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Disclosure: I was invited to enjoy a complimentary overnight visit to Long Island’s North Fork Wine Country via Cross Sound Ferry out of New London, CT. The comments in this post are 100% my own.
On May 8th, I had the priviledge of traveling with a group of writers to Long Island Wine Country. Kristi Maloney and I come from a small town, about an hour west of Boston, so we drove about 2 hours south to the Cross Sound Ferry in New London, CT. Route 395 South was stress free, so it felt like we were there in no time.
If you’re not familiar with Long Island’s “North Fork,” here’s a little explanation. The North Fork is made up of 11 small towns and villages located on Long Island’s East End. It includes Aquebogue, Jamesport, Laurel, Mattituck, New Suffolk, Cutchogue, Peconic, Southhold, Greenport, East Marion and Orient. It is surrounded by the Peconic Bay and the Long Island Sound.
There is so much to share in this blog post, so I’m including the contact info of each business or destination in case you have any questions or want to explore a little more on your own.
Cross Sound Ferry Services
New London Ferry Dock
2 Ferry Street
New London, CT 06320
New England Phone: (860) 443-5281
Long Island Phone: (631) 323-2525
Website: www.longislandferry.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CrossSoundFerry
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Cross_Sound
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I’m not a stranger to taking the ferry to Long Island. My oldest son graduated from Hofstra University on Long Island a few years ago. We traveled by ferry several times to shorten the trip to his school. Going all the way into Long Island on land can raise your blood pressure if you’re not used to the traffic and give you a few gray hairs. On one occasion, we got into a little fender bender while changing lanes. It was nerve-wracking. The ferry is a different story. It’s interesting, calm and relaxing.
There’s all kinds of seating on the ferry. You can pass the time by watching a little TV, sit at a table booth and catch up on work, chat with friends or family, or read a book in a quiet area. You can even have a drink at the bar. It’s always 5:00 somewhere! 
There’s a snack bar on board and I’m happy to say that dogs are allowed in certain areas. Our ferry ride to and from Orient Point was smooth and quiet. You can check out the scenery through the large windows or take a stroll around the deck.
Take your car and arrive at Orient Point in 80 minutes or use the High-Speed Ferry Passenger Service and cross Long Island Sound in 40 Minutes! Take my word for it. The ferry is the way to go.
Click HERE to find out how you can earn reward points!
When we arrived on the North Fork in Orient Point, Vintage Tours brought us to The Loft for lunch.
The Loft Restaurant
48 Front Street
Greenport, NY 11944
(631) 477-3080
Website: www.harbourfrontdeli.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Loft
We arrived in the rain, so I didn’t take many pictures.
We enjoyed a variety of wraps and a fresh garden and pasta salad.
As a foodie, I have to mention the delicious Raspberry Filled Cookies we got for dessert! Let me put it this way…I wanted to eat ten of them! They were divine! Loft Restaurant, could you share the recipe with my readers? Please?
After lunch, we went to our first winery!
Bedell Cellars
Website: www.bedellcellars.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BedellCellars
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bedellcellars
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Bedell is a 30-year-old sustainably farmed and family owned estate vineyard and winery. They produce 10,000 cases of wine a year. I really enjoyed their Chardonnay and Sparkling Rose.
It’s beautiful inside and out!
On the left, Bedell Winemaker, Richard Olsen-Harbich, talks about the vineyard.
We tasted about 5 different wines. It is interesting to compare the taste and smell of each wine.
Here I am tasting the Merlot.
After our visit at Bedell Cellars, we checked into our hotel or B & Bs. I stayed at the Harborfront Inn.
Harborfront Inn at Greenport
209 Front Street
Greenport, NY 11944
(631) 477-0707
Website: www.theharborfrontinn.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HarborfrontInn
Twitter: www.twitter.com/HarborfrontInn
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Upon our arrival at the Harborfront Inn, it was evident that this is a new hotel. It opened in 2004. The exterior and interior is pristine and welcoming and the staff is very polite and accomodating. It is centrally located in the downtown area and walking distance to many restaurants and cute shops. It is in an ideal location if you are planning a trip to Long Island Wine Country.
My room was clean, quiet and comfortable. I think I squealed with excitement when I caught sight of my glass-enclosed modern shower! It was lovely! My 3rd floor room came with free Wi-Fi and a water view from my private balcony. Additional ammenities include complimentary continental breakfast, outdoor heated in-ground pool with two lap lanes, 800-square-foot fitness center and two private function rooms. I only stayed at the Harborfront for one night, but I would be very happy to stay at this hotel again! No complaints from me!
I was one of six writers that stayed at the Harborfront Inn, the rest of the group stayed at the following locations - Blue Iris Bed & Breakfast, Ruby’s Cove Bed & Breakfast, Shorecrest Bed and Breakfast , The Harvest Inn and The Bartlett House Inn.
For dinner, we were brought to Kontokosta Winery.
Kontokosta Winery
825 North Road
Greenport, New York
(631) 477-6977
Website: www.kontokostawinery.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KontokostaWinery
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kontokostawine
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The food was catered by Noah’s. It was amazing! I went back for seconds…okay, let’s be honest…I went back a lot more than that. I’m not going to lie!
