The Top Wineries In The Hamptons (Best Vineyards, Tours, & Tastings)
Wine tasting is a favorite pastime among Hamptons-goers. The east end of Long Island has provided fertile farmland for lifetimes past, well beyond the arrival of Europeans in the 1600’s.
With a climate similar to Northern Italy or the Bordeaux region of France — plus the East End’s persistent salty breeze — expect high quality wines, especially of the red variety.
It’s no surprise grapes are among the many that harvest well on Long Island. However, with the first successful vineyard only popping up in the 70’s, the region’s wine industry is still quite young.
Most vineyards are still developing, experimenting, and discovering the region’s distinctions — a very fun time to be a consumer!
I spent a year living in the Hamptons, and regularly return to visit family, I’ve visited each vineyard on this list. Read on for the best wineries in the Hamptons.
Wineries In The Hamptons
While Long Island itself has about 50 wineries, with 40 on the North Fork alone, there are only 3 wineries in Hamptons.
This article primarily covers those three, plus other distilleries and breweries on the South Fork.
Towards the end, I’ll touch on a few of the popular vineyards on Long Island’s North Fork, and explain how best to get there from the Hamptons.
First, a few things to know about visiting wineries in the Hamptons:
During the summer months (peak season), reservations are highly recommended, even on weekdays. Weekend time slots fill up well in advance, so plan accordingly.
Large groups, usually exceeding 8, require special reservations.
All three Hamptons vineyards are open year-round (yay!).
Getting To The Vineyards:
All three vineyards are centrally located and in close proximity to each other. This makes the wineries easy to access, whether you’re coming from Southampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, or Sag Harbor.
Those coming from Montauk are closest to Wölffer Estate, and those in Westhampton are closest to Duck Walk Vineyards.
Party buses and limousine drop offs are not allowed. Plan to hire an Uber, taxi, private driver, or bring along a sober buddy/ designated driver.
Duck Walk Vineyards
- Location: Water Mill (near Southampton)
- Tours? No
- Tastings? Yes
- Reservations Required? Recommended
Duck Walk Vineyard, located just outside the Village of Southampton in Water Mill, sits on 30 acres of grapevines. It’s complete with a Chateau-style tasting room overlooking the vineyard.
Tastings are casual here, with your choice of any 4 wines served from plastic cups for only $18.
Their award winning wines are well-balanced, familiar flavors — think Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Riesling and Rosé.
They also offer an interesting variety of dessert wines, it’s very much worth trying at least one to round out your tasting. We went with the Blueberry Port, paired with dark chocolate, of course.
They do offer a few non-wine options in the form of spirits. Plus simple snacks for a break between wine sipping.
Live music on their outdoor patio is standard on weekends — making this one of the favorite places to be on a summer afternoon in Southampton! Be sure to reserve your spot well in advance.
Channing Daughters Winery
- Location: Bridgehampton
- Tours? No
- Tastings? Yes
- Reservations Required? Recommended
Just a few minutes from Duck Walk, in Bridgehampton, is Channing Daughters Winery which offers almost the complete opposite experience in terms of ambiance.
Quietly located just off Scuttlehole Road, the tasting room is completely surrounded by grapevines. There’s no live music here, so it’ll just be you and the vineyard.
At Channing Daughters you’ll find some of the lightest wines in the Hamptons, and fun options such as their playful and delicious orange wines.
Their tasting list includes varietals like Cabernet Franc, Blaufrankisch, and Refosco. Plus sparkling wines with far from average flavor profiles.
These are unique varieties you won’t be quick to find at the average liquor store, making this the perfect stop for wine-lovers looking to try something new.
The vineyard does occasionally provide non-wine options, such as ciders made from South Fork apples, plus small bites for snacking.
As mentioned above, there’s no live music, but the vineyard will occasionally host special events such as yoga in the vineyards or tasting classes.
Tip: While you’re here, keep an eye out for the large-scale sculptures scattered throughout the 100 acre property. These were created by owner Walter Channing.
Wölffer Estate Vineyard
- Location: Sagaponack (near Bridgehampton)
- Tours? Yes
- Tastings? Yes
- Reservations Required? Recommended
Hands down the most popular winery in the Hamptons is Wölffer Estate. This 55 acre vineyard is the perfect place to kick back and sip vino among the grapevines.
The winery is famous for Rosés but offers a variety of fruity — though, not overly sweet — wines. Trying one of their Rosés is a definite must, but don’t shy away from the Chardonnay or Red blends.
The appropriately named, Summer in a Bottle Rosé, is a cult favorite. It’s an easy-to-drink wine, with a picture-perfect bottle screaming “Summer in the Hamptons.”
