NORTH FORK WINE TOUR FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

If there’s one perk to living on Long Island, it’s having access to the beautiful wineries on the East End. Whether you’re a wine-lover or lover of the views, going out with the girls or spending time with family, there’s a spot for everyone.

Earlier this month, my family traveled along the North Fork on a self-planned wine tour to celebrate my mom’s birthday. We stopped at four vineyards and concluded the night with a nice dinner. Here’s our “wine”-tinerary!

*COVID-19 has inflicted changes upon these sites. Purchasing food with every alcohol order is a requirement and reservations are commonly outside for 6 people or less. Please check the access and accommodations of each location before traveling.

STOP #1 – SPARKLING POINTE

39750 County Road 48, Southold, NY 11971

Simple and sophisticated, Sparkling Pointe offers flights and glasses of sparkling wines, like champagne and rosé. Shortly after sitting at our patio table adjacent to the vineyard, we were welcomed with a complimentary toast. The sommelier delivered each round of our three-glass flights as we enjoyed a delicious baguette and cheese board, with honey and fig jam. Sparkling pointe has an extensive list of food pairings, including multiple caviar options. The cheese board was the perfect amount of food for the five of us to start our four-course lunch we’d be consuming during our six-hour tour.

NEED TO KNOW: Reservations are required to visit Sparkling Pointe, and there is a cancellation and no-show fee.

STOP #2 – CROTEAUX VINEYARDS

1450 S. Harbor Road, Southold, NY 11971

If you want to wake up and smell the rosé, Croteaux Vineyards is your place. I like to describe it as cute and quaint. It’s a relaxed atmosphere with seating options in the barn, garden, and picnic area. Recorded jazz music fills the breaks of silence as you sip on your rosé. The menu offers flights, glasses, and bottles to enjoy with some “light bites” like olives, chips, and macarons. Much to our delight, the lobster rolls, which are only served on weekends, were available on the Friday we visited, and they were delicious! I’d give them a 10/10 and #1 ranking for vineyard snack of the day.

There are endless photo ops at Croteaux that could fill your Instagram feed, ranging from the wall of hanging bottles, “drink rosé” sign, vibrant heart painting, and vintage van.

NEED TO KNOW: Croteaux does not take reservations, they only accept walk-ins. The vineyard is family-friendly and welcomes minors.

STOP #3 – RAPHAEL

39390 Route 25, Peconic, NY 11958

Rustic vibes with a taste of elegance. Raphael serves a variety of wines by glass or bottle, making it an inclusive experience for red and white lovers. We paired our wines with sopressata mozzarella rolls and crackers, which although pre-packaged, were pretty tasty.

Raphael’s vineyard stretches for miles (reportedly 70 acres), which is an amazing and calming view from the top balcony. While sitting under the pergola, we watched as large crates of grapes were delivered after being harvested. From there, they’d go 12 feet underground to Raphael’s winery for the winemaking process to begin.

NEED TO KNOW: Reservations are required to visit Raphael. Seating is only available outside, and closed during bad weather.

STOP #4 – SHINN ESTATE VINEYARDS

2000 Oregon Road, Mattituck, NY 11952

Tastings at Shinn Estate Vineyards, are offered as flights, glasses, or bottles under the umbrellas of the intimate patio, or under the sun on the open lawn closer to the vines. Upon entering, you’ll get a peek at the many barrels of wine in their garage before choosing red, white, rosé, or even brandy. Since Shinn Estate was our last stop, we noshed on some spiced mixed nuts, knowing the more hearty options like the charcuterie plate and Mediterranean basket with hummus, would be too much.

The Shinn Shack is a standalone shed just waiting for you to take a cute picture in front of it. When we arrived, it was nicely decorated for the season with pumpkins and corn stalks.

NEED TO KNOW: Reservations are strongly recommended. Seating on the lawn is not always open.

After spending six-hours at four wineries (90 minutes at each), we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Cooperage Inn, and then called it a day. Overall, we had a beautiful time with lots of laughs, smiles, and good wine. Cheers!