Tours, tastings and top buys at LI wineries

The gathering of grapes on the East End started early this year. The tourist harvest is under way, too.

Today, there are more than 30 vineyards and wineries on the North Fork and in the Hamptons. The first winery of the modern era, the Hargrave Vineyard, released its first wine, a modest rosé, in 1977.

Now, you'll find light rosé and lush chardonnay, refreshing sauvignon blanc and breezy pinot blanc, fruity merlot and longer-lived cabernet sauvignon, seductive pinot noir and lively cabernet franc, spicy gewürztraminer and inviting riesling, sparkling wines and fortified wines, plus ripe red blends and rich reserve wines.

And you'll discover the sunniest region of New York State. The 2010 grapes point to an excellent vintage, according to winemakers, who add that Hurricane Earl just blew by, causing no damage.

Here's a selective guide to some of the East End's major wineries, with details about tastings, tours and the better wines they offer.

Bedell Cellars, 36225 Main Rd., Cutchogue, 631-734-7537, bedellcellars.com

Tours by appointment. View the contemporary art collection. Tastings are available for $8 and $12 (reserve wines). Bedell's signature wine is Musée ($75), an outstanding Bordeaux-style red blend. The winery also produces first-rate merlots ($25, $39), cabernet franc ($30) and the white blends, Gallery ($48) and Taste ($30).

Castello di Borghese, 17150 County Rd. 48, Cutchogue, 631-734-5111, castellodiborghese.com

Winemakers' walking tours on Thursdays and Sundays; $20, including tasting of five wines. Tastings, $8 to $12. Castello di Borghese is the successor to Hargrave Vineyard. Its stellar wines include pinot noir ($30, $44), cabernet sauvignon ($27, $42), merlot ($20) and chardonnay ($11, $17, $25).

Channing Daughters, 1927 Scuttlehole Rd., Bridgehampton, 631-537-7224, channingdaughters.com

No tours, but visitors can enjoy the winery's sculpture garden. Tastings are $8 for six wines. Channing Daughters makes distinctive, Italian-style white wines and blends, as well as flavorful chardonnays. Try Sylvanus and Tocai Friulano (both $24), Mosaico ($29) and Meditazione ($40).

Jamesport Vineyards, 1216 Main Rd., Jamesport, 631-722-5256, jamesportwines.com

Tours by appointment. Tastings go from $3 for one wine to $14 for six or seven; the winery's late-harvest riesling is $5 a tasting, its petit verdot, $10. Jamesport excels with sauvignon blanc ($24-$30), dessert wines and the red blend Melange de Trois ($30).

Lenz Winery, 38355 Main Rd., Peconic, 631-734-6010, lenzwine.com

Tours by appointment, tastings are $10 (premium wines) and $5 (estate wines). Lenz has long excelled with its Bordeaux-like merlot ($15-$20), cabernet sauvignon ($20), chardonnay ($12-$20), gewürztraminer ($20) and sparkling Cuvée ($30). The "old vines" series, available to Lenz subscribers, is exceptional.

Macari Vineyards and Winery, 150 Bergen Ave., Mattituck, 631-298-0100, macariwines.com

No tours. Five tastings are available, priced $5 to $12. Macari makes a spirited dessert wine, Block E ($40-$55); cabernet franc ($35); sauvignon blanc ($23); riesling ($30), merlot and reserve merlot ($19 and $36); a red blend, Sette ($19). Macari's biggest wine also is a red blend, Bergen Road ($40).

Martha Clara Vineyards, 6025 Sound Ave., Riverhead, 631-298-0075, marthaclaravineyards.com

Horse-and-carriage vineyard tours on weekends; $5 for adults, $3 for children 5 to 12 years old; children under 5, free. Tastings are $7-$8 for three or four wines. Martha Clara's wines include the concentrated "6025" red blend ($40), cabernet franc ($20), Ciel dessert wine ($29), and "Five-0" blends ($19-$20).

Palmer Vineyards, 5120 Sound Ave., Riverhead, 631-722-9463, palmervineyards.com

Self-guided tour covers the winemaking process. Tastings are $8-$12 for three or four wines on weekdays; $3 for a 3-ounce pour on weekends. Palmer wines include a good sparkling wine ($24), a variety of chardonnays ($14, $19, $25), pinot blanc ($17) and merlot ($14, $20).

Paumanok Vineyards, 1074 Main Rd., Aquebogue, 631-722-8800, paumanok.com

Two tours: $5 a person, minimum of 10 people; and tour with winery owner, $20 a person, minimum of five. Tastings, $1 to $12 (five wines). Free tastings with purchase of three bottles. Memorable Tuthill's Lane merlot and cabernet sauvignon ($60); red blend, Assemblage ($40); dry and semi-dry riesling ($22); late-harvest sauvignon blanc ($50).

Peconic Bay Winery, 31320 Main Rd., Cutchogue, 631-734-7361, peconicbaywinery.com

Currently no tours. Tastings: $6, $9, $12, depending on the wines. Notable Peconic Bay wines include the barrel-fermented chardonnay, steel-fermented chardonnay and riesling ($24 each); cabernet franc ($28); and Nautique Espirit de Rouge red table wine ($18).

Pellegrini Vineyards, 23005 Main Rd., Cutchogue, 631-734-4111, pellegrinivineyards.com

Self-guided tour of winery and vineyards. Tastings are $4 and $8, depending on size of pour. Pellegini's fine wines include the Vintner's Pride Encore red blend ($40), Vintner's Pride Chardonnay ($30), cabernet franc ($19), chardonnay ($16) and the dessert wine Finale ($40).

Pindar Vineyards, 37645 Main Rd., Peconic, 631-734-6200, pindar.net

Tours covering sparkling wine on weekends in November. Tastings are $4 for up to five wines; $2 for reserve wines. Pindar, Long Island's largest winery, produces a broad range of wines. These include red blends Mythology ($30) and Pythagoras ($13); chardonnays ($11-$19); merlots ($15-$19); viognier ($25); Premier Cuvée sparkling wine ($22).

Pugliese Vineyards, 34515 Main Rd., Cutchogue, 631-734-4057, pugliesevineyards.com

No tours. Tastings are $5 for up to four wines. Pugliese's wines include sangiovese ($16), the grape of Chianti; pinot grigio ($16); reserve merlot ($16); white port ($16); and a trio of bubbly wines, a sparkling merlot as well as blanc de noir and blanc de blanc ($20 each).

Raphael, 39390 Main Rd., Peconic, 631-765-1100, raphaelwine.com

Raphael's handsome, Spanish-style winery evokes Napa Valley, among other places. Tours are $20, offered on Saturday and Sunday, and include a tasting of four wines. Raphael specializes in merlot, with First Label ($29) its lead wine.

Shinn Estate Vineyards, 2000 Oregon Rd., Mattituck, 631-804-0367, shinnestatevineyards.com

Tours on Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. include wine tasting in the $12.50 fee. Separately, tastings are $6.50-$10.50 for three to five wines. Reserve merlot ($43), Wild Boar Doe blend ($30), Coalescence white blend ($15), cabernet franc ($39) and rosé ($16) are in the repertoire.

Wölffer Estate, 139 Sagg Rd., Sagaponack, 631-537-5106, wolffer.com

Tours by appointment, 24 hours in advance. Tastings of four wines, $12- $18. Wölffer's exceptional wines include sparkling brut ($35); chardonnays ($15-$30), cabernet franc ($23), Lambardo merlot ($35), rosés ($17-$29); and late-harvest chardonnay ($37). There's apple wine, too ($11). See the winemaker's own label, The Grapes of Roth, merlot ($40) and riesling ($22).