Opening weekend, patios that just reopened, and a designated-driver plan

Patios that just reopened

Eight North Fork patios officially reopened this week for the season. My short list: Kontokosta (best water view), Croteaux (rosé-only, still a bucket list stop), Macari (dogs welcome), and Sparkling Pointe (new bar seating).

All four have online reservations this year. Use them. Walk-ins after 2pm on a Saturday will be a 45-minute wait.

A driver-friendly plan for a group of six

Groups of six on the trail are hard to seat and harder to drive. The plan I book most often for reader trips: hire a private car for the day (roughly $600-750 for a six-hour block), start at 11am at a smaller producer where the flight is more focused, do a proper lunch, then two bigger names in the afternoon. See our getting-around guide for the operators I've personally used.

One event to book

The Long Island Merlot Alliance kick-off tasting is Friday, June 6 at Raphael. It's the one place you can taste every serious Long Island Merlot side-by-side. Tickets are $75 and always sell through.