East End WineriesLong Island Winery Guide
A host pouring a first tasting flight at a North Fork tasting room counter

Curated Collection · 12 stops

First-Timers Welcome
on Long Island

12 tasting rooms where a first flight is easy — a posted price, a list that runs sweet to dry, and no one minding that you do not know what you like yet. 11 on the North Fork, plus Duck Walk’s Water Mill château if you are already in the Hamptons.

Where to start if you have never done this

A first tasting goes wrong in predictable ways: no price anywhere on the menu, a list of nothing but dry reds, or a host who assumes you already know what Cabernet Franc is. Every room here avoids all three. Most are walk-in with a printed flight — $18 to $30 for four to six wines — and a few will genuinely teach you something: Macari seats you with an educator, Sannino pours side by side and walks the rows, Pindar tours the campus on weekends from May to October, and Coffee Pot’s winemaker is usually the one pouring on Sunday. Start west at Palmer, work east, and plan two stops rather than four. The rooms that go 21+ on a weekend are on the date-night list instead.

North Fork

West to east — Riverhead through Southold — so neighboring rooms sit next to each other on the page.

Vine rows at Palmer Vineyards on Sound Avenue

01 · North Fork · Riverhead

Palmer Vineyards

The first vineyard off the expressway, and an easy one to open with: walk in with fewer than six people, order the $25 mystery flight of four, and sit at a table rather than elbow up to a bar.

Nothing here assumes you know anything — and there is wood-fired pizza Friday through Sunday in season, plus the Albariño that was planted in New York first.

Six or more must reserve, and buses come by appointment only. Hours shift month to month. Same Massoud family as Paumanok, but this is the Riverhead estate.

5120 Sound Ave, Riverhead, NY 11901
Winery pageWebsiteOpen in Maps
Bocce court and lawn at Bridge Lane Tasting Room in Mattituck

02 · North Fork · Mattituck

Bridge Lane Tasting Room

Lieb’s value label, run like somebody’s backyard: bar service, six wines for $20, and rainbow picnic tables with bocce, shuffleboard, and cornhole.

The cheapest way to find out what you actually like — cans and kegs, no swirling ritual, and cider, sangria, or beer for whoever is not ready for a flight.

Summer daily 12–7, off-season Thursday through Sunday. Bring a picnic and clean up after it; no outside alcohol. The fruit is multi-region rather than estate-grown, so this is not a terroir lesson. Limos and buses welcome.

35 Cox Neck Rd, Mattituck, NY 11952
Winery pageWebsiteOpen in Maps
Barrel cellar tasting table at Macari Vineyards

03 · North Fork · Mattituck

Macari Vineyards

A family farm above the Sound where the tasting is educator-led: a seasonal five-wine flight for $40, at a table you booked, with someone talking you through each pour.

The stop for the day you want the wine explained rather than just served — and $75 buys the same thing down in the barrel cellar.

Reservations required, up to six a table, with a five-day cancellation window; lawn tables are not bookable. Harvest traffic runs August through October, and no live music is scheduled. Not to be confused with Meadowlark in Cutchogue.

150 Bergen Ave, Mattituck, NY 11952
Winery pageWebsiteOpen in Maps
Barrel room at Pellegrini Vineyards

04 · North Fork · Cutchogue

Pellegrini Vineyards

A courtyard estate open seven days, usually 11 to 5, where a small party walks up to the bar and tastes classic North Fork Merlot and Cabernet Franc with no ceremony around it.

Quiet is the point — a barrel room with the acoustics of a small church, and no lawn party happening behind you while you taste.

Five or more, or any limo, bus, or van, needs a reservation. The walk-in fee is not posted, so ask when you arrive. Closed on major holidays, Mother’s Day included. Wheelchair accessible.

23005 Main Rd, Cutchogue, NY 11935
Winery pageWebsiteOpen in Maps
Aerial view of the vineyard at Sannino Vineyard

05 · North Fork · Cutchogue

Sannino Vineyard

A small family estate that treats a tasting as a lesson: four wines for about $30, poured side by side so you can hear why one differs from the next. Walk in with six or fewer.

