Do you need take a weekend to enjoy the glorious summer weather? Have you planned a trip to the seashore of Long Island? A summer in New York is simply incomplete without a weekend on the waterfront! Long Island Weekend Getaways are just what the doctor ordered. Come and join in on our North Fork Summer Winery Events and enjoy both beautiful Long Island beaches and the best wine country on the Northern seaboard.
When you come to the North Fork, your trip is easy and simple to plan. Our bed and breakfast is within walking distance of beach access and a short drive from dozens of wineries. Along with many options for guided wine tours, the summer is a great time to check out the many outdoor, music-filled events taking place along vineyards up and down Long Island. Here are a few we are looking forward to:

North Fork Summer Winery Events

Friday Happy Hour at Raphael Vineyard and Winery, 39390 Route 25, Peconic. Stop on your way into town on Friday at the winery for live music and half price glasses of wine. 5 – 8 p.m.
Bossa Nova Friday Nights at Sparkling Pointe Vineyards & Winery, 39750 County Road 48, Southold. Live Bossa Nova music by Hypno Smoothie, accompanied by wine and tapas. Featuring local farm stand, Surrey Lane, with fresh local produce available for purchase. 6 – 8 p.m.
Live Music at Martha Clara Vineyards, 6025 Sound Ave, Riverhead. On Saturday August 3rd enjoy live R&B and smooth soul music from 1-5 p.m. at the Martha Clara Vineyards. Free admission – rain or shine!
Live Music at Clovis Point, 1935 Main Road, Jamesport. On Sunday August 4th enjoy country & folk rock with Joe Chojnacki of The Switch from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
This list is just a small sampling of the wide array of events, music and entertainment that is available throughout North Fork Wine Country during the summer. There is something for everyone, happening all week long. Make Arbor View House your comfortable and convenient lodging choice, in the heart of Long Island wine country.

This is the last post of our Tour the Long Island Gold Coast Mansions. There are some more of the amazing mansions on the Gold Coast of Nassau County that are open to the public. We continue the list in this week’s blog post.
Chelsea Mansion: This is ‘modest’ home has 40 rooms and was built in 1924. It is an excellent example of the leading architectural styles en vogue at the time. Not-to-be-missed: the moat!
Mill Neck Manor: This property continues to serve a purpose as a primary facility run by the Lutheran Friends of the Deaf.

Mill Neck Manor. Photo Credit: Newsday/Bill Davis

It has a state-of-the-art Deaf Education Center, Early Childhood Center, community audiology center and facility as well as administrative offices where work is done to serve those who are deaf all over the world. This 86-acre estate also includes the historic Sefton Manor House and formal sunken gardens.
Cedarmere: This charming property is dwarfed by its neighbors and is slightly older. Originally the home of American poet William Cullen Bryant, he lived here for over 30 years, until his death in 1878. The property was bequeathed by his family to Nassau County as memorial to Bryant. Enjoy a Gothic-style mill and adorable stone bridge over a small pond.
Planting Fields Arboretum State Park: This was the home of Standard Oil heiress Mai Rodgers Coe. Enjoy the Camellia House, which contains the largest collection of flowering camellia bushes in the Northeast.
The de Seversky Center: This Georgian neo-calssical mansion was commissioned in 1816 by the inventor and philanthropist Alfred I. DuPont. Its name come from the famous Russian aviator Alexander P. de Seversky.

Lodging for your Travels on Long Island

Our Bed and Breakfast is located in the heart of beautiful and scenic Long Island wine country. In our semi-rural locale, you can walk to the beach, partake in the local farmer’s market and avoid the crowds. Escape from overpriced and pretentious areas of the island – you won’t regret it!

When visiting New York, tour the Gold Coast Mansions in Long Island. The homes of the Gold Coast will transport you to the opulent palaces of Europe. Grand entrances, even grander staircases, tinkling chandeliers and ballrooms fit for Gatsby-esque parties are what you will find in these mansions. Today, these lavish mansions’ gates are open to the public, allowing we commoners to tour the interiors, stroll in the gardens and step back into another era in the American story.

