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The Hamptons Wine Weekend, From Wölffer Rosé to North Fork Bubbles

Start with Wölffer at sunset, spend Saturday on the South Fork, then cross to the North Fork for chenin blanc, old vines and one final glass facing the water.

Long Island wine began with a wager. In 1973, Alex and Louisa Hargrave planted the island’s first commercial vineyard in the North Fork, in Cutchogue, betting that the same East End climate responsible for potatoes, duck farms and exceptionally expensive hydrangeas could also ripen European grape varieties. Other growers followed. The federal government eventually recognized two distinct wine regions: The Hamptons, Long Island American Viticultural Area on the South Fork and the North Fork of Long Island AVA across Peconic Bay.

For visitors, the distinction matters less in the glass than behind the wheel. The Hamptons wineries form a small constellation around Bridgehampton, Sagaponack and Water Mill. The North Fork is a proper vineyard belt, stretching east from Aquebogue through Mattituck, Cutchogue, Peconic and Southold toward Greenport. Treating both as one continuous wine trail is how an agreeable weekend becomes a prolonged study of Route 25.

The sensible approach is to give each fork its own day. Arrive Friday and begin with a glass at sunset. Spend Saturday among the South Fork’s three principal estates, leaving room for lunch and whatever summer traffic has planned for you. On Sunday, cross through Riverhead and choose three North Fork stops, four at the outside. Travelers staying farther east can take the more scenic route from North Haven across Shelter Island to Greenport using the South and North ferries. 

More pro tips: Reserve seated tastings before the weekend, appoint a driver and do not confuse finishing every pour with good manners. A flight is a sampler, not a dare. Spit buckets are there to be used, while water and a proper lunch will improve the later wines far more than heroic commitment to the earlier ones. Most tasting rooms offer cheese, charcuterie or other small plates, but few should be mistaken for restaurants. With the practicalities settled, ease into the weekend the way the Hamptons prefers: slowly, outdoors and with a cold glass at sunset.

The Best East End Vineyards

First Stop: Channing Daughters Winery

Second Stop: Wölffer Estate Vineyard

Final Stop: Duck Walk Vineyards

Begin in Aquebogue: Paumanok Vineyards

For a Guided Experience: Macari Vineyards

For a Quieter Barn: Rose Hill Vineyards

For the Broadest Cellar: Bedell Cellars

For Old Vines and Older Bottles: Lenz Winery

For Traditional-Method Sparkling: Sparkling Pointe

For the View: Kontokosta Winery

Friday Evening: Start With Sunset in Sagaponack

The least strenuous way to begin is at Wölffer’s Wine Stand, a walk-in outpost........

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