Tip: The Summer in a Bottle series also comes in White, which might be even better than the Rosé.
In addition to wines, the vineyard offers a wide variety of ciders (their Dry Rosé Cider is my favorite!), spirits, and even a few non-alcoholic wines. Charcuterie boards and light bites for sharing are also available.
Wölffer is the only winery in the Hamptons offering tours. These need to be reserved in advance and are normally around $125 per person.
Also, the Wine Stand hosts a popular summer concert series on Friday and Saturday evenings in summer. Best of all, it’s free to attend!
Note: If you find something you love, they ship cases of wine to most states. We’ve brought quite a few friends to Wölffer Estate, many of whom now ship this delightful wine to their home.
The Wine Stand At Wölffer Estate
A visit to Wölffer Estate’s tasting room is one of the most quintessential Hamptons experiences. However, if it’s all booked up or closed for a private event, check out their Wine Stand instead!
Located just a stone’s throw from the tasting room, this laid-back alternative is perfect for popping a cork and unwinding on their grassy lawn. And yes, you’ll still find yourself surrounded by rows of grapevines.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, The Wine Stand at Wölffer Estate puts on free sunset concerts. Bring a blanket, lawn chairs, your closest friends, and enjoy live music. We spent a year living in the Hamptons and this was one of our favorite weekend activities!
Tip: Visiting in fall? Check out their Annual Harvest Party instead.
Non-Wine Options In The Hamptons
Want a break from the wine? The Hampton hamlets have a number of distillers and breweries, check out these local beer and spirit makers:
Hamptons Breweries
- Montauk Brewing Company (Montauk)
- Kidd Squid Brewing Company (Sag Harbor)
- Westhampton Beach Brewing Company (Westhampton)
- Shelter Island Craft Brewery (Shelter Island)
- Hank’s Hard Cider (Water Mill)
Hamptons Distilleries
- Sagaponack Farm Distillery (Sagaponack)
- Wölffer Estate Vineyard (Sagaponack)
- Montauk Distilling Co. (Montauk)
Wineries On The North Fork
If you’re looking for different vineyards, and are willing to make a day trip, consider the North Fork of Long Island!
Vineyards here have similar growing conditions to the Hamptons, resulting in related varietals, but on a larger scale. Again, there’s 40 vineyards in this tiny region.
Popular Vineyards On Long Island’s North Fork:
There are many great options depending on your taste, these are some of the most popular North Fork vineyards:
- Osprey’s Dominion
- Paumanok Vineyards
- Macari Vineyards
- Sparkling Pointe Vineyard & Winery
- RG|NY
- Bedell Cellars
- Raphael Wine
- Pindar Vineyards
- Lieb Cellars
- Sannino Vineyard
- One Woman Winery
- Kontokosta Winery
- McCall Wines
Tip: A few North Fork wineries have particularly beautiful scenery and excellent views of the Long Island Sound, such as Kontokosta Winery, an added bonus to a day spent drinking wine.
Getting To The North Fork
Getting to the North Fork from the South Fork looks like a short drive on the map, but don’t be fooled.
To get there you’ll need to take two short ferries, plus drive across Shelter Island, before arriving on the North Fork.
Or, drive all the way back to Riverhead, and from there, onto the North Fork.
The best way to go depends on which vineyard you’re visiting. The ferry route is best for wineries on the eastern end of the North Fork. Whereas driving around is best for wineries on the western end.
Note: If you’re not taking the ferry route, keep traffic delays in mind. If you are taking the ferry, you don’t need reservations. These ferry’s are very small operations, which run frequently, but you will need cash!
What To Wear To Hamptons Wineries
While you do want to get dressed up for wine tastings, you probably don’t need to get as dressed up as you think.
The Hamptons style is elegant but with relaxed, beachy undertones.
Summer dresses and casual pant suits all lend themselves nicely to most “formal” affairs in the Hamptons.
Keep in mind, wineries in the Hamptons primarily offer outdoor seating, so you’ll want to wear weather-appropriate attire.
Below are a few ideas of what to wear to wineries in the Hamptons, all pieces are linked in the captions below.
For more ideas, check out: What To Wear In The Hamptons.
As you can see, there are some great wineries in the Hamptons, perfect for the wine-lover in all of us! I hope you’ve found this helpful in planning your vineyard outing.
Any questions? Please leave a comment below or reach out on social media!
Looking for more ideas? Check out my additional Hamptons and New York guides below or head on over to Hamptons.
More Information For Your Hamptons Vacation:
- Hamptons Vacation Guide (everything you need to know!)
- Amagansett Guides
- East Hampton Guides
- Montauk Guides
- Sag Harbor Guides
- Southampton Guides
- All Hamptons Guides
More Information For Your Trip To New York:
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