13 Best Sights in Long Island, New York

The Pugliese family, in the spirit of the late founder and partiarch Ralph Pugliese, makes good, down-to-earth affordble wines that are local favorites. Its sparklers really shine: the Blanc de Blanc Brut regularly ranks in national competitions, and the off-dry sparkling merlot is an unusual treat. Try the Porto Bello dessert wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, great with chocolate, cheese, or on its own. The Sunset Meritage blend, with its deep, earthy flavors, is a winner. The hand-painted wine glasses and bottles make great gifts. Live music near the fish pond under the trellis on summer weekends attracts groups of friends and families with grandparents and children. In recent years limousine tours have brought growing crowds to this small family operation, but it's still the same friendly, beautiful winery Mr. Pugliese started 35 years ago.

Merlot is the benchmark of the region, and Bedell's reputation as the area's premier maker of this wine attracts serious wine lovers. The tasting room, in a New England farm–style building, has a modern-art collection and a stainless-steel bar. It has fine environmentally-friendly sustainable credentials. Splurge on the 16-month, oak-aged $90 Musée 2010.

For more than four decades, Long Island's founding vineyard has been bringing a little piece of Tuscany close to home. A former barn near the main tasting room provides a lively venue for festivals, opera, jazz performances, live comedy, and art exhibits. Try the Cabernet Franc.

Maintained by the Cutchogue–New Suffolk Historical Council, this village green is lined by several restored and furnished historic buildings relocated from around the area. The 1649 Old House is one of the oldest frame houses in the country. Also here are the 1840 Old School House and the 1890 Red Barn, both filled with period furnishings. To see the interiors, you must take the tour, which lasts one hour and sets out from the Carriage House, next to the parking area. The Old Burying Ground, located one mile east of the Village Green on Route 25A, contains many artfully carved stones dating back to the 1717.

You may walk along peaceful woodland trails lined with native flora and fauna at this National Historic Landmark and important archaeological site. The fort dates to at least the early 1600s and is largely intact. At the visitor center a volunteer can explain exhibits about the Native American Corchaug tribe, who built the fort, and the early colonial settlers. Family and children's events are held here regularly.

The winery, built in 1998, has an antique bar salvaged from an old hotel. Laurel Lake grows its own chardonnay grapes and obtains red grapes from other North Fork growers. The Moscato Sparkling is a standout, and their Gewürztraminer is one of the best from the region. Half-hour tours are available by appointment for parties of four or more and include tastings, and on weekend afternoons from Memorial Day through October there's live music in the backyard.

This iconoclastic winery enjoys pitting its wines against top international pours in blind tastings, and critics are often generous with their praise. An enclosed courtyard flanked by old vines leads into an old barn, now a large tasting room. Tours are held only in February and March.

Premium Wine Group is a custom crush facility, a unique place where dozens of labels are produced for private clients with small vineyards. Lieb wines are poured in a no-frills room at the front; try the Pinot Blanc, a unique wine for this region. If you prefer red, the Cab Franc is a popular choice. Cheese board platters are available and there's live music most weekends in season

The family-owned winery is committed to organic and sustainable vineyard practices, and wines like its 2010 Bergen Road red and 2012 Reserve Chardonnay enjoy consistent critical acclaim. The tasting room is big and modern; vineyards nestle below the Long Island Sound bluffs. Best sellers here are 2012 Katherine Fields Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Dos Aguas, and the Sette blend. Cheese boards and charcuterie are available for wine pairings. Off-season, barrel tastings and pairings of food prepared by a local chef are offered one Saturday a month for $50.

Top wines here, like the rich Cabernet Sauvignon, are becoming serious players, but the winery still knows how to have fun. During prime season they offer plenty of picnic tables on the lawn (pack your own lunch), three BBQ stations, a volleyball net, an outdoor bar, and live music on weekends. Try the 2011 Carmenere. For a true taste of the holidays, go for the spice wine, and serve it warm.

With a tower over the tasting room and an interior courtyard, this winery is an architectural standout and provides a beautiful envoronment for a wine tasting. Unlike the many wineries these days that are augmenting their attraction with music, fun, and games, at Pellegrini it's all about the wine. Coupling old world traditional methods—like growing and harvesting the healthiest and ripest grapes and employing the best winemakers—with new winemaking technology, Pellegrini is known for producing some of the finest wines, including the limited reserve Petite Verdot, Encore, Vintner's Pride Chardonnay, and Finale. Weddings are held here almost every weekend in warm-weather months, so call ahead before visiting, as hours many change.

As the region's largest producer, Pindar can attract visitors three-deep at the bar, with a fun crowd enjoying ample free tastes of approachable wines. Tours are a real education for beginners and experienced hands alike; on November weekends a special tour shows how sparkling wine is made. The Mythology Meritage is a standout, and, on the sweeter side, the Sweet Scarlet and Winter White are easy drinking for wine newbies.

The winery is a boutique producer of high-end merlot, but the lavish Spanish mission–style winery, built with wrought iron and stone, is worth a visit on its own. The best-selling wines here are the First Label Sauvignon Blanc 2013 and La Fontana 2010 Bordeux-style blend. Live music takes place on Sunday.