Wine making have as rich and deep a history as other social events, such as horse racing (1600s). The first vineyard was planted in 1973. However, in just over 40 years, the North Fork of Long Island has established itself as a prominent wine region. Today, there are over 60 recognized vineyards in the Long Island Wine Region, producing approximately 1.2 million gallons of wine annually.
The North Fork climate and terrain favor the growth of the grape varietal. Due to the close proximity of the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean, any hot summer weather is assuaged with cool breezy winds from the water. Interestingly, the water also extends a slight warmth that permits grapes to continue growing through the fall, sometimes even as late as November. The soils, formed from Wisconsin-age glaciers over 10,000 years ago, are conducive to vine growth. The combination of climate and terrain, with plenty of sun, allows for a wide variety of grapes for both red and white wines.
Martha Clara Vineyard is a popular winery located right at the beginning of North Fork wine trail, making it a good first stop. In 1978, Robert Entenmann (Martha Clara Entenmann's son) purchased the potato farm on the North Fork and transformed it into a thoroughbred farm. However, he soon realized the neighboring farms were beginning to take advantage of the prime soil and climate of the North Fork to delve into the wine-making business. In 1995, Robert planted his initial 18 acres of grapes, which in the following four years expanded to over 100 acres. Today, Martha Clara grows and makes a wide variety of wines, include reds, whites, and rosés. The beautiful tasting room pays tribute to the farm's history, as the room gives off a (nice) barn atmosphere and decor.
Bedell Cellars was also a good last-minute choice, as we came to find out that their wines were served at the Inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2013. This family-owned winery planted their first grapes in 1980. Interestingly, Bedell Cellars is pioneering in supporting minority development in winemaking. Hispanic migrants are rising in popularity around wine country, according to a local wine press. The feel of Bedell's tasting room was drastically different than Martha Clara, with more modern decor and a grand display of their wine varieties. There was also large windows of the aging and bottling rooms.
Wine tasting is more of an art and acquired skill than a "novice" may think. As we came to learn at our first stop, first one should look at the color of the wine, then sniff the aromas of the wine, before finally sipping the wine. The server also informed us why different wines have different "flavors": the grapes pull the flavors and aromas from the surrounding dirt in which they are grown. Knowing the "steps" of wine tasting helped to reveal different subtleties between the different wines. It was also interesting to learn about the different grape varieties that produce the different types of wine, as well as mixtures of several grapes to create varieties.