Visiting the wineries

North Fork or South, here's the path to East End wineries

BY PETER M. GIANOTTI | STAFF WRITER

May 11, 2005

Bedell Cellars

The North and South Forks are a table setting completed with a glass of wine.

East End wine country goes from Riverhead to Greenport, where a sign in front of Ternhaven Cellars announces "last winery before France."

And it is in spring and summer that the vineyards grow, with grapevines and tourism.

Now, more than 30 wine producers crush grapes on Long Island. Three are on the South Fork, in Water Mill, Bridgehampton to Sagaponack.

Almost all the others on the North Fork, primarily along Routes 25 and 48. These routes also are known as Main Road and North Road.

You can take a day trip or spend one or more evenings in this wine-growing region, where potato fields became vineyards starting in 1973. It's the sunniest part of New York State.

North Fork tastings

The first indication you're in a different area of Long Island pops up near LIE exit 73. A road sign advises that Palmer Vineyards is contributing to the adopt-a-highway program.

Palmer Vineyards, on Sound Avenue in Aquebogue, makes whites and reds, and offers a compact, self-guided tour, showing the winemaking process.

Martha Clara Vineyards is on Sound Avenue in Riverhead. The winery winners are a rich red blend, called 6025; dessert wines, and reserve merlots and chardonnays.

Paumanok Vineyards, on Main Road in Aquebogue, has a repertoire of wines including Long Island's only chenin blanc, and first-class reds such as Assemblage, a blend; and reserve merlot and cabernet sauvignon.

Moving east along Route 25, you'll see Jamesport and Laurel Lake vineyards, best for merlots, and reach Cutchogue and Peconic, where many of the North Fork wineries are concentrated.

Pindar Vineyards is the biggest. The Peconic winery has one of the top tours, and a user-friendly tasting room. The choices are varied, from simple white blends to vintage Mythology, a Bordeaux-style red.

Just east of Pindar is The Lenz Winery. Lenz is respected for exceptional merlot, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. Across the road is Raphael, dramatic architecturally, and a first-class producer of merlot.

Bedell Cellars in Cutchogue has a striking tasting room, where you may buy Voss water as well as Kip Bedell's memorable merlots and chardonnays.

Galluccio Family Wineries, Pugliese Vineyards and Peconic Bay Winery on Route 25 are very welcoming establishments and have wines for all tastes. Pugliese makes several sparkling wines.

Corey Creek Vineyards in Southold is owned by film executive Michael Lynne, who also owns Bedell Cellars. The Old Field, on land settled in the 1600s, is in Southold. Ternhaven Cellars is in downtown Greenport, near the landmark carousel. Ternhaven specializes in reds.

Two branches of the wine store The Tasting Room, in Jamesport and in Peconic, have the wines of some smaller producers, such as Broadfields and Comtesse Thérèse/Le Clos Thérèse. Showcase Wine & Liquor on Route 48 in Southold has a representative selection of local wines, including Waters Crest, Manor Hill, Sherwood House, Shinn Estate and Ackerly Pond.

On North Road, you'll see Macari Vineyards in Mattituck, a versatile winery where the red blend Bergen Road is the top wine. Premium Wine Group, a custom-crush facility for vineyards, is in Mattituck, as is the tasting room for Lieb Family cellars.

Vineyard 48 in Cutchogue is the newest name in wineries, recently taking over the former Bidwell Vineyards. It's been holding half-price sales of the Bidwell inventory.