Nassau County Gold Coast History

The Gold Coast was coined during the Gilded Age. Estates with ornate designs and gardens were the weekend and summer homes of the wealthy East Coast elite. Some of their owners included Morgan, Woolworth, Chrysler, Vanderbilt, and Phipps. Their lifestyles and parties are legendary.

Castle Gould at the Sand Point Preserve. Photo by Mate J Horvath.

Indeed, F. Scott Fitzgerald captured the spirit of the Gilded Age in his classic American novel, “The Great Gatsby,” which fictionalized Kings Point and Sands Point as West Egg and East Egg.

Tour the Gold Coast Mansions in Long Island Open to the Public

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site: From 1902 to 1908 Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th president of the United States and this was the “Summer White House.” He lived there until his death in 1919 and the interior remains exactly the same as it was during his lifetime.
Old Westbury Gardens: Tour the Charles II style mansion where the family of John S and Margarita Phipps lived for 50 years. The property is 160 acres and includes renowned gardens, lawns, woods, ponds, lakes and over 100 species of trees.
Sands Point Park and Preserve: This park includes three castle-like mansions: Hempstead House, Castle Gould and Falaise. Falaise was built by Harry S. Guggenheim and it a unique structure with think walls, steeply pitched roofs and a round tower that reminds one of where Rapunzel was kept.
Come back later in the month for additional Gold Coast villas to explore!

Lodging for Your Long Island Adventure

Our bed and breakfast is perfectly situated for day tripping all over Long Island. Located in the scenic North Fork Wine Region, we hope you will come and explore the island and its history!

By the end of June on the North Fork of Long Island, the strawberry crops are reaching their peak. These little red berries are so full of flavor they seem ready to burst with ruby-red juice.
On Father’s Day weekend, at the peak of the strawberry harvest, the Mattituck Lions Club hosts a very special celebration. The Mattituck Strawberry Festival 2013 is the 59th annual festival in village that has just seen the Mattituck firemen’s barbeque. The festival offers a delicious, healthy and wholesome way to experience the North Fork of Long Island and raise money for local non-profits. Join in the fun, June 13-16, 2013, also the weekend of Wilfred’s birthday.
Eat strawberry shortcake, nibble strawberries dipped in chocolate, try strawberries any way you like them! Enjoy live music and find out what over 100 arts and crafts vendors have in store for you.
Get in on the small-town fun as the new Strawberry Queen is crowned and take a ride on the Ferris wheel in the Midway. Taste foods from around the world, along with as-local-as-you-can-get strawberries. The fun keeps going after the sun sets, so bring lawn chairs and enjoy the fireworks display Friday evening.
Other fun activities include:
• Raffle
• Coloring Contest Display Mattituck-Strawberry-Festival
• Local Business Vendors
• Games of Chance
• Tourist Information
• Strawberry Pie
• Used Eyeglass donation center

Mattituck Strawberry Festival 2013 Entertainment Lineup

Here are some of the artists performing at the Festival. See the full lineup on the Strawberry Festival website.
Friday, June 14
Southbound
Saturday, June 15
Miles to DaytonRob Eurpoe
Who are Those Guys?
Sunday, June 16
Robert Bruley
Liz Coppola
Don Bracken
Jeanette Russell
Second Hands

Lodging on the North Fork of Long Island

Just 20 minutes up the island from Mattituck is our bed and breakfast. Enjoy the stunning and scenic region around Greenport, where our B&B Inn is located. We are within walking distance from the ocean and at the heart of Long Island wine country. Come and stay with us, celebrate Wilfred’s birthday and enjoy unparalleled hospitality!

North Fork Winery Tour, Part IV

This is the final installment in our series on self-guided winery touring in the North Fork of Long Island, which we call the North Fork Winery Tour, Part IV. Can you believe that within only 15 miles of our Bed and Breakfast-Arbor View House, there are more than twice as many wineries? Here, we will tackle the last few on our route.

