If you’re looking for a vineyard that encompasses the meaning of “family owned and operated”, look no further than Pugliese Vineyards in Cutchogue. It is truly a family operation, and the pride that the Pugliese family puts into maintaining a charming atmosphere is evident from the moment one walks onto the property.
Pugliese Vineyards: American classic meets Italian rustic
Upon parking, we were greeted by a bright red, vintage American Gasoline pump, which stands out amongst the rest of the natural grounds. Though it doesn’t seem like it would fit with the vineyard’s atmosphere, it somehow works, and adds to the charm of the location.
The outdoor tasting area, where my mom and I enjoyed a flight, is just beyond the gas pump. This is currently my favorite outdoor area of all the wineries that I’ve been to so far: a pergola wrapped with grape vines allows guests to feel as if they are in a small village in Italy, rather than on the North Fork of Long Island. A lake, complete with fountain and koi fish, is nearby, and guests are welcome to take their drinks and sit by the lake to take in the views.
Koi fish swim lazily in the lake at Pugliese Vineyards
Though the indoor tasting room was closed, I was able to stop inside the gift shop where Pat Pugliese, the owner, was making and personalizing a wine basket for a recently-engaged couple. Mrs. Pugliese personalizes the vineyard’s bottles and glasses herself. She and her husband opened the current winery in 1993, though they had already been in operation for thirteen years prior to that. Today, the vineyard encompasses 45 acres, and all of the vineyard’s wines are grown, produced, and bottled on-site.
As the Puglieses’ four children grew older, they also became involved in the family business. Their son, Peter, is the current winemaker; son Ralph is the property’s photographer. Son Lawrence is the vineyard manager, and their daughter, Domenica, manages the winery.
The tasting at Pugliese featured a variety of wine samples
This family endeavor shows no signs of slowing down. When I asked one of the members of the family about the wines they are best known for, she paused at first. There is such a large variety available, that she had a difficult time choosing just one. Her recommendations: for sparkling wines, the Brut; for whites, the Chardonnay Gold; for reds, the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, and for dessert, the Late Harvest Riesling. Those were the same wines that I sampled in my tasting, and as a fan of sparkling wine, I really enjoyed their Brut.
The members of the Pugliese family who were on site the day that I visited were warm and cordial. Though they were busy, their passion for the craft was clear that day- it’s the kind of genuine passion in a business that makes you want to return again someday soon.
“Seek not…the life of the immortals; but enjoy to the full the resources that are within thy reach.”
-Pindar, 5th century BCE
When thinking of how to begin this post about Pindar Vineyards, I wanted to do some research on the history of the name, “Pindar”. Though both the winery in Peconic, New York and its owner are named Pindar, it originally became a household name thousands of years ago, in ancient Greece. At that time, a man named Pindar was writing poems and cementing himself as one of the greatest ancient Greek lyric poets. His reputation stands for good reason: a quick Google search of Pindar’s poems shows that many of his words are not only applicable to life in ancient Greece, but are also relevant enough to have been written this year.
Fittingly, Pindar Vineyards embodies the spirit of poet Pindar’s quote, above. The vineyard is the oldest family-run winery on Long Island, and for forty years the Damianos family has been dedicated to bringing an enjoyable wine-tasting experience for all guests. However, to do so requires a team effort, which owner Pindar Damianos understands well. While I was visiting, Mr. Damianos was busily working alongside his staff, moving boxes, cleaning glasses, and providing tastings for customers. In between these tasks, he was kind enough to take time to speak with me about his family’s passion for winemaking, and why Pindar Vineyards remains one of Long Island’s most popular wineries.
Mr. Damianos explained that part of his winery’s dedication to guests’ enjoyment is understanding that their visitors encompass all types of wine drinkers, from novices to connoisseurs. As a result, they make different types of wine for all palettes, and strive to educate guests about their wine. For example, their four seasons wines- Winter White, Spring Splendor, Summer Blush, and Autumn Gold- are on the sweeter side and make for easy drinking. Though technically considered to be wines that are great for novices, they are some of the vineyard’s most popular wines.
If the seasonal wines are “introductory wines,” Pindar Vineyards also provides plenty of tastes for the more advanced wine drinker, such as their Pythagoras Red, which is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Mr. Damianos explained that over time, our palettes mature, which enables us to enjoy drier varieties. Regardless of where one may be as a wine drinker, it is not difficult to find a wine that is suitable to your tastes at Pindar. As someone who is still expanding her palette, I appreciate that Pindar has this understanding of their customers. The tasting that Mr. Damianos poured for me provided wines suitable for a variety of palettes, and I was able to taste the differences in wine as it progressed from introductory to more advanced. As a personal bonus, I was excited to find that I liked the Pythagoras Red, since it is a blend of two of the drier red wines.
