Long Island Wine Weekend

If you're thinking about an oeno-centric vacation this summer but don't have the time or finances to travel to France, Italy, Spain or Napa . . . you might want to consider Long Island. I know, I know, it certainly doesn't have that glamorous ring to it, but the wine being produced at a lot of these vineyards is actually pretty good. There are dozens of vineyards open for visits that offer tours and even bed and breakfasts. Located only a short hop away from NYC, you won't find a more convenient weekend of wine filled relaxation.

That being said, Food and Wine writer Lettie Teague has an excellent account of a visit to Long Island wine country from last year available on the F & W website. It contains a detailed account of visits and tastings at a number of the more prolific vineyards, and could serve as a pretty good guide for how to plan a weekend trip. It might not be exotic, but it could be a whole lot of fun.

From Food and Wine:

As the stereotype goes, great wine is made in glamorous locations (e.g., Napa or Tuscany) synonymous with money and prestige. And then there’s the contradiction that is Long Island: It’s the target of jokes (and the inspiration of many Billy Joel songs), but it’s also the home of the glamorous Hamptons, and lately, the source of some very good wines. Until recently, this last fact was more a rumor than a reality to me. While I’d heard that Long Island wines had improved, and some had even earned impressive critical scores, I still wasn’t convinced they had really gotten dramatically better.