Long Island Wine Tour

As mentioned in an earlier post, I went to the North Fork of Long Island this past weekend for a wine tasting tour. Our group of 11 friends had a fantastic time but of course it was not without a little stress, excitement, and drunken shenanigans.

We got a great deal for the tour, their winter special is $75 for a group of 6 or more. The tour included limo transportation for the day, a stocked bar in the limo, tasting costs at all vineyards, and lunch in the middle of the day.

Pindar Winery (not the clearest picture but a very good cabernet franc)

We took a train from the city into Long Island and a 14-seat white surburban limo picked us up at the Ronkonkoma train station. Of course three of the 11 people missed their morning train so we had to wait an hour for them to catch up with us but luckily the limo was stocked with enough alcohol to keep us entertained while we waited.

also not the clearest picture but the only one of the group

After 3 wineries and a return trip to our favorite vineyard, the day ended with us back at Ronkonkoma station at 5:30 homeward bound. Everyone was exhausted but it was well worth waking up early on a Sunday morning.

Harvest on Fort Pond

Now that the holidays are over.. I'm already thinking about summer. Last summer I had a fabulously relaxing weekend in Montauk just past the Hamptons in Long Island. Highlight of the trip... Harvest on Fort Pond.

My friend and I shared an early dinner on their outdoor patio and watched the sunset across the pond. With a few drinks and a massive plate of  penne with sautéed asparagus, mushrooms and a creamy mascarpone cheese sauce. They serve large sharing portions and the pasta was more than enough to fill us up. The pasta was cooked just al dente and the cream sauce was not overly heavy. Very nicely balanced and the asparagus and tomatoes were fresh and crisp.

A light refreshing platter of food to go with our blueberry mojitos and spiked lemonades. To add to the charm, the cocktails were served in mason jars.

It's hard to complain when you have a spread of delicious food in front of you and a view to match. Luckily I won't have to wait too long before heading to Long Island. This weekend I'll be heading to Long Island. With a group of friends in tow, we are going wine tasting on the North Fork of Long Island. Hopefully the cold weather won't put a damper on the trip. Knowing my friends, it will be a blast regardless.