The tasting flight provided a nice blend of “introductory” and more “advanced” wines
Actually enjoying a drier red wine!
Perhaps one of the most recognizable features of Pindar Vineyards are the sunflowers that bloom annually on the grounds. As a Long Islander, it is almost a rite of passage to come to Pindar at some point and take pictures in the sunflower field, so before we finished our conversation, I had to ask Mr. Damianos about it. The story he told me is fantastic: in the early 1980s, Mr. Damianos’ father- Pindar’s original owner- happened to be driving by some of their acreage of Chardonnay, when he noticed one lone sunflower growing amongst the grapes. He decided to name that year’s Chardonnay after that one sunflower, and from there, planted sunflower seeds along the side of Pindar’s tasting room. Since that year, the release of each year’s Sunflower Chardonnay is timed to coincide with the full bloom of the sunflowers. This is a tradition that is now 35 years strong, and only seems to be growing in popularity.
I visited just as the first sunflowers were beginning to bloom
Pindar’s famous Sunflower Chardonnay
Pindar had already been a favorite Long Island winery of mine before I began Drink.Explore.Repeat this summer. It’s the winery I visit most frequently, both for the wine itself, and for its comfortable atmosphere. Mr. Damianos reinforced this when he said that the vineyard strives to maintain a welcoming atmosphere, free from any pretension. Listening to him speak, he undoubtedly values his customers, and continues to educate himself and his staff on the best ways to make guests happy. He stated that he never wants to be a “winery of ‘no’”; rather, he wants to continue to welcome and ensure that visitors are having an enjoyable experience. Part of the vineyard’s success in doing this certainly comes back to their embodiment of the team culture- both management and staff are always on premises and working together. I witnessed this on my visit, as after I spoke with him, Mr. Damianos continued to circulate both indoors and outside on the grounds, completing tasks and making sure that guests were enjoying themselves.
Pindar’s grounds provide plenty of outdoor seating options with beautiful views of the grapes. On weekends they also offer live music, which adds to their welcoming nature
Poet Pindar may have written about enjoying the resources one has access to over 2,500 years ago, but his words certainly apply to life in 2020. If quarantining and social distancing has taught us anything, it’s that we need to appreciate what we have, and to enjoy each experience to the fullest, because it can be taken away quicker than we may have realized. On that note, I’ll be spending the rest of this afternoon enjoying some Sunflower Chardonnay and planning my next trip to Pindar. Salut!
‘til next time,
Lau
Interested in visiting Pindar? Check their website for more information!
Today, much of Long Island paints a perfect picture of modern-day suburbia: well-manicured lawns, white picket fences, and inviting sidewalks are hallmarks of many communities. It’s certainly fitting, as Long Island is the birthplace of the modern American suburb, thanks to William Levitt’s mid-20th century Levittown housing developments, which revolutionized the suburban housing model.
However, there are still many residents on the island who recall a time before suburbia sprawled all the way to the eastern forks. The farther east one travels, the more likely they are to encounter people who remember the Long Island of yesteryear: well-tended farms and one-store towns with only the basic necessities. Though farms still dominate much of the eastern end of Long Island, there is no doubt that suburbia, along with larger shopping centers, has made its permanent mark.
The second stop on my DrinkExploreRepeat adventure took me to the south fork of Long Island, to a winery that recalls the East End’s pre-suburban culture. On a day trip out to Montauk, we stopped at Duck Walk Vineyards, which is one of three wineries in the area. When naming it, the owners of Duck Walk wanted to pay homage to Long Island’s agricultural past. Knowing that eastern Long Island had once been synonymous with potato farms and duck farms, they chose the latter as the inspiration for the vineyard’s name (personally, I’m glad they went for the ducks and not the potatoes).
The Duck Walk sign is open and inviting to guests. Hank’s Farmstand (and in the fall, Hank’s Pumpkintown) provides a beautiful backdrop, and is a great stop to make to complement a visit to Duck Walk
Today, Duck Walk has two locations on the East End: Duck Walk Hampton in Water Mill, on the south fork and Duck Walk North in Southold, on the north fork (yes, I too get confused as to why Southold is not on the south fork). We visited Duck Walk Hampton, and were happy to find that they were offering tasting flights- with Covid restrictions still placed on businesses, flights at wineries are few and far between, but Duck Walk provided them in a clean, safe manner.
