There’s no tasting room on the North Fork that looks quite like The Old Field Vineyards in Southold. The family owned business, steeped in local history, has a new look with a loving nod to the property’s past.
The Baiz family, which has owned the property since 1918, recently renovated The Old Field to reflect its farming past. When you enter the charming, rustic tasting room — a converted barn — you’ll find the coops once used to hold the chickens that were used for cock fighting in 1952.
“My grandfather raised fighting cocks,” said owner Ros Baiz.
“Back when it was legal,” added her daughter, Perry Weiss.
Today, the coops are being used as a mini museum of sorts, holding old toys, a meat press, butter churner, moccasins, photographs and more. Most of the items have been on the property for more than a century.
The newly expanded tasting room is bright and airy, bathed in natural light. There are wooden, country-style tables and chairs for patrons to enjoy their wine.
The chickens and roosters raised on the farm can be heard and sometimes seen walking outside, where guests can sit in the warmer months.
“It’s been a big renovation, but it’s brought all the light in and made everything fresh and bright.”
The tasting room is family friendly and socially distanced. This summer, Weiss plans to resume the Tastings by the Bay program, a popular tasting series where guests can enjoy a flight of wine while sitting outside by Peconic Bay. The wine club remains popular, with Baiz noting that some folks have been members for 15 years.
The Old Field Vineyards (59600 Main Road, Southold) is currently open on weekends for wine tastings.