16. Shinn Estate Vineyards, 2000 Oregon Road, Mattituck:

Power culinary couple Barbara Shinn and David Page made this winery their home after starting one of the first farm to table restaurants on the East Coast and having great success with a brewery and cookbook. Now, they have one of the only wineries on the East coast powered solely by alternative (mostly solar) energy. The tasting room is open Sunday thru Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and stay open until 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

17. Gramercy Vineyards, 10020 Sound Ave Mattituck:

Head back towards Middle Road and take it through the town of Mattuck. Just Southwest of town, three and a half acres of Merlot grow exceptionally well in this small micro-climate. Founded in 2003 on a ‘gentleman’s farm,’ all fruit is hand-picked and sorted and aged in French oak for 18 months. The video below depicts a fundraising event that took place there.

18. Laurel Lake Vineyards, 3165 Main Rd, Laurel:

Head back down to Route 25 and a little over a mile down is Laurel Lake Vineyards. The winery boasts a colonial style building where tastings take place, filled with period antiques. A large two-story deck is the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine while over looking the bucolic beauty of the agricultural North Fork of Long Island. The tasting room is open year round, seven days a week.

19. Macari Vineyards & Winery, 150 Bergen Avenue, Mattituck:

While the vineyard was established in 1995, the property has belonged to the Macari family for over 50 years and would not be a complete North Fork Winery Tour, Part IV without this amazing winery. They produce a wide selection of varietals, including Sauvignon Blanc, Reisling, Cobernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Pinot Meunier and others. Along with wines, the 500 acre property also boasts diverse livestock, including Longhorn cattle, Spanish goats, horses and more. The tasting room is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Our last two blog posts have outlined a suggested route for visiting wineries in the North Fork of Long Island, with the starting point being our Bed and Breakfast in East Marion. We continue that tour in this blog, as part 3.
11. Peconic Bay Winery, 31320 Main Rd, Cutchogue: If you were just at the lovely LIEB Winery tasting room on Oregon Rd., cross Middle Road on Cox Ln back to Main Road (Rte. 25) and keep heading Southwest on Main road about a third mile. The Peconic Bay Winery is a bit of rural heaven on Long Island. Check for live music and events at the winery.
12. Castello di Borghese Vineyard, 17150 County Road 48, Cutchogue: A mile down Rte. 25, turn up Alvahs Rd to get back on Middle Road. Just to the right will be Castello di Borghese, voted the Best Winery in Long Island by editors at the Long Island Press. Pinor Noir and Sauvignan Blanc are their signature varietals.
13. McCall Wines, 22600 New York 25, Cutchogue: Although the McCall family has grown grapes on the North Fork for over 14 years, 2007 was the first year they considered the vintage to be truly great and put it on the market. They make Pinot Noir and Merlot.
14. Pellegrini Vineyards, 23005 Main Rd, Cutchogue: Just next door to McCall Wines is Pellegrini Vineyards, where wine tastings can be enjoyed in the tasting room or on the courtyard seven days a week.

Pellegrini Vineyards. Photo by Tessie Reveliotis

15. Sherwood House Vineyards, 2600 Oregon Rd, Mattituck: Enjoy traditional French style wines here at the Outdoor Tasting Stand and Gardens located right next to the vineyard, with picnic tables and fire pits.

Lodging for a North Fork Wine Weekend

The Arbor View Bed and Breakfast is the perfect place for you to call home while you are exploring the North Fork of Long Island. We offer full three course breakfasts, heavenly beds, great concierge service and a clean, comfortable house.
Come back next week for the conclusion of our Winery Tour Route!

