Winery #5: Palmer Vineyards

Pandemic or not, visit a Long Island winery on a beautiful summer Saturday, and it will be crowded. The wineries are a favorite pastime of Long Island and New York City residents, and “going out East” for the weekend- particularly from Memorial Day to Labor Day- has basically become ingrained in our culture. As a result, I’ve been doing most of my Drink.Explore.Repeat winery visits on weekdays, hoping that this will give me a better chance to be able to spend some time conducting interviews and not taking a manager or staff member away from their job responsibilities.

However, one recent Saturday I happened to be out East with some friends, and we had a few hours before our dinner reservations. Naturally, what did we decide to do? Why, we stopped at a winery, of course! I had been to Palmer Vineyards in Riverhead once before, but it had been a few years since that visit, so I was excited to go back.

Just as expected on a blazing hot, sunny summer day, the winery was packed. With the tasting room closed due to social distancing, all outdoor tables with umbrellas, as well as seating under the covered patio was at a premium. By some miracle, we happened to snag a patio table from a couple that was just standing up to leave- prime real estate (though I worry I may have scared them as I bounded over to the table upon seeing them get up; my apologies if you’re reading this).

As hours passed and we chatted and drank our wine, I began to worry that I would not have the opportunity to speak with Patrick, the manager. Our waiter had given him notice that I had a few questions to ask, but for hours all staff hands were on deck, attending to guests and preparing bottles. They remained attentive, but it was clear that they were extremely busy, so we continued to enjoy the bottle of Albariño that was recommended to us.

Luck must have been on my side this day, because as the afternoon wound down and we were getting ready to leave, Patrick kindly took advantage of some rare downtime to speak with me about Palmer Vineyards. The vineyard itself was opened in 1983 by the Palmer family, though they sold it to the current owners, the Massoud family in 2018. When the Massouds purchased the vineyard, Palmer became the sister winery to Paumanok, another Massoud-owned winery in Aquebogue.  

One of the most intriguing facts about Palmer lies in the grapes that they produce. They were the first vineyard on Long Island to grow the Albariño grape, which is a native varietal to Spain and does not grow easily on North Fork soil. However, the previous winemaker employed with Palmer was from Spain, and took a chance on growing the Albariño grape. The risk paid off, as Palmer’s Albariño continues to be the wine that they are best known for. And now, I must confess: though I had been to Palmer years ago, I had never heard of Albariño before this visit (I was clearly not as attentive in my twenties; one of the perks to being a thirty-something, I suppose!). I can now appreciate and understand why it’s so popular. It is a crisp white wine, which was refreshing, and perfect to drink on the sweltering day that we visited.

In addition to their Albariño, Palmer prides itself on successfully growing other varietals that are either challenging to sustain in the area, or that are not as common on Long Island wineries. Their Pinot Blanc is another popular wine that comes from a grape that often has difficulty growing in the region. The twenty or so varietals that are grown on Palmer’s 43 sustainable acres encompass a wide tasting portfolio, so there is a strong likelihood that all wine drinkers will find something to enjoy on their menu.

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One of the things I love most about the Drink.Explore.Repeat project is getting to immerse myself in the unique atmosphere of each winery that I visit. I’ll be honest: when I first started this in the beginning of the summer, I assumed that over time the wineries would all blend together. However, as I visit more, I’m noticing that the opposite is happening. Yes, they all serve wine and most have rows of beautiful, sprawling grape vines. However, that’s where the commonalities end. Each winery truly has its own distinct feel and setting, and the more places I visit, the more I am noticing and enjoying those differences. Walking up to Palmer, the first view that greets is a wooden, steepled tasting room that provides a charming, rustic introduction. The welcome continues around back on the covered patio that enables a slight breeze to blow through, making it extremely easy for an afternoon of relaxing, sipping, and chatting to pass quickly by. The view from the patio completes the bucolic atmosphere, with wooden picnic tables and acres of green fields surrounding the grape vines.

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As our conversation ended, I thanked Patrick for taking time out of a busy Saturday to talk to me. By that point, the sun had moved further west, so we finished our wine and started packing up. The groups of guests that had been scattered on the patio and lawn tables had either already left, or, like us, were getting ready to leave. The staff at Palmer was cleaning up- they would be closing soon and were probably grateful to be heading home after an extremely hectic afternoon. Golden hour descended upon the North Fork, closing out yet another successful Saturday out East.

‘til next time,

Lau