Peconic Bay Winery Review
Address: 31320 Main Rd. Cutchogue,New York 11935.
Phone Number: 631-734-7361
Tasting Hours:
Region: Long Island AVA, North Fork of Long Island AVA, New York
Reviewer: Joanne Dunne
Review Date: 5/1/2012
Reviewer: Joanne Dunne
Rating: 3
The Review
The Place:  A setting of 57 acres is the perfect place for a winery, dont you think? The owners of Peconic Bay certainly thought so, as the location seems perfectly smack dab in the middle of the North Fork Wine Trail so it will entice you whether you are coming or going.
The vineyards were originally planted in 1979, and the winery is currently owned by Ursula and Paul Lowerre. Inside the wooden house-turned-tasting-room, youll find a long bar for wine tasting, and during the seasonal months, there is an equally long outdoor seating area with clear vinyl, tent-like draperies for comfort during inclement weather. Unlike some other wineries visited, the grapevines are so close to the building that one could touch them. This enhanced the look and feel of the setting. An open area exists in the back of the building, perfect for an outdoor picnic. The Peconic Bay Winery provides entertainment on the weekends during the season.
The Experience:  The Peconic is a winery thats better to be enjoyed during the warm days outside, rather than in. Not that the inside is anything less than what one would expect of a winery in this area, but the outdoor area here is perfectly suited for outdoor tasting and entertainment with a group of friends, or a couple. The natural flow of the outdoors works well here, as it also does with the Comtesse Therese winery. Other wineries have built their outdoor areas to be an added part of the experience, but with Peconic, you just gravitate towards the outside area it is a part of it, not an addition (in feel anyway). Enough of that, though we took a look around the gift shop that lined the walls of the tasting room, and then took the two seats at the far end of the tasting bar. The gift shop was the most interesting one visited, with many books on Long Island topics, a line of organic creams from a local farm, and even small bottles of Long Island sea salts from the Atlantic Ocean.
Peconic Bay was the first winery in which we encountered a large tasting group of at least 15 people, and I must say, any more than one or two of these such escorted groups would make the inside tasting room way too overcrowded. I suppose that could also be said for other wineries in the area, but this one group just made it seem quite busy, especially with only one pourer behind the bar.
The Wines:  A full tasting is offered for $10 – $14, with 6 to 8 wines. Full glasses are also available to purchase. A cheese plate may be purchased for $16, which seemed a little steep to me. Wineries cannot serve full meals, but when alcohol is involved, an enticing price to encourage visitors to fill up a bit might be a better way to go. Peconic Bay also produces brandy and a hard cider, though we did not see any. From white wines to reds and even dessert wines, Peconic carries an array for every palate. The 2010 Riesling was nicely smooth and slightly sweet. A fellow visitor remarked it was clearly the best one he had at this winery. The 2010 Polaris red wine is pricey at $56, but worth every sip. Outdoor wedding are available at the Peconic. There is also a wine club membership available.