I REALLY love wine tasting on the North Fork. I’ve experienced it by bike, in the dead of winter, in a chauffeur-driven car and even with a baby. Done responsibly, it’s an easy and relaxing day trip from the city. (Just time it well, traffic-wise.) On my most recent visit, we explored two wineries that didn’t exist the last time I was out there. But I was so impressed with them!
1. Sparkling Pointe: With the motto “If it’s not sparkling…what’s the pointe?” this place is obviously all about the bubbly. It’s the only NY winery dedicated to the exclusive production of Méthode Champenoise (which basically means the French method). While it’s one of the more expensive tastings on the North Fork ($17 for a flight of four wines), your palate will thank your wallet. The space itself is beautiful: light, airy and modern, with white walls and brightly colored paintings depicting scenes of … life in Brazil? Yeah, just because the owners love it there. (Their Carnaval costume is at the entrance to the gift shop). While this is a little bizarre for Southold, it’s a nice touch that helps further distinguish Sparkling Pointe from all of the other wineries. Same with the huge back patio, where cool-looking people in sunglasses enjoy bottles on ice, creating a bit of a Miami-among-the-vines feel.
2. One Woman: First of all, just look at this adorable place!
A tiny hut serves as the tasting room for an awesome one-woman show. Claudia Purita grew up in Italy tending to her family’s farm; now she singlehandedly cares for her own grapes. When we visited, her daughter was pouring in the tasting room and said Claudia hardly ever comes in—that’s how much she prefers to be out in the field. By the way, these “tastings”? They are serious pours (unlike the precisely measured ounces from the nearby factory-feeling Pindar, for example). There were only a handful of people at One Woman, so we enjoyed our sauvignon blanc buzz on the teeny porch at a totally unpretentious picnic table.
Sometimes it feels good to get out of Manhattan.
iknowcoolthings 