Inside the heart of Long Island wine country, Paumanok Vineyards offers patrons a fun day out full of delicious wine and lovely ambiance.
When you think of Long Island, New York, often you think of the beaches, the Hamptons, or of people draped in Vineyard Vines (and even sometimes just New York City, though that is quite controversial). For those who don’t know the area, they don’t realize that out east on Long Island is full of farms and amazing vineyards.
My family and I love to go out to the North Fork, pottering around farm shops, picking up produce and pies, and then finishing the day at Paumanok Vineyards.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, once restrictions had lifted a bit and people were starting to venture out to find socially distanced things to do, I was sitting at home and trying to come up with ideas for my parents and I to get out of the house.
I discovered Paumanok on this search, and I am so glad I did. It has since become a family favorite and I’ve been at least seven or eight times. There is something so refreshing about sitting by the grapevines outside in the sun, parked up at a large wooden table, sipping lovely wine, and nibbling on yummy charcuterie.
Paumanok Vineyards is located at 1074 Main Rd in Aquebogue, NY 11931. There is a large sign at the gravel stone entrance leading to the parking lot, so it is easy to spot when coming up on the main road.
Founded in 1983, Paumanok produces wine from a variety of grapevines - Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The property itself has sprawling rows of grapes leading off into the distance.
The building where patrons sit and sip is a converted barn, with a lovely tasting room inside and spacious outside deck area. There are even wooden chairs on the grass with old wine barrels for tables, located right next to the grapevines. Further inside the farm house is a large glass wall where visitors can get a peek into the wine making process, looking at the fermentation tanks and other machinery.
On their wine menu, Paumanok provides plenty of options to please anyone’s pallet. The easiest way to sample a lot of wines is a flight. They currently have two flights available, the Winemaker and the Minimalist. They used to do separate red, white, and mixed flights, which I loved because I am not the biggest fan of red wine.
The flights now are a combination of different wines, but Paumanok was so accommodating to me and let me switch out the red and rosé for two of their whites at no extra cost.
When you book a reservation, you do have to prepay for what you’re planning to drink, so it will be good to have a look at the menu beforehand.
When our flights were brought to the table, a Paumanok employee gave us detailed descriptions of each wine, from the grape, to the year, to its notes, flavors and what they pair well with. Their employees have an impressive understanding of the wines and relay that information well to their customers.
Be warned, you do get a lot of wine with the flight, so if you have to drive or have plans afterwards, take it slow, have some food with your wine, or only have a glass! You might not realize just how much you’re about to have with how small the flight glasses look.
You can also get wines by the glass. I used to love getting a Blanc de Blanc, a delicious sparkling wine, but sadly they no longer offer it by the glass. It used to be on the white wine flight as well, but towards the end of the pandemic, they had to take it off because the growing season wasn’t good and they did not have enough to sell anymore. It took two years for it to go back on the menu, and now we always make sure to pick up a couple bottles when we visit. It is my family’s favorite wine at Paumanok. We even got a collection of six bottles sent to us by my uncle for Christmas, which was very much appreciated and disappeared very quickly!
They have alternatives for those who don’t want to drink as well, so anyone and everyone can have a nice day at the vineyards.
Throughout the years, Paumanok has also changed its food menu, slowly increasing the amount of options they have. Originally, there was just some olives, cheese, and charcuterie, and now there is a whole host of options, from snacks and sandwiches, to boards, boxes, and even a raw bar.
My most recent visit was in early August when we went for my boyfriend’s birthday. He is a huge fan of bread with olive oil and balsamic, and Paumanok has a delicious olive oil service. We got a bottle, as it’s more economical with price vs amount, and we brought the rest of it home with us. We even got a complimentary glass of their Sparkling Rosé which was lovely!
Paumanok also does special events, such as bachelorette parties, weddings, and birthdays, and the winery is very accommodating. It does seem like the perfect place to have a special celebration. My family and I have never had a bad visit to Paumanok Vineyards!
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