Comparative flights and a $100 Vine to Wine walk through the rows make this the most hands-on introduction on the list.

Reservations encouraged; groups of seven to 15 prepay about $35 a head. Last pour is 30 minutes before close, and the hours pages disagree — confirm first. No pets. Jazz on Friday from 8 to 10 with a $10 cover.

15975 County Rd 48, Cutchogue, NY 11935
Winery pageWebsiteOpen in Maps
Grapes on the vine at Pugliese Vineyards

06 · North Fork · Cutchogue

Pugliese Vineyards

A three-generation Italian family farm where walk-ins are always fine and the list runs from traditional-method sparkling to sweet Niagara, hand-painted bottles included.

The list that settles a mismatched car — one person can have dry Merlot while the next has Bella Maria, and nobody is made to feel wrong about it.

Sunday through Friday 11–5, Saturday to 6 in season. Picnics on the outdoor benches only, and no outside alcohol. Music Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5, May through mid-November. Quality is uneven across the sweet end. Buses, limos, and sprinters reserve at $20 for four wines plus 20 percent gratuity.

34515 Main Rd, Cutchogue, NY 11935
Winery pageWebsiteOpen in Maps
Aerial view of the Bedell Cellars tasting house and vineyard

07 · North Fork · Cutchogue

Bedell Cellars

A prestige Cutchogue estate that still lets a party of 15 or fewer walk in: flights run about $28 to $32, taken on a porch that looks straight down the vines.

Artist-designed labels and a bookable cellar tour, without the hush of a room that wishes you knew more than you do.

Sunday through Thursday 11–6, Friday and Saturday to 7, but private events close it often enough to check first. Cheese and charcuterie on site, no outside food, food trucks on event nights.

36225 Main Rd, Cutchogue, NY 11935
Winery pageWebsiteOpen in Maps
Coffee Pot Cellars tasting room and garden in Cutchogue

08 · North Fork · Cutchogue

Coffee Pot Cellars

A tiny roadside room run by a winemaker and a jam-maker, where walk-ins are always welcome and most Sundays the winemaker himself is the one pouring, at no extra charge.

As close as this trail gets to a conversation instead of a transaction — the right choice if the crowds are the part you are dreading.

Friday through Monday 11–6, closed Tuesday through Thursday. The fee is no longer posted — about $21 for all wines back in 2023 — so confirm it. Six or more should call ahead, nine or more definitely. It is a bar, not a scenic campus; picnics go outside. Same winemaker as Osprey’s Dominion.

31855 Main Rd, Cutchogue, NY 11935
Winery pageWebsiteOpen in Maps
Red-roof tasting room at Pindar Vineyards in Peconic

09 · North Fork · Peconic

Pindar Vineyards

The winery that built the modern North Fork, and still the most forgiving place to turn up without a plan: open daily 11 to 6, walk-in five-wine flights, and 20 grape varieties from bone dry to dessert.

Public tours run Saturday and Sunday from May to October for $35 — an hour of context before anyone hands you a glass.

Weekends get crowded, and quality is uneven across the sweet and seasonal bottles. Picnics in the designated outdoor areas only. A hired limo, bus, or van needs a prepaid time slot. There is a second tasting room in Port Jefferson.

37645 NY-25, Peconic, NY 11958
Winery pageWebsiteOpen in Maps
Barn-style tasting house at Lenz Winery in Peconic

10 · North Fork · Peconic

Lenz Winery

The second-oldest winery on the North Fork, farming since 1978: five wines for roughly $25 to $35 in a rustic barn courtyard with almost no polish to it.

Old-vine Chardonnay and Merlot off vines older than most of the trail — what the region tastes like when it stops trying to impress anyone.

Reservations preferred for one to six and required from seven to 16; buses and limos by appointment. Sunday through Thursday 11–6, Friday and Saturday to 7. No outside food, whatever older picnic listings say — light bites are for sale. A $75 VIP flight is available.

38355 NY-25, Peconic, NY 11958
Winery pageWebsiteOpen in Maps
Lawn, gazebo, and vines at Duck Walk North in Southold

11 · North Fork · Southold

Duck Walk Vineyards North

The Damianos family’s Southold patio, with the plainest deal on the trail: $18 for any four wines off a list that runs from Sauvignon Blanc to blueberry port.

