Visit guide

North Fork Classic Tour: 5 Pioneer Wineries

A pioneer-focused North Fork itinerary linking five of the region's defining estates — built for first-timers who want context plus great wine.

North Fork Classic Tour: A Day With the Pioneers

If it's your first time in Long Island wine country, this route hits five wineries that define the region — pioneers planted in the late 1970s and early 1980s plus the rosé and sparkling specialists who built on their lead. The full loop runs west to east along NY-25 (Main Road) so you're never doubling back.

Stop 1 — 10:00 AM · Paumanok Vineyards (Aquebogue)

Start with Long Island's quiet specialist. The Massoud family has farmed this 103-acre estate since 1983 and produces the only serious Chenin Blanc in the region, plus Tuthills Lane Merlot and Grand Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon. A 45-minute seated tasting is the right opener — book the earliest slot to beat weekend crowds.

Stop 2 — 11:30 AM · The Lenz Winery (Peconic)

Twenty minutes east. Lenz was planted in 1978 — one of the oldest vineyards on the island — and is famous among collectors for Old Vines Merlot and the Cuvée RD méthode-champenoise sparkling. Eric Fry's restrained, Burgundian hand makes this the most serious stop of the day.

Stop 3 — 1:00 PM · Lunch in Cutchogue

Five minutes east on Main Road. Grab a North Fork Sound oyster plate at a Cutchogue Main Road café or pack a picnic from a local farm stand to eat back at your next winery's lawn. Allow 75 minutes — your palate needs the reset.

Stop 4 — 2:30 PM · Bedell Cellars (Cutchogue)

The Calvin Klein-designed tasting room and rotating contemporary art make Bedell the most photogenic stop on the route. Order the Musée flagship blend (poured at the 2013 Obama inauguration) alongside the everyday First Crush rosé.

Stop 5 — 3:45 PM · Croteaux Vineyards (Southold)

Ten minutes east. America's only rosé-only winery: tightly focused single-Merlot-clone bottlings (181, 314, 3) in a restored 18th-century barn courtyard. Light, dry, and the perfect mid-afternoon palate cleanser.

Stop 6 — 5:00 PM · Sparkling Pointe (Southold)

Finish with bubbles. Long Island's only winery dedicated entirely to méthode champenoise, with winemaker Gilles Martin (formerly of Roederer) behind the Brut, Topaz Imperial, and Cuvée Carnaval. The gardens at sunset are the photo of the day.

How to make this work

- Reservations: Every stop here takes weekend reservations 2–4 weeks out. Walk-ins are possible Sunday afternoons but not recommended in summer.

- Driver: Pre-book a TLC-licensed Sprinter (~$525 / 3-hour minimum) or use rideshare. Do not self-drive.

- Tasting math: Six wines × six wineries = a lot. Spit, hydrate, and skip the souvenir shot at stop one.

- Closing time: Most North Fork tasting rooms last pour is 5:00–5:30 PM. Don't push past Sparkling Pointe.