Long Island Wineries on NorthCork

After all the hoopla we heard about the Borghese's being related to last year's "Bachelor" (on TV) we wanted to make a special stop at this vineyard. What a pleasant surprise and definitely worth a stop along the "North Fork Wine Trail". Great wine! Professional, courtious staff. We sat outside sipping wine, overlooking the vines. Their calendar was packed full with art shows and food/wine pairing etc! We didnt get to do the Winemakers Walk with Ann Marie Borghese, but we hear it's very informative and quite intriguing.

This past weekend was my first time to the North Fork Vineyards and since Shinn Estate got the best reviews with great pictures on their website, I decided to check it out. As soon as we walked in, we were treated with a very cold welcome, almost like we were disturbing them! This site might be a review for wine quality but when you're treated with rudeness, unfriendliness and a very bad attitude, it doesn't set anybody up for wine tasting! And unfortunately, this is what we received at this "Almost" 5 star rating vineyard. We decided to try another one- Laurel Lake Vineyard. Our experience was the opposite- even though it was simple, the staff was very friendly, informative and very welcoming. It was a very enjoyable experience for both of us there.

I was lucky enough to visit Pellegrini Vineyards in Long Island on Tuesday. Pellegrini is on Long Island's North Fork, at 23005 Main Road in Cutchogue. I took the self guided tour, then tasted some of their wines at the tasting bar. Luckily for me, Lynette, the lady behind the counter had a friend who went to my high school - in California! She let me taste a wide range of their wines, I really fell in love with their buttery chardonnay and dessert wines. Merlot has really found a home here in Long Island. Lynette said it's less jammy than California merlot, which was savaged by a character in the movie 'Sideways.' This is not that merlot, it's classier, more drinkable with dinner. My palate is really opening up, I tasted chocolate and spices and a hint of mint in their wines. Lynette encouraged tasters to swish the wine in the mouth like mouthwash to get contact with the sides of the tongue, as well as tasting it "normally." Kathleen Albany, NY

i thought the wine was better than most places i visited. i also just liked the atmosphere. seemed a bit more off-the-beaten-path than other bigger places like raphael or bedell.

I'm a big fan of two wines at Macari - the block E and the Collina 48 Merlot. The Block E is a very sweet, rich, dessert wine. The Collina 48 Merlot. The Collina 48 has a great subtle, peppery taste to it and I usually pair it with a savory meal.

Most all of the wines I've tasted here were excellent. I believe the winery received a Winery of The Year Award.