Vine Time and Wine Camp

In addition to a variety of wine tours on the North Fork, local bed & breakfasts also offer weekend excursions where participants can get to know the region and learn more about the wineries.

Vine Time, which started in 2008, is a weekend package that includes lodging, meals, vineyard tours, wine tastings and more for $695 per person.

Vine Time starts when patrons check-in to one of four bed & breakfasts: Stirling House and Morning Glory in Greenport, Homeport in Peconic or Acorn Hollow in Southold. The next morning they get the usual b&b breakfast (included both mornings) and then are picked up for a guided wine tour, normally by Vintage or Off the Vine tour groups. The full-day tour consists of tastings at four local vineyards and hands-on time with the winery owners at Shinn Estate Vineyard , Waters Crest Vineyard and The Old Field Vineyards. 

Outside of the vineyard tours and wine tastings, the package also includes two dinners at one of the area restaurants, like Scrimshaw or The Frisky Oyster.

The second day is open for exploring the North Fork , from hiking to biking to boat rides and spa treatments. The bed & breakfast owners are able to figure out the details of these activities.

Vine Time dates for 2011: 

-April 20-22
-May 6-8
-June 17-19
-July 12-14
-August 23-25
-Oct. 28-30
-Nov. 18-20
-Dec. 9-11

More info: www.longislandvinetime.com

A second option, Wine Camp, started in March 2005, similarly offers lodging, meals, vineyard tours, wine tastings and more, but focuses on teaching participants in a hands-on fashion about the complete wine-making process, from picking the grape off the vine to getting wine in a bottle, a full immersion into the Long Island wine scene.

Camp starts by checking in to one of two local bed & breakfasts for the three-night stay, the Ellis House in Southold or the Harvest Inn in Peconic. Breakfasts are provided each morning. Over the course of the trip, campers visit 10 wineries on the North Fork, focusing on a different aspect of wine or winemaking at each location, from working in the fields to blending and bottling wine to creating food and wine pairings.

The price, $999 per person, includes lodging, tastings, tours and all meals, with the exception of one dinner, which is open for campers to visit an area restaurant of their choosing. The package also includes a case of wine to bring home from one of the local vineyards and a formal food and wine pairing dinner on the last night.

Each of the four sessions is open to a group of about 25 people.

Wine camp dates for 2011:

-May 12-15
-June 2-5
-July 11-14

More info: 631-495-9744, info@longislandwinecountrybandb.com www.winecamp.org