Duck Walk’s stunning tasting room
We started out in the tasting room, where our sommeliers could not have been kinder when providing information about Duck Walk. Opened in 1994, it was always intended to be a winery, but their Water Mill location has often been mistaken for a church. Standing in their tasting room, it’s easy to see why: the steepled, wooden roof and colorful, stained-glass windows give it a churchly feel, while light filtering in bathes the room in a golden glow, providing a calming atmosphere. Wooden statues of the owner and his children in the midst of winemaking also serve as reminders of the family-oriented nature of Duck Walk- besides the two Duck Walk vineyards, the family also owns Pindar and Jason, two other wineries on the north fork.
Statues remind visitors of the emphasis on family at Duck Walk
Once our tasting was poured, we brought it outside to a patio bordered by a beautiful pond with an array of flowers and bushes and, of course, rows of grapes growing in the distance. We sat down, removed our masks, and enjoyed some of Duck Walk’s most popular wines. Our tasting included their Sauvignon Blanc, their Rosé, their Gatsby Red, and their Blueberry Port. When speaking with the sommeliers, I was intrigued by the Blueberry Port- although most Port wines are typically made from grapes, Duck Walk’s is comprised of 100% wild blueberries. To my surprise (remember- white wine lover here), the Port was my favorite taste of the day. It was sweet and refreshing. Plus, they served it with a piece of dark chocolate wrapped in a little grape foil, which perfectly complemented the blueberry taste.
First flight of the summer! Clockwise from bottom: Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Gatsby Red, Blueberry Port (with dark chocolate to accompany!)
Another favorite of the day was the Gatsby Red, which also happens to be one of Duck Walk’s more popular summer wines, along with their Southampton White, Rosé, and Sauvignon Blanc. The Gatsby Red is a semi-sweet blend of Merlot and Cabernet and is meant to be served, much to my delight, like a white wine: thoroughly chilled.
A fun note about Duck Walk’s wine: the labels on their bottles are fantastic. From the F. Scott Fitzgerald-esque label on the Gatsby Red, to the classic duck motif on some of their staple bottles, take a minute and peruse their designs here.
The original tank and fermentation room
When in Duck Walk Hampton’s tasting room, you’ll notice a tank and fermentation room off to the side. Though this was the original location for the production of Duck Walk’s wines, all wines are now made at their North location, since it has larger acreage on which their grapes are produced. Those grapes grown on the Hampton premises are transported to Duck Walk North for processing. However, even though they are made in one location, due to differences in soils on the north and south fork, the grapes actually taste different. Our sommelier compared the Hampton grapes to those grown in Bordeaux, France, due to the cooler air and closer proximity to the water. Though it makes sense, I didn’t realize how different soils could affect the taste of crops, which I find really fascinating.
As a family-run vineyard that incorporates Long Island’s farm history in its name, it’s no surprise that attention to agricultural details would be brought up in a conversation with the sommeliers. It’s just another reminder that Duck Walk continues to preserve the heritage of their surroundings while providing guests with a beautiful atmosphere to gather and enjoy.
Welcome to the first Drink.Explore.Repeat post! When my travel plans to Europe were cancelled this summer, I began to think about what I wanted to do instead, because – let’s be real, here- I can’t go an entire summer without exploring. One idea that came to mind was visiting Long Island’s wineries.
Long Island has an extensive collection of beautiful wineries. Most are located on the North Fork, which I’ve spent the majority of quarantine exploring and getting to know better. I’ve been going to the wineries for years, but while there, I’m usually just content to hang out with friends (and, once upon a time, some goats- but more on that in a later post) and sip wine for fun. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I know very little about wine. I love drinking it, but I can’t tell the difference between a $15 bottle and a $75 bottle. Plus- unpopular opinion- I really don’t understand the red wine hype, particularly if it’s dry and room temp. Give me a crisp, sweet glass of chilled Sauv Blanc any day.
So, with all of this in mind, I did some research and made a list of every vineyard on Long Island. I decided that my summer project would be to visit each location on the list, with the hopes of learning more about wine- and, possibly, developing a like (not ready to commit to the L word) for Cabernet along the way.
The first stop on my winery tour, and today’s featured vineyard, is Del Vino Vineyards in Northport.
Located on the north shore of central Long Island, Northport is the quintessential coastal town. It was originally purchased from Chief Asharoken of the Matinecock tribe in 1656 by English settlers looking for a new location for cattle grazing. Settlers named the area Great Cow Harbor, both after the cattle and the large harbor to the north of the land. Over time, Cow Harbor grew into a shipbuilding and whaling community, and was renamed Northport in 1837.
These historical markers are all over NY state, much to the delight of the history nerd pictured above!