A posted price and no wrong answer — dessert wine is a legitimate pick here, which takes the pressure off a first flight.

Walk in under six; six or more must reserve, and the reservation buys the tasting rather than a seat. Published hours conflict between pages, so check before you drive. Snacks for sale, and light snacks of your own are allowed. This is not the Water Mill château.

44535 Main Rd, Southold, NY 11971
Winery pageWebsiteOpen in Maps

South Fork & the Hamptons

Duck Walk’s original château in Water Mill is the only South Fork room that fits a first tasting — a posted price and a list that runs sweet to dry. Channing Daughters, with its orange wines and 25 varieties, and Wölffer’s seated tasting room are both better once you know what you like.

Château tasting hall at Duck Walk Southampton in Water Mill

12 · South Fork · Water Mill

Duck Walk Vineyards Southampton

The original 1994 château in Water Mill, and the same $18 for four wines as Southold — reserves and dessert pours included, in a hall built to look far grander than the price.

The one stop here that makes sense if you are already in the Hamptons rather than driving out to the North Fork.

Walk in with a smaller party; six or more reserve by phone and buy the tasting, which does not include a seat. Published hours conflict, so call 631-726-7555. Snacks for sale, and light snacks of your own are allowed alongside purchased wine. A different address from Duck Walk North in Southold.

231 Montauk Hwy, Water Mill, NY 11976
Winery pageWebsiteOpen in Maps

First-timer FAQ

Where should a first-timer start on Long Island’s wine trail?

Palmer, if you are coming off the expressway and want the first vineyard on Sound Avenue. Bridge Lane if $20 and a bocce court sounds better than a cellar. Pindar for a weekend tour of the campus. Macari if you booked ahead and want an educator at the table. Duck Walk if you want a posted $18 for any four wines, sweet or dry.

Do first-timers need a reservation?

Only Macari requires one. Lenz prefers it for small parties and requires it from seven people up, and Sannino encourages it. Palmer needs one at six or more, Pellegrini at five or more or for any hired van, and both Duck Walks at six or more — where the reservation buys the tasting rather than a seat. Bridge Lane, Pugliese, Coffee Pot, Pindar, and Bedell up to 15 people are all walk-in.

What does a first tasting cost on Long Island?

Between $18 and $40 a person. Duck Walk is $18 for any four wines, Bridge Lane $20 for six, Palmer’s mystery flight $25, Sannino about $30, Bedell $28 to $32, Lenz $25 to $35, and Macari $40 for five. Pellegrini and Coffee Pot no longer post a walk-in fee, so ask. Guided versions cost more: $35 for the Pindar tour, $75 for Macari’s barrel cellar, $100 for Sannino’s Vine to Wine.

Which Long Island wineries actually explain the wines?

Macari’s tasting is educator-led from start to finish. Sannino pours comparative flights and sells a walk through the vines. Bedell books a cellar tour. Pindar runs public tours on Saturday and Sunday from May to October. Coffee Pot is the informal version — the winemaker is usually behind the bar on Sunday.

How many wineries should we visit in one day?

Two, or three if you start at noon. A walk-in flight takes about 45 minutes and a booked tasting closer to 90, and most of these rooms close between 5 and 7, so this is a lunch-and-afternoon trip. Settle the driving first — a designated driver or a car service — because the stops are five to ten minutes apart by road and there is no useful transit between them.

Is the North Fork or the South Fork better for a first tasting?

The North Fork, where 11 of these 12 stops are. Everything between Riverhead and Southold sits within a 20-minute drive, and the prices are lower. The only South Fork entry is Duck Walk’s original château in Water Mill, which is worth it if you are already in the Hamptons.

Which Long Island wineries are 21+?

Jamesport Vineyards goes 21+ on Friday after 6 p.m. and all weekend, infants included. Raphael is 21+ on its official visit page. Ev&Em keeps under-21s off the Tasting Deck and Upper Deck. None of them are on this list, so nobody gets turned around at the door.

Bringing children along as well? Bridge Lane, Pugliese, and Duck Walk North all appear on the family-friendly list too.