A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

I needed a day off to regroup and have a little “me” time. I woke up at the crack of dawn and drove in the dark to pick up Kim to head over to New London, CT to catch the 9am ferry. She made the mix tape and I brought the snacks and we took route 395 all the way there (trust me, way better than taking 95!). The trip took just under two hours and we pulled into the parking lot with plenty of time to spare. (Parking is $10 a day in New London) We were getting ready to board the Sea Jet, the fast ferry that takes you to Orient Point, Long Island. The trip takes about 40 minutes and you’re there before you know it. If you’re taking a car over, the trip takes about an hour and 20 minutes. We get on the ferry and I have time to unwind and enjoy a little time to myself – we have a full day ahead of us. The boat itself is super clean and has tables so you can get some work done if you choose. Feeling a little hungry? No worries, the cafe on board has you covered. Once we arrive in Orient Point, we are picked up in a cute little bus and Vintage Tours takes us to our first stop. Our guide today is owner Jo-Ann Perry who is such a sweetie. Her company provides tours of local wineries. She knows the area and has personal relationships with the owners of the wineries, so you are sure to have a great trip. On the weekends, tours cost $99, which includes 4 wineries and tastings and a box lunch.

Our first stop is Sep’s Farm, a family run farm that goes back 5 generations. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day in North Fork, just look at the lighting!  We were able to go out into the fields and see where the food comes from. Sep’s grows over 50 varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. They have a great little road side farm stand where you can get a carrot or a pepper that has just been pulled from the ground earlier in the day! How cool is that?

They have great barn where we had a little snack – but it would be perfect for a summer dinner party. Do you see the vibrant colors of the cauliflowers? The top and bottom right are peppers at the farm and the third photo from the top are tomatoes.

It’s amazing how different food tastes when it is fresh from the farm! Sep’s also carries a variety of delicious jams (pictured left middle) and they make these amazing zucchini pickles (bottom right).

Sepenoski’s wife Katie pulled this fennel up from the ground while she was telling us about their farming practices. Have you ever smelled fresh fennel??

How beautiful is this purple pepper? Although, when you cook it, it doesn’t keep the bright color.

“Sep” treated us to some delicious striped bass that he had caught the day before, it was light and so delicious. Simple, fresh ingredients really make a difference.

You can find Sep’s Farm located at 7395 Main Street in East Marion. http://www.sepsfarm.com

Next stop is Old Field Vineyards, a small family owned vineyard, in fact, it is the only mother/daughter winery on Long Island. Perry, the 5th generation to work on the vineyard, lives here as well with her family. Her brother comes back east frequently to help out with the vineyard. They hand pick all of their grapes and hand cork all of their bottles. They raise chickens for fertilizer and they have a few pet ducks that prefer the kiddie swimming pool to the pond. We arrive in time to watch the punch down of the wine. While wine is fermenting, it is important to keep the fermenting wine and skins mixed – it is also important to break the cap that forms on the top several times a day to increase the color and flavor of the wine and to keep the cap from drying out. To do the punch down, they use a long tool that looks a little like a potato masher – it makes for a great arm work out! We get to taste a little from the giant vat, it tastes sweet like juice! We were able to sample 3 wines and chat with Perry about the history of the vineyard, the wine making process and the wines.

The Old Field can be found at 59600 Main Street in Southold, Long Island. http://www.theoldfield.com

Next stop is Little Creek Oyster Farm and Market. Ian and Rosalie have this cute little shop/restaurant with all things oysters. Cute t-shirts, locally made goods and of course, oysters. If the weather is nice, you can grab a seat outside on the hay bales that act as couches or a spot under the umbrella. We head inside and they show us how to shuck our own oysters.

You can “shuck yourself” for a discounted price (don’t worry, they’ll show you how!), 6 for $9, 12 for $16 or 24 for $30. If you don’t feel like working…grab 6 for $15 or 12 for $30. Never shucked an oyster before, me either. It’s a little trickier than it seems, but once you get the hang of it, it’s smooth sailing. Rosalie made it look so easy, it certainly took me a few tries to get my first one open!

In addition to oysters they have some other light bites. The pickle plate is not to be missed folks, the smoked pickles are super delicious! Also not to be missed is the chowder – creamy but not thick, flavorful, and they slice the potatoes ever so thin so that you don’t feel so bad when you’re eating them!

Little Creek Oyster Farm and Market can be found at 37 Front Street, down bootleg alley, in Greenport. http://littlecreekoysters.com

If you have a chance, make sure to stop over at the nearby carousel. It’s 100 years old and housed in an ultra modern glass house. Bring back memories from your childhood by riding the flying horses and grabbing for that special brass ring. Rides are $2 per person. Find out more information about the carousel here.

Full from lunch, we jump back on the bus and head over to Kontokosta Winery. The views are breathtaking and the tasting room is picturesque, a perfect place for a wedding. Owner Michael Kontokosta was there to greet us and give us a tour of the property. A corporate finance lawyer by trade, Michael has no formal training, but you’d never know it! The property is fairly new, with the first grapes planted in 2002.

They were still picking grapes this late in the season, so it was cool to have the chance to see the beginning of the wine making process. We were asking all kinds of questions, one of which was, “what was one of your biggest hurdles when you first started making wine?” His answer, faxing. When you go and visit, ask for the story! The winery is 62 acres and the tasting room is about 9,00 sq. ft. I loved their rosé, just trying to hold onto every last bit of summer I suppose, but seriously,  for me, it could be rosé all year round! Kontokosta also owns the Harborfront Inn nearby.

Kontokosta Winery can be found at 825 North Road in Greenport, on Long Island. http://www.kontokostawinery.com

Every trip has to have a sweet ending – this was no exception. Our final stop before heading to the ferry was The Candy Man, a small homemade candy shop that has been operated by the Heins family for four generations. On the left you can see the rum balls being made and on the right, the popular hollow turkeys.

The Candy Man can be found at 22350 Main Road in Orient, on Long Island. http://www.orientcandyman.com/

We arrive at Orient Point with minutes to spare and board the Cross Sound Ferry’s “Mary Ellen”, an auto ferry. We sit with Stan Mickus, Director of Public Affairs and Marketing for the Cross Sound Ferry. Stan tells us about the tours that the ferry offers and about all the great things the company is doing.

The Cross Sound Ferry offers a lighthouse cruise (check out my post here), a “lights and sights” tour that features view of spectacular mansions (ahem, Taylor Swift) and historic hotels in addition to the light houses, and two great packages for those traveling from Orient Point to New London to the casinos. A coach bus meets passengers in New London and takes them to either Foxwoods (where you get $10 towards food or a free festival buffet and $20 in a bonus slot play) or Mohegan Sun (where you get a $15 meal credit two $10 free bets and one $5 free bet).

For more information about the Cross Sound Ferry, check out their website here.

After a very full day, we grabbed a bite for dinner before heading home. I had such an amazing day with some good friends – I can’t wait to go back, maybe next time with my family. There was so much more to explore than what we squeezed into one day – cute shops in town, tons of wineries and breweries, restaurants, and of course the carousel. A special thanks to Stan and the folks at the Cross Sound Ferry for a wonderful afternoon.

Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest of the Cross Sound Ferry to tour the North Fork. All transportation, parking, meals and tastings were provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Tags: new york, trips, winery