owned winery which not only produces high-quality wine, among which stand out the rosé and sparkling varieties, but also ciders, spirits, and they’ve even launched non-alcoholic wines. The classic whites and reds, however, are also part of the vineyard’s staple.
While you can book your spot for a wine tasting at one of the arguably best Long Island vineyards, you could also join them on Thursday nights for a five-sense experience discovering everything about the winemaking process, or on Candlelight Fridays for some live music and wine.
Wölffer Estate Vineyards doesn’t end at the tasting room, however. Be sure to check out Wine Stand for a drink with sunset views, or the Wölffer Kitchen Amagansett to also enjoy their delicious wine (paired with wine, of course). You can also find a beer and cocktail menu, though.
Address: 139 Sagg Road
Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday from 11 AM to 6 PM, Friday & Saturday open until 8 PM
Pellegrini Vineyards
Your wine tasting in Long Island continues at Pellegrini Vineyards, a pet-friendly and open-year-round winery in the North Fork of Long Island.
They offer regular and private tours and tastings of their wines, among which stand out their Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and their location is so dreamy that they also host weddings.
At the tasting room you’ll have access to limited production wines that can only be sampled there, live music on occasions, and the possibility to tour the site on your own to discover the different steps of winemaking. The tasting room is wheelchair accessible.
Address: 23005 Main Road
Opening Hours: Daily from 11 AM to 5 PM (during peak season it’s open until 6 PM on weekends)
Kontokosta Winery
Kontokosta Winery is yet another North Fork vineyard that’s family-owned and run, and it’s situated atop sweeping bluffs from where you’ll catch great views of the Long Island Sound.
Their award-winning wines, all of them hand-crafted following sustainability practices, include rosé and white varieties, which you can sample in their tasting room. Kontokosta Winery also organizes private events at their amazing venue, and the ample grounds are equipped with picnic tables where you can enjoy your wine and a small plate to pair it with.
Be aware that there’s a $5-dollar non-refundable fee for admission, paid when making the online reservation.
Address: 825 North Road
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Monday from 11 AM to 5 PM, Saturday open until 6 PM. By appointment only.
Raphael Winery
Continuing with the list of best vineyards in Long Island is Raphael Winery, designed inspired by Italian monasteries and with its winery situated underground, to make the most of the earth’s temperature benefits and keep the area warm during the winter and cool in the summer.
Raphael’s Winery specializes in red and white wines, and have various award-winning bottles ready to be sampled (or bought at the shop!) They also organize events with live music you can attend, or simply make a reservation for a wine tasting experience.
The gorgeous winery and its grounds also host weddings and various other events throughout the year, so if you’re hunting for venues, be sure to check it out.
Address: 39390 NY-25
Opening Hours: Thursday, Friday, Sunday & Monday from 12 PM to 5 PM, Saturday open until 6 PM. Times may change depending on the season, check here for updates.
Lenz Winery
Lenz Winery is among the oldest wineries of the region, established in the 1970s and boasting some of the most mature vineyards you’ll find. The tasting room is set in a fabulous old barn which adds to the charm of the place.
This family-run winery produces a wide variety of reds and whites, but also dessert wines, sparkling, and some very special old vine wines for subscribers.
You can make reservations for tasting flights, either to sample their top wines or seasonal ones, or even book a table to relax and enjoy your flight or bottle with some crackers and cheese (or chocolate!)
Address: 38355 Rte. 25
Opening Hours: Sunday to Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM
Paumanok Vineyards
Paumanok Vineyards is a family winery, widely renowned for its spectacular white wines. From Sauvignon Blanc to Rieslings, Chardonnay and Chenin Blancs, you’ll definitely be in for a treat with a flight of those.
If you’re more into reds or rosé varieties, they produce them too, and you can enjoy them with some snacks in the barn they turned into a tasting room, with a wide deck that overlooks the vineyards.
Leashed dogs are allowed on weekdays, and while they accept walk-ins subject to availability, it’s best to make a reservation in advance.
Address: 1074 Main Road
Opening Hours: Daily from 11 AM to 5 PM. Last seating is at 4 PM
Channing Daughters Winery
Finally, a winery which really stands out in the South Fork, is Channing Daughters. Growing over two-dozen grape varieties, many of which you’ll only find here in all of the East End, its privileged location and the Atlantic breezes the vineyards receive allow them to grow such a wide array of grapes.
To make the process even more special, all grapes are hand-picked, the wine is gravity bottled and traditional methods are used to make it, ensuring that each wine variety has its own process, making it as artisanal as possible.
Needless to say, you’ll definitely find the wine style that you like, no matter what it is, and surely find a few bottles to take with you; they make fourteen thousand cases a year! Their focus on sustainability is also worth mentioning, and their priority being deliciousness, you know you’re in for a very tasty experience.
Address: 1927 Scuttle Hole Rd.
Opening Hours: Daily from 11 AM to 5 PM
I hope this list of Long Island wineries was useful for you to find a few favorites to go and visit. What else to say? Cheers!
Long Island Vineyards FAQ
There are over 90 wineries and vineyards on Long Island; a wine lover’s paradise!
The North Fork could be considered the capital of Long Island wine country, boasting the majority of the island’s vineyards.
Pindar Vineyard is the largest winery on Long Island. It produces over 70 thousand cases of wine a year, and it’s one of the top North Fork vineyards to visit.
Long Island’s primary wine is Merlot, although most varieties of red wines are massively produced and what the island is best known for. Apparently, the maritime climate of Long Island suits very well the Bordeaux grapes that create the glorious deep-red liquid.
Long Island’s soil and maritime climate make the land ideal for growing wine grapes, and this fertility allows the island to produce really good wine of several styles. Therefore, there’s an abundance of wineries in Long Island, NY.