Today, a trip down Main Street in Northport (complete with trolley tracks from an early 20th-century line) presents visitors with both mom-and-pop-type restaurants and shops, as well as trendy boutiques, eateries and breweries. It’s one of my favorite places to go when I’m craving a dose of historic Main Street, U.S.A. (and the harbor is awesome for spotting a gorgeous sunset).
Five minutes from Main Street, tucked away on Norwood Avenue, is Del Vino Vineyards. The stone-adorned tasting room, complete with balconies and dormer windows, gives off a subtle nautical vibe that lends itself beautifully to Northport’s culture. The grounds themselves are stunning: beautifully gardened and manicured. Walking through the grounds made me feel as if I was walking through a serene countryside rather than on suburban Long Island. Outdoor seating is located on a patio that offers seats in both the shade and the sun.
Reservations are currently required to visit Del Vino (book yours here). I was impressed with how smoothly they ran their system. Driving up the path, I gave the reservation name and time, and was seamlessly directed around the grounds by parking assistants. Upon walking to the outdoor reception stand, my temperature was taken. I’m super appreciative that they were being careful in the midst of New York cautiously reopening, but this ended up being slightly nerve-racking: before getting my temperature taken, I was waiting in the sun, so at first, it read that I had a fever. I was also pretty badly sunburnt on my forehead (which is now peeling oh-so-beautifully), so I began to panic that either a) my sunburn was going to stop me from getting in, or b) I really was sick. The receptionists had me wait in the shade for a couple of terrifying minutes, and then tried again (this wasn’t their first sun-fever rodeo). Thankfully, the fever was gone, and I was shown to my table!
Del Vino’s Sauvignon Blanc is refreshing for sweltering summer days
Just as local history runs deep in Northport, so too is it important to understanding the love that Del Vino puts into its winemaking. Even though the winery is only a year and a half old (it opened in November 2018), its story starts much earlier. Our sommelier, Jen, explained that Del Vino is a family-owned vineyard, with its origins dating back one hundred years, to the owners’ ancestors in Italy. All of their wines are made from family recipes and produced right on premises. Their white and rosé wines are made from the grapes grown on their grounds, and their reds are made from grapes imported from California and processed within the winery itself.
Currently, the most popular bottles at Del Vino are their Moscato and Riesling for whites, and their Super Tuscan Grande red blend, which is mainly a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, with hints of Merlot and Tempranillo. I was super intrigued when Jen told us that their red blends are virtually sulfite-free. Sulfites are additives that are often put into wine to prevent it from spoiling quickly. A lack of sulfites means that Del Vino’s red blends need to be stored and served just below room temperature, so the wine will not spoil. I’m excited to return with my mom, who is allergic to sulfites and therefore cannot drink most wines. I’m crossing my fingers in the hopes that she’ll be able to safely enjoy a glass of a (mostly) sulfite-free red blend, and will be reporting back afterward!
I heard the food was good at Del Vino, and the margherita pizza proved that rumor correct
While at Del Vino, I shared a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc with some of my friends. I was disappointed that they were not yet offering tasting flights (my favorite way to really get a sense of a vineyard’s offerings), but as restrictions continue to loosen in New York, that will hopefully be back soon. While we were enjoying our wine, I also ordered a margherita personal pizza, which tasted fantastic. I would have liked it to have been slightly bigger, as I could have had a few more of the thin-crust slices after I devoured what was in front of me! I finished my visit off with a glass of their signature frosé, or frozen rosé-they also offer a Cab Crush variety, which is a red and rosé blend. It was the perfect ending to the visit.
Frosé all day! (I’m allowed one cringe-worthy caption on here, no?)
At the top of Del Vino’s menu is the following motto: “Our passion is the customer. Our craft is the wine.” A trip to the vineyard shows evidence of this strong sense of devotion to both the craft itself, as well as to the experiences of visitors. Jen explained to us that the owners, who also live in Northport, are always looking for new ways to ensure that guests are satisfied. Their most recent project, completed a couple of months ago, is an upper level patio with sweeping views of the grounds, that is meant for reserved parties. Since Del Vino is one of only a few wineries in central Long Island, this devotion to their clientele makes the experience that much more special.
Signature vineyard pose coming at ya!
The family’s commitment to keeping guests happy at Del Vino is a reflection of the greater Northport community, which is always doing the same for visitors. Northport is currently being branded as a “new Montauk,” complete with a hotel proposal to enable visitors from New York City (and beyond!) to come out and stay for the weekend. Naturally, a trip to Del Vino would be recommend during those stays. I’m interested to see what the future will bring, tourism-wise, for both Del Vino, and Northport itself- hopefully it will continue to see success without disturbing the small town charm that makes Northport a place to return to over again.
