By Martha Cisneros Paja. Updated June 2026
You’ll be surprised to find nearly 50 Long Island wineries just a two-hour drive from New York City! Long Island Wine Country is renowned for producing high-quality wines, thanks to a cool maritime climate that helps a wide range of grape varieties thrive.
The Long Island Wine Trail is defined by three distinct American Viticultural Areas (A.V.A.s), established in the 1980s. These important wine regions are situated on the island’s two main peninsulas, or “forks”:
This trail mainly covers Bridgehampton and Sagaponnack area wineries. If you drive towards Montauk you will find the wine trails in Long Island Hamptons AVA. Hamptons area wineries hold a special place in my heart. The firs time I visited Montauk, we stopped in two of their wineries and that was my first encounter with Long Island Wines. If you visit you will definitely want to schedule a trip to Montauk and some of the nearby beaches. Since is pretty close to beach houses and public beach areas, this more like a beach-town experience wine-trail-vibe.
Located at Montauk Highway this is the first wine stop you should make on your way to Montauk. It gets crowded with groups but during the summer the patio and live music reserves a spot for anyone. They have also another location at NoFo. For more info check duckwalk.com
Has become very popular for their great wine, amazing tasting room and avant garde wine label design. They are the staple of the Hamptons AVA. I loved their famous Summer in a Bottle Rosé since the first sip. But since 2018 they have more than two types of Rosé. For this reason, I have been trying every vintage of their orginal Summer in a Bottle Rosé blend. In fact, lately they have been focusing on different blends and now they even have Rosé magnums. All their wines are of great quality and representative of the terroir of Hamptons AVA. In order to visit, you have to make a reservation to get a wine tasting here. They are family friendly. Recently they released Hamptons Light, a low alcohol wine that is impressive. More info at wolffer.com
Channing Daughters Winery is a true Long Island gem, known for its creative and artisanal approach, distinguishing it from many larger estates. Located in Bridgehampton on the South Fork (The Hamptons AVA), the winery is celebrated for its commitment to complexity and diversity, cultivating over two dozen unique grape varieties, including Italianate types like Tocai Friulano. I am fond of their Rosé from Merlot . They carefully craft natural wines, Petillant Naturel also known as”Pet-Nat”. These natural wines are a naturally sparkling, small-batch wine that perfectly exemplifies winemaker Christopher Tracy’s experimental philosophy of hand-crafting delicious, terroir-driven wines with minimal intervention. They are produced with the method ancestrale. I have visited once and every wine I have tasted from the is totally on my aisle. They are not family friendly. More info at channingdaughters.com
The panorama of NoFo is entirely different from the Montauk area wineries’ beach vibes. There are farms all over the trail with beautiful and tasty delicacies on their farm stands. During the summer stop for freshly picked strawberries, peaches and corn-on-the-cobs. You could also find apple cider and delicious apple doughnuts in the same farm stand during the fall. Leave some room for delicious homemade fruit pies. Long Island’s North Fork stretches 23 miles from Riverhead. I have not visited all the 39 wineries, but I will keep adding more information on this article since I continue to explore Long Island Wine Country.
Tasting fees range from $10 to $25 per wine tasting on the wineries. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Most offer cheese and other delicacies. I recommend you take a tour to visit more of them if you visit the area. If you live in New York, see them slowly. Each winery has a lot to offer, and winemakers are usually available in the tasting rooms. Try to make a reservation whenever possible so your experience can be more rewarding. Here are some of the wineries I recommend you visit:
RGNY has dedicated itself to understanding the region while holding in regard its Mexican heritage -which is exclusive to its brand. Their location is excellend. Moreover, RGNY is able to provide a unique perspective that can be seen in both winemaking process and in the authentic consumer experiences. This winery is a must in your trip to the North Fork. I have visited many times and I have even interviewed her CEO Maria Rivero. Read the complete interview here.
Some of the wines that you should try here are the Cabernet Franc, the White Merlot, Viognier and the Sparkling Brut.
Paumanok vineyards has one of the most friendly atmospheres in Long Island. Their owners, The Massoud Family, are pioneers in Long Island Wine Trail. I really enjoy their Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. It will be hard to accomodate a walk-in at this winery and I highly encourage you to do reservations in advance, they get busy during the weekends. They are family friendly.
I first visited Laurel Vineyards in 2015. However, many things have change since then. They changed owners and I tried to visit again under the new management but I wasn’t able to visit. They couldn’t accomodate us for a walk-in and I noticed a different vibe. I am keeping them on the list and hopefully I can make a reservation in the future.
I am a long time wine club member of this winery. They are a pioneering producer in the area focusing on biodynamics and truly taking care of the land. Moreover, the quality of the wines is outstanding. Try their different styles of Cabernet Franc and their Pet-Nat Horses which is a favorite of mine! If you are going to visit, I highly recommend you to make a reservation in advance.
This a family winery, very rural but luxurious experience. They craft one of the best Cabernet Franc I have tried in the North Fork so far. I also will recommend their Dry Rose. Make your reservation in advance to enjoy the McCall Wines experience. They typically do hamburgers and red wine pairings check their website for ocassional events.
Lieb Cellars is operated by a team of young forward-thinking individuals from diverse backgrounds. They are united in a single mission: to produce wine that they love to drink and are proud to pour. Known for their signature dry, clean and fruit-forward style, Lieb Cellars offers a portfolio of estate grown, sustainably farmed still & sparkling wines. More information.
Pellegrini Vineyards is located at Cutchogue, NY. Enjoy their Gewurtruzaminer, Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon and Rosé tasting for $14 at their beautiful tasting room. Definitely try their Gewurtruzaminer is a great expression of Long Island Gewurz. Their tasting room is often packed but you can enjoy tasting outside and like me walk the beautiful vineyards.
I have been evangelizing about the Long Island wine region for the past five years, and I have seen it grow and attract more tourists to their wineries and tasting rooms. I hope you can get advantage of how close this wine trail it is to the city. Make the trip, enjoy a day trip or make it a weekend getaway.
Martha Cisneros Paja is an Engineer, Cava Educator and WSET Level 2 certified, founder of Latinas Wine Club Inc. and author of Mexican Wines: A guide to Fall in Love with Wines of Mexico . Read more about one of the most hard-working Latinas in Wine here.
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