Long Island Wine Country is celebrating 50 years of the wine industry — and you’re invited!
The organization recently announced that it will host its first-ever Long Island Locals Week, a promotion offering special deals to Long Island residents at dozens of participating wineries.
From Friday, March 24, to Sunday, April 2, attendees can show their driver’s license or proof of Long Island residency to enjoy access to exclusive offers at participating Long Island wineries, including VIP experiences, complimentary tastings, discounts, winery tours and more.
“We are so excited to celebrate our golden anniversary,” Shelby Hearn, general manager at Suhru Wines and vice president of Long Island Wine Country said in an interview. “We have 27 different wineries participating and everyone is ready to honor our community.”
On the North Fork, some of the unique promotions include a complimentary tour and tasting led by Giovanni Borghese at Borghese Vineyard, free rosé tastings at Coffee Pot Cellars and a complimentary glass of wine as part of a winemakers’ choice series at RG|NY. A full list of participating wineries and their specials for Locals Week can be found on Long Island Country’s website.
“Everyone should have the chance to experience their community to the fullest. That is why we have created Long Island Locals: to encourage our neighbors to explore all that their home wine country has to offer,” Melissa Rockwell, board member at Long Island Wine Country & direct to consumer sales manager at Sparkling Pointe, said in a press release. “We look forward to welcoming back many of our loyal guests, meeting new ones and giving them the special attention they deserve.”
Wine growing on Long Island can be traced back to 1973, when Louisa and Alex Hargrave planted the first vines in Cutchogue. In the five decades since, the region has become synonymous with wine and dozens of wineries now dot the landscape.
Locals Week is one of several events planned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of winemaking on Long Island. The lineup also includes intimate “10 mile” wine dinners with renowned chefs to grand celebrations that will be held later this year.
The event is being presented in partnership with Discover Long Island, the official tourism agency of Long Island.
“[It’s] a treasure to our region and a key driver of Long Island’s $6.3 billion annual tourism economy,” said Discover Long Island president and CEO, Kristen Reynolds. “[We] are excited to partner with Long Island Wine Country on an array of events and activities that highlight the evolution and sophistication of our many award-winning producing vineyards that all Long Islanders can be proud of.”