Last post, we began a route for a self guided tour of North Fork wineries, with the starting point being our bed and breakfast. We continue that tour below.
6. Corey Creek, 45470 Rte. 25 Southhold. Only a quarter mile down Route 25 (Main Rd.) you will take a left down a driveway about 500 ft. long. Corey Creek are the vineyards for Bedell Cellars. This winery is a 30-year-old sustainably farmed and family owned estate vineyard and winery making some of the most critically acclaimed wines from the North Fork of Long Island. Tasting room is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Raphael-vineyard-Merlot
7. Raphael, 39390 Rte 25 Pectonic. One mile down the road and on the left will be Raphael. Along with happy hours and live music, Raphael creates ripe, fruit-driven wines that exhibit a marriage of depth, finesse, elegance, and balance. They also offer tours of the vineyard and production facility.
8. Pindar Vineyards, 37645 Rte. 25, Pectonic. Only a half mile down the road, come to Pindar Vineyards. Today Pindar Vineyards produces 70,000 cases of wine a year, making them the largest vineyard on Long Island. The vineyard encompasses more than 500 scenic acres where 17 varieties of grapes are grown and crafted into some 23 varietals and proprietary blends.
9. Pugliese Vineyards, 34515 Main Rd (Rte. 25), Cutchogue. Featuring many estate bottled wines, champagnes & ports. Opened in 1980, Pugliese Vineyard is a family business. Tasting room open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
10. LIEB Cellars, Oregon Rd., Cutchogue. Our last winery for this post brings us back to the North side of the Peninsula to LIEB Cellars. This tasting room is their second on Long Island. Situated across from an expansive sunflower field, Lieb Cellars on Oregon Road offers beautiful views as well as piano music on weekends and hors d’oevres made by In-house Epicurian, Alicia Valle, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Alicia prepares fresh, seasonal bites from local purveyors. Menus are created each week, and wine pairings are suggested. Open every day from noon to 7 p.m.
Come back next week for more North Fork Wineries! Can you believe we’ve only worked our way through about half of the wine growing region of Long Island?

In this post, we are going to give you a list of the wineries closest to our Long Island Bed and Breakfast in East Marion for your Self Guided North Fork Winery Tour. Take your bike or rent one, get a designated diver or hire a limo or driver for a wine tasting tour you won’t forget.

Kontokosta Winery North Road, Greenport, NY:

This winery is less than two mile from us. It is spectacular in that you have magnificent view of the sound. As they say “Sound Mind, Sound Wine”. The Tasting Room is open Sunday, Monday & Thursday 11am to 5pm, Friday & Saturday 11a to 6p. Closed Tuesday & Wednesday, Limousines, buses and vans are not permitted. Trained, leashed Service Dogs are welcome; however, pets are not permitted.

2. Old Field Vineyards, 59600 New York 25 Southold:

Six miles south of the B&B is the Old Field, a family owned and operated winery open since 1974. Open Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Spring.

3. One Woman Vineyards, 5195 Old North Rd. Southold:

On the other side of the island, about four miles, is One Woman Wines and Vineyards. Owner Claudia Purita planted the majority of her plants by hand and continues a tradition of sustainability and self-reliance. Open Monday through Thursday 12 – 4 p.m., Friday through Sunday 12 – 6 pm.

4. Sparkling Pointe, 39750 County Road 48 Southold:

Down Route 48 about two and half miles is Sparkling Pointe – a sparkling wine and Champagne vineyard and winery. The tasting house is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

5. Mattebella Vineyards, 46005 Rte 25 Southold:

Now the wineries are going to start being even closer together. Two miles away you’ll arrive at Mattebella Vineyard, another family winery where the vast majority of harvesting is done the old fashioned way, by hand. Tasting Cottage open Wednesday through Monday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (and sometimes later).

6. Duckwalk Vineyards, 44535 Main Rd. Southold.

Only a quarter mile down Main Rd. from Mattebella is Duck Walk. Voted one of 2013’s best of Long Island, founder Dr. Herodotus “Dan” Damianos helped start the Long Island wine industry in the early 1980’s. Tasting room open seven days a week from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Arbor View House B&B is Your Starting Point for a Self Guided North Fork Winery Tour.

