Long Island festivals to toast harvest with wine, food and music

Candlelight, live music and a huge meal will set the stage for this harvest celebration at Sannino Vineyard in Cutchogue. Credit: Sannino Vineyard/Lisa Sannino
If you’d like to join Long Island’s wineries in toasting harvest season, you can raise a glass in style or just have some silly fun at one of many events being held to celebrate this time of year. Take your pick of everything from elegant dinners, winemaking lessons and paint and sips to holiday house tours and comedy shows. Here’s a sampling of a few of the winery happenings — and don’t forget to make reservations.
HARVEST DINNER
WHEN | WHERE Candlelight, live music and a huge meal will set the stage Friday for this harvest celebration being held from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Sannino Vineyard, 15975 County Rd. 48, Cutchogue. Think one of those lavish dinners The Real Housewives have when they go on vacation. The menu includes a salad course, goat cheese tortellini with truffle demi sauce and cremini mushrooms, an entree of filet mignon with a port wine demi-glace, Chicken Rockefeller, mashed potatoes with truffles and butternut squash. For dessert, Grand Marnier chocolate mousse.
INFO 631-734-8282, sanninovineyard.com
COST $100 per person, $90 for Sannino wine club members.
WINE COMEDY NIGHT
WHEN | WHERE Wine and laugh while being pummeled with jokes from sommelier and comedian Sam Mushman, who’ll be appearing at Lieb Cellars, 13050 Oregon Rd., Cutchogue from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 2. His credits include “The Wendy Williams Show.”
INFO 631-734-1100, liebcellars.com
COST $40 per person
ROCK THE HARVEST
WHEN | WHERE Rock out as you drink your wine to the tunes of the cover band, BonJourney, at a celebration Saturday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Pindar Vineyards, 37645 NY-25, Peconic. Get it? The band does hits from music icons Bon Jovi and Journey. There’ll be something for revelers who want to get their shop on too — a beach glass jewelry pop-up. Food trucks, which will be available early — at noon, along with the pop-up — will also be on hand selling tacos and pizza. Rain date is Oct. 26.
INFO (631) 734-6200, pindar.net
COST Free
WINEMAKER DINNER
WHEN | WHERE You can feast the night away at an upscale restaurant and learn about wine making at the same time at Bedell Cellars’ event set for Oct. 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Cowfish restaurant, 258 E. Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays. A welcome reception will kick off the evening then the first of five courses will be served at 7 p.m. The meal opens with a green pea and chile soup, imported Louisiana Tasso Ham, cumin-mint crema, followed by a long list of elegant selections including Hudson Valley Duck Confit, Chilean Sea Bass, braised short ribs, sweet potato puree, a potato haystack and pancetta lardons. For dessert? A very autumnal Pumpkin Panna Cotta, bourbon crème anglaise (cq), maple caramel, cinnamon whipped cream and candied pecans. A different wine will be served with each course and the winemaker from the Cutchogue winery will discuss how wine is made.
INFO 631-734-7537, bedellcellars.com
COST $90 per person and $80 for Bedell wine club members.
CHAMPAGNE, CHOPIN & CAVIAR TOUR
WHEN | WHERE For those enjoy high style, there’s nothing like a little champagne, caviar and classical music. During a trip to the wine cellar as part of this Pindar Vineyards tour, there’ll be a demonstration showing the final stages of champagne-making, and afterward guests will get to check out three of the vineyard’s sparklers while nibbling on cheese, crackers and that caviar. The tour will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays in November and December at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Pindar is at 37645 NY-25, Peconic.
INFO (631) 734-6200, pindar.net
COST $20 per person, $15 for Pindar wine club members.