My favorite wine at Kontokosta was Riesling.
Noah’s
136 Front Street
Greenport, NY
(631) 477-6720
Website: www.chefnoahs.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NoahsGreenport
631-477-672
Rustic on the outside but totally modern on the inside. So beautiful!
The next morning, I had breakfast at the Shorecrest Bed & Breakfast.
Shorecrest Bed & Breakfast
Marilyn, the Innkeeper, made quite an impression on me. She was so warm and gracious! I love her English accent! She shared stories about how she started her B & B and gave us suggestions on where to visit in the area.
Look at the beautiful table she prepared! I felt so pampered!
Marilyn’s food was absolutely delicious! She even agreed to do a guest post on my blog with one of her recipes!
After breakfast, one group went to visit The Old Field Vineyards and my group went to the Harbes Family Farm.
Harbes Family Farm
715 Sound Avenue
Mattituck, NY 11952
(631) 298-0800
Website: www.harbesfamilyfarm.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HarbesFamilyFarm
Twitter: www.twitter.com/HarbesFarm
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We arrived the day before their opening day and were warmly greeted with coffee and warm cider donuts. Yum!
As we toured the farm, beautiful plants were being unloaded and put on display. Flowers are a big seller this time of year.
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They have pony rides, pig races and apple picking in the fall.
Look at the cute animals!
Farm owner, Ed Harbes (top left), gave us a wonderful tour. Some of the writers had some fun with the racing equipment! Florence (top right) was on a mission to find the pigs! Goodness, that bunny was so cute!
Before we headed back to the ferry, we enjoyed some lunch at Orient by the Sea.
Orient By the Sea Restaurant
PO Box 333 | 40200 Main Rd
Orient, NY 11957
(631) 323-2424
Website: www.orientbythesea.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OrientByTheSea
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I LOVE having dinner by the water! This is exactly the kind of place I would look for when vacationing near the coast.
This was my view from inside.
The salad and buffet was outstanding. Yes, that’s a lot on my plate and I ate every last bite! It was so good!
I want to give a special shout out to Vintage Tours for transporting us to each location. The drivers were so patient, friendly and knowledgeable of the North Fork area. I would totally book a tour with them again!
Vintage Tours
P.O.Box 143
Peconic, NY 11958
(631) 765-4689
Website: www.vintagetour1.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/vintagetours
Twitter: www.twitter.com/vintagetour1
There are about 50 different wineries along the Long Island wine trail. Check out the LI Wine Council ( LIwines.com) for a complete list of wineries.
Thank You!
I’d like to thank Stan Mickus and The Cross Sound Ferry for sponsoring this Long Island Wine Country Tour. I couldn’t have had a better experience and I’m dying to go back!
A great big thank you to all the sponsors on this trip! You left me wanting more! Dave and I are planning to go back together this summer!
Last, but not least, I’d like to thank Florence Tambone for inviting me on such a memorable, fun trip. I have been ranting and raving about it to my friends and family ever since I got back.
Florence Tambone
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Such a fun trip! So glad we got to know each other better on it - couldn’t think of a better place to do it!
I’m still daydreaming about it, Diane! Glad we’re getting to know each other! What a nice group to be with!
Every place that we visited was top-notch. That picture of the pillow cookie is bringing back memories! So nice that we got to take a bit of the North Fork home with us. Have you opened your bottle of Kontokosta wine yet? Looking forward to our next trip Thelma…..I mean Jane!
I agree! No, I haven’t opened the bottle yet. I might enjoy it on Memorial Day weekend.
This read like a great adventure and good time. I would like to book a tour and spend a couple of nights to celebrate my wife’s birthday. How do I begin the process of planning an itinerary and making reservations? Your suggestions are welcome.
Thank you
Bill
Hi Bill,
If you don’t want to drive, I would book a tour with Vintage Tours. The link is above and they are awesome. They probably fill up fast so check their schedule now. You might want to call them and see what tour they suggest for your time frame.
Here is a map of the wineries: http://www.liwines.com/?page_id=14
If you only have a couple of days and you have your own car, I would research which wineries you really want to see and map it out. They only doing tastings certain times of the day, so that is something to keep in mind.
Did that help? I’m happy to answer any other questions.
I definitely want to take the ferry over to Long Island and check out the wineries! This looked like so much fun!
It was, Phyllis! You will love it! I can’t wait to go back!
I live near all of those amazing places you traveled to! We take regular drives to all of those areas. So glad you got to experience the east end!
You live in a great place, Rina! I can’t say enough about it!
Wow! Looks like you had an amazing time, and I’d love to try the cookies too, they look scrumptious. All the pictures are beautiful…what a lovely place to visit.
What a wonderful article! Your blog is so attractive and an interesting read too. Thank you for the compliments - the dishes I served for breakfast - sausage and herb braid, baked applet French toast and spinach soufflé roulade can all be made ahead of time. Let me know when you would like me to send the recipes!
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