Wine tasting this winter on the East End

Spiced wine is a winter tradition at Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard, and one of the pleasures of cold-weather winery hopping on the North Fork.

"We serve it warm, so the aromas fill up the room," says Anthony Sannino of the vineyard and winery in Peconic. His blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet Franc and merlot, infused with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice, is served to guests in a comfy tasting room.

At $6 a glass, it's a treat if you've gone on the hour-and-a-half tour, which takes visitors through the winery and vineyard every Saturday and Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. ($25, includes tasting of seven wines and a cheese plate for two). Spiced wine is also served at Osprey's Dominion in Peconic.

Up for a winter road trip to the North Fork? You also can preview future wine releases at a barrel tasting, learn the secrets of Italian cooking, snack on Swiss fondue in Mattituck or hit the ice in Greenport, the North Fork's only public outdoor skating rink.

Futures Wine Tasting

WHEN | WHERE 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Feb. 7, Shinn Estate Vineyards, 2000 Oregon Rd., Mattituck. Reservations required.

INFO 631-624-3555, shinnestatevineyards.com

ADMISSION $95 ($40 can be applied toward purchasing a case of Wine Futures)

Let the winter winds howl. In the barrel cellar, wine lovers can taste advance samples of Shinn Estate's 2013 red wines and 2014 whites. "You will be sitting around the tanks and tasting the wines that are yet to be bottled and labeled," says vineyard owner Barbara Shinn.

For a traditional bulwark against the cold, sip Shinn's recently released apple or alambic brandies in the rustic tasting room. ($7 for a tasting, $15 for a glass.) Extend your visit with an overnight stay in the farmhouse bed-and-breakfast. A 10 to 15 percent discount is offered on two-night stays.

Sundays with Grandma

WHEN | WHERE 1 p.m. Sundays through March 22 at Diliberto Winery, 250 Manor Lane, Jamesport. Reservations required. No one younger than 21 admitted.

INFO 631-722-3416, dilibertowinery.com

ADMISSION $49

The vineyard is calm and quiet. "It looks like it's sleeping," says vineyard owner Sal Diliberto. But there's fire in the tasting room, where Diliberto and his wife, Maryann, demonstrate how to cook a meal of pasta and marinara sauce with fresh mozzarella. The feast starts with a cheese and meat sampler, and ends with ricotta cheesecake. "We always give out recipes," Diliberto says. There's also mulled wine -- a full-bodied merlot spiced with oranges, cloves and cinnamon -- and music. Diliberto's trained bass baritone voice blends with staff membe*rs on "Funiculì, Funiculà" and other Neapolitan classics.

Cheese tasting and fondue

WHEN | WHERE Daily at The Village Cheese Shop, 105 Love Lane, Mattituck

INFO 631-298-8556, thevillagecheeseshop.com

After you finish gawking at (and tasting) the multitude of domestic and international cheeses in the display case, take a table in the cafe and order a taste of Switzerland. The Swiss fondue comes with Emmentaler, Gruyère and Appenzeller cheeses prepared with wine and kirsch cherry brandy ($27 for two).

Wander Greenport

The seaport at the edge of wine country is a quieter place this time of year, but it is still a center of North Fork activity. Warm up with hot drinks from Aldo's Coffee (103-105 Front St., 631-477-6300). It's a few steps from there to Mitchell Park's antique carousel, which is enclosed in a glass building with a view of the scenic harborfront ($2, open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends and holidays). The four-acre park's ice skating rink -- assembled each fall and packed up in spring -- is open daily and also overlooks the deep-water harbor ($5-$10; $5 skate rental, 631-477-1133, greenportvillage.com).

Part of a series exploring great winter destinations around Long Island.