13 Apr Explore the heart of Long Island Wine Country
With our North Fork Uncorked Tour, you can enjoy the best vineyards on the East End all just minutes away from our hotel. The package includes an overnight stay for two in any of our luxuriously appointed guestrooms, round-trip transportation, tastings at 3 vineyards, an Indigo Tour snack pack for each guest and a $50 Bistro 72 credit. Either you can leave the planning to us or you can pick 3 vineyards you’d like to visit and we’ll take care of the rest. Learn a little bit about our favorite vineyards below.
Kip & Susan Bedell planted their first grapevines here in 1980 with Kip earning the moniker “Mr. Merlot” in Wine Spectator magazine. Ownership of the vineyard has since changed hands, but Bedell still stands at the forefront of creativity and excellence in the American wine industry and is widely regarded as the benchmark winery in the eastern U.S.
Their signature vintages are crisp, aromatic and balanced. Besides the climate, the proximity of Long Island wine country to the ocean and the sound lead to higher saline content in the soil which gives the wines grown here a distinct minerality. The wines produced here retain their flavors and are becoming more recognizable around the world season after season.
Martha Clara Vineyards is a family vineyard, started in 1978 by one of Martha Clara’s sons, Robert Entenmann. He originally purchased the land as a potato farm, then turned it into a thoroughbred horse farm, then finally as more farms in the area turned to vineyards, he changed the farm into a vineyard. They found the North Fork’s climate is perfect for growing grapes. Its sandy loam soil, the sea breeze, and the careful upkeep from winemakers help cultivate tasty, tender grapes perfect for wine. Thanks to careful upkeep and innovative methods, many Martha Clara wines have been rated 90 points or more by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
In 2006, Gabby Pisacano, Roanoke’s first Vineyard Master began to experiment with Cabernet Franc. He made sure each grape was getting enough sunlight and refused to use any chemicals. He ensured each cluster could feel the sea breeze to keep it dry and rot-free. He visited the vines twice a day to monitor the fruit throughout the season. The result? The New York Times called Gabby’s first vintage “balletic,” and now Gabby’s philosophies are the standard maintained in the vineyard.
Roanoke writes on their website “You’ll often see us pulling weeds, but you won’t see us applying glyphosate. Our wines are fermented in BPA-free stainless steel vats, and we refuse to embrace screwcap closures that expose the wine to toxins found in plastic… Environmentally sound vineyard practices are essential for the land, the future, and to create truly fine wines.” And we assure you, you can taste the difference. Though the vineyard is currently closed to the public, their new tasting room on Love Lane is open and ready for visitors.
Reserve the North Fork Uncorked Tour package by calling (631) 369-2200 ext. 0 or visiting us online here. Rates start at $559 + tax per room, double occupancy. Subject to availability and blackout dates.