Wine Tasting in the Hamptons: Visiting Wӧlffer Winery

An Overview of What to Expect at Wolffer Estate

Tucked in the middle of the Hamptons on Long Island is the beautiful and popular Wӧlffer Estate Vineyard. While most Long Island wineries are on the North Fork, there are a few vineyards nestled in the Hamptons proper. The biggest and most well-known is Wӧlffer Estate in Sagaponack. Most people are at least familiar with arguably their most well-known wine – Summer in a Bottle – with it beautiful floral wine bottle and rose wine. All the popular Hamptons spots can get a bit crazy. To help, I am sharing some “know before you go” facts and experiences before visiting the Wolffer winery yourself.

More Than Just Wolffer Estate

The first thing to know before visiting Wӧlffer winery is that they have more locations than just the main estate. Here is a quick summary of each of the Wӧlffer locations but you can more details on their website here.

• Wӧlffer Estate Tasting Room: Open year-round and seven days a week (rare for many of the vineyards on Long Island in the off-season). It is highly, highly recommended that you make reservations. Even as long-time wine club members, we still have not been able to get dates and times we want especially in Summer and Fall. It also will ensure you are aware if they are closed for specific events. With in door, outdoor, and a heated and enclosed patio there are a lot of seating options. Plus they do offer tours and other experiences so check the website to really plan your visit.
• The Wine Stand: Located just around the corner from the main estate (and conveniently located on Montauk Highway) is the casual and mainly outdoor wine stand. Unlike the estate, the wine stand is much more casual and doesn’t require reservations. It does get popular especially on Friday and Saturday nights in the summer when they offer live music. The lawn does get quite crowded and tables are limited so bring a blanket or chairs. But it is a great time, especially the sunset summer events.
• Wӧlffer Kitchen Amagansett: The Wӧlffer family also owns a full-service restaurant located in Amagansett just down the road from the winery and wine stand. Reservations are accepted and encouraged. My experience with the food has not been disappointing. And the wine list is advised by the Wӧlffer wine maker Roman Roth. (And if you do visit, check out my ordering from a wine list blog before you go.)

All About the Wine

Full disclosure, we are wine club members at Wӧlffer. With that we do pay the normal club prices and this is in no way a sponsored post. While we originally were Hunt Club wine club members (which always includes a mix of white, red and rose) a few years ago we actually switched to their all red wine club – The Premier Cru Club. They also over an all Rose Club option and The Grand Prix option. More can be found on the wine clubs on their website.

Like most wineries what is offered for tasting on site will change based on what they have in stock, what has been released, etc. Typically at least one visit a year we will do a tasting flight (they usually offer 2 options) to try the latest vintages and blends and have an idea of what we will be getting in our club membership. For your first visit, I do recommend ordering at least 1 flight and sharing it (especially is someone is driving).

When with a group we usually will order a bottle. In summer I love the sparkling rose – Noblesse Oblige – or the always popular and dependable Chardonnay. Off-season we are all about the reds. They offer a wonderful selection and I would say you can’t go wrong with any of the Merlot options. They have a wonderful Cabernet Franc (and I am usually not a Cab Franc girl). And their blends are always interesting and enjoyable.

Beyond the traditional wines, Wӧlffer does also have cider and non-alcoholic options as well as an increasing selection of other spirits. There is a lot to sample and discover when visiting Wolffer winery. Also lots of reasons for return visits.

The Experience and Setting

My husband and I have visited a lot of wineries together. In terms of how the Estate experience compares it certainly is a beautiful location. I love the rustic and stylish décor and the views of the vineyards are beautiful. We have been seated inside, on the patio, and on the lawn in the summer and all are great options.

The staff is usually super friendly and helpful. But like any service business, especially on super crowded days, you can certainly have a person having an off day. We don’t let it bother us and overall have great experiences. If you can go at an off-time, you will most likely get superior service and attention.

The also offer a limited food selection which includes charcuterie boards, flat breads, and assorted other snack option. As like at a lot of higher end vineyards, the snacks are not inexpensive but they are tasty and it is always a good idea to have some food when drinking.

Final Thoughts When Visiting Wolffer Winery

Overall Wӧlffer is a place worth visiting in my opinion. Especially if you are out in the Hamptons anyway. But like anything in the Hamptons, there is a cost and it is not the cheapest experience you can have. In fact, we have found that Wӧlffer wines at the winery or wine stand when you are consuming on site are marked up (I assume a bit of a built-in service charge). So if you are going to just buy bottles and take with you, you may be able to find it cheaper at your local liquor store. But if you are going to the experience and a little adventure it is worth it.

Long Island has some great wines and Wӧlffer certainly offers some of the best on top of a great setting and experience. But don’t just visit Wolffer winery, I highly recommend many others out there and will cover some of those is other blogs.