Whether you are exploring Long Island wineries, relaxing on the beach and soaking up some rays, or interested the wide array of shopping, dining and art on Long Island, we can help you plan an unforgettable trip.
Check our next blog for the continuation of the North Fork winery tour guided or not..

The beauty of Long Island has attracted generations before us. The vastness of the sea can make us reflect on the meaning of our lives and our place in the universe. At least, it had that effect on some of the greatest abstract and landscape artists of our time. If you enjoy expressionism, go see the LongHouse Reserve (133 Hands Creek Road, East Hampton).

Black Mirror, water feature by Ray Smith & Assoc. at the LongHouse — *Black Mirror*, water feature by Ray Smith & Assoc. at the LongHouse

The grounds include a large garden and sculpture park with works by Buckminster Fuller, Dale Chihuly, Willem de Kooning and Yoko Ono. Founded by the textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen (who still lives there, according to employees), the reserve’s nearly 16 acres are open to the public Wednesdays through Saturdays during the summer. Good news for you: the LongHouse is uncrowded, despite the magnitude of the works housed there.
Nearby is the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center (830 Springs-Fireplace Road, East Hampton). Famed abstract artist Jackson Pollock and his wife, Lee Krasner, also an abstract expressionist artist, bought it for $5,000 in 1946 and turned into their home and studio. Visitors must wear booties to enter the barn because the floor is still splattered with the paint that Pollock dripped and flung for his masterpieces. Some of his paint cans are still there. It is must-see for the expressionist art fan.
Leave some time to stop by the Guild Hall (158 Main St. East Hampton). Many artists who settled in the Hamptons showed their work in this gallery. Performances and exhibits of all kinds are held here over the summer. See what’s happening when you’re coming to the Hamptons on the Guild Hall website.

Lodging for your Hamptons Visit

We have four bright and airy guestrooms, with AC, luxurious whirlpool tubs, flatscreen TVs and a private deck off the Champagne Suite. We also provide afternoon refreshments, on-site parking and in-house spa services. If that isn’t enough – you can walk to the beach from our bed and breakfast.

Last post, we discussed how you can start your vacation in the Hamptons while visiting New York city. This post, we continue that theme with a discussion of Hamptons nightlife and other itinerary ideas for your trip.

Nightlife in the Hamptons

While East Hampton nightlife has quieted some in recent years (whereas Montauk is becoming the place for clubbers and night owls) one of the nicest ways to spend an evening in the Hamptons is to find a venue with a waterfront view, where you can watch and hear the water while enjoying a cocktail and maybe some music. A popular spot for this is the Boathouse (39 Gann Rd. East Hampton), located in a secluded spot with a view of three mile island. You can get tasty cocktails here and groove to DJ beats.
Other more conventional clubs include Lily Pond (44 Three Mile Harbor Rd. East Hampton), RdV East (125 Tuckahoe Road, Southampton) and the redesigned Maidstone (207 Main St. East Hampton).

The Morning After – Fresh Tastes

After a night of dancing and cocktails, you’ll be ready for some fresh sustenance. After a warm, delicious breakfast at the inn, explore the farmer’s market in Greenport. Open from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturdays at the United Methodist Church (624 Main St.), you can pick up local honey, pastries, eggs, cheese and of course produce. Get goodies for lunch at the beach!
When you are ready for your next meal, check out the chic, newly renovated seafood restaurant Race Lane (31 Race Lane East Hampton). The space was designed by American architect Norman Jaffe and serves raw seafood (think clams and oysters), as well as seafood favorites like red snapper, salmon and lobster.

Your Home Base – Arbor View House

While you explore Long Beach and the Hamptons, we want to be your home base, where you can spend each night in a comfortable and private room, awakening to the crisp smells of the ocean.

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Long Island Weekend Getaways: North Fork Summer Winery Events