
The narrow twin tines of Long Island wine country, less than a two-hour drive from the cacophony of New York City, have never been an obvious place for grape growing.
On the North Fork, vineyards juxtapose jagged coastal cliffs, fishing docks and cabbage fields. On the South Fork, they’re wedged between multimillion-dollar mansions of hedge fund giants and celebrities, and the tony beach communities of the Hamptons. It’s an expensive, temperamental place to grow grapes. But to young, entrepreneurial winemakers, Long Island is one of the most exciting places in America.
When it comes to experience, the new generation of Long Island’s winemaking community is remarkably diverse. Upstart winemakers with little formal training work alongside second-generation winemakers and graduates of top enology schools. Increasingly they’re a cosmopolitan, exceptionally quality-minded group that could just as easily be making wine in Napa, Sonoma or the Old World. Instead, they’ve chosen Long Island.
1Kareem Massoud | Paumanok Vineyards
2Regan Meador | Southold Farm + Cellar
3Kelly Urbanik Koch | Macari Vineyards
4Anthony Nappa | Raphael and Anthony Nappa Wines