A True Harvest Celebration Weekend

Harvest. The most important time of year in the wine industry and personally, my favorite. The workers in the vineyards, the hustle and bustle in the wineries, and that hint of what is to come in the year’s vintage is all a very integral part of wine.

It marks the life transition of the wine from the vineyard to the cellar. In pagan traditions, harvest feasts occur at this time to celebrate the land and the food it produces. It usually culminates in one large community feast, deemed Thanksgiving in the United States, but traditionally, feasts and celebrations happen throughout the entire season, beginning in August in the northern hemisphere.
Long Island’s wine country knows what an important time of year this is, and in true winery fashion, the vintners are no strangers to celebrations. Here are two harvest events on the weekend of Sept. 24. Make harvest a full weekend celebration this year.

HARVEST Wine Auction and Celebration of Long Island’s East End

On Sept. 24 and 25, the highly anticipated inaugural HARVEST Wine Auction and Celebration will kick off with its 10-mile dinners, a choice of 10 exclusive vintner dinners with regional chefs. Saturday’s Wine Salons feature educational sessions on winemaking, tasting and wine and food pairing. Over 25 East End wineries will participate in the festival tasting held at Wölffer Estate Vineyards which includes barrel samples of the 2008 vintage as well as wines to be auctioned, seasonal fare by East End chefs, farmers and food artisans, and the silent auction. That night, enjoy an unforgettable farm-to-table dinner experience created by local chefs Keith Luce (Jedediah Hawkins Inn) and Gerry Hayden and Claudia Fleming (North Fork Table and Inn). Tickets range from $25 to $350 per person and proceeds benefit the Peconic Land Trust and East End Hospice. For tickets visit www.harvesteastend.com.

LongIslandWineCountry.com’s Harvest Fest

Laurel Lake Vineyards is the site of the ninth annual Harvest Fest Celebration - A Day in the Vineyards. On Sept. 26, there will be grape picking, live music, winemaking education, tours, barrel tastings, contests and of course, food. You can even create your own bottle of “meritage” style of wine with the winemaker for an additional fee. Tickets are $125 without transportation or $139 with transportation from Manhattan, Nassau and western Suffolk. For tickets visit www.longislandwinecountry.com/harvest.
As always, enjoy these events responsibly and please designate a driver. Cheers to harvest and the amazing wines that are to come.