Sagaponack, New York (CNN) — As enviable as summer in the Hamptons can be — stunning weather, beaches, greenery, produce, and yes, people — autumn is when the east end of Long Island becomes truly magical.
Wölffer Estate, a idyllic winery and tasting room in Sagaponack, nestled between Bridgehampton and Wainscott, draws visitors and locals to drink, eat and be merry amid views of 55 acres of perfectly manicured vineyards.
Acres of sumptuous vineyards are open to the public on October 12 for the Wölffer Estate’s harvest party.
Courtesy of Wolffer Estates
Along with its beloved “Summer in a Bottle” rosé, Wölffer’s winemaker and partner, Roman Roth, produces superior chardonnay, riesling, merlot and cabernet franc along with sparkling wines. Wölffer also goes beyond the grape, producing brandy, a jaunty pink gin and a crisp rosé cider pressed from local apples.
Joey Wölffer, who has been at the helm since 2007, is a renaissance woman. (Her late father, Christian Wölffer, launched the winery in 1998.)
The estate produces rosé cider, brandy and pink gin, among its wine varietals.
Courtesy of Wolffer Estates
Before taking over the family business, Wölffer worked in fashion, and later converted an old bus into a mobile pop-up vintage boutique that still holds court at Wölffer’s roadside wine stand during the summer.
She also operates a designer boutique a few miles away in Sag Harbor, and in her little down time, devotes some love to her horses — she’s been riding since she was 6 and is a board member and competitor at the annual Hamptons Classic. (Naturally, Wölffer Estate also houses stables.)
An experience in style
Visiting the Wölffer Estate is an experience in style.
The old farmhouse that’s become the tasting room has been meticulously renovated, maintaining original beams and tiles and updated with Wölffer’s brand of bohemian chic. Out on the terrace, the vines are bursting with grapes ready for harvest.
“There are very few places left in the Hamptons where you can look upon land that seems to go on forever,” muses Joey. “Really, you don’t see any houses except for the house I grew up in.”
The Wölffer portfolio is expanding, with two Wölffer Kitchen restaurants in Amagansett and Sag Harbor, and next summer, Roth and his wife, Estelita, will host a Wölffer Estates cruise along the Rhone River, from Lyon to Arles.
Barrel-rolling, hay rides and wine
The Harvest Party in October draws both locals and tourists for wine, food and fun.
Diana Diroy
Every fall Wölffer Estate hosts a harvest party, and Joey Wölffer, Roman Roth and their respective families invite the community and visitors to the winery to celebrate the labor and the yield of the growing season.
Wölffer’s and Roth’s German heritage is on full display, from traditional garb to barrel-rolling contests, and for kids, a petting zoo and hay rides — all lubricated by wine and cider, of course, paired with a massive outdoor feast.
Last year Wölffer challenged her neighbor, CNN’s own Don Lemon, to a barrel race, and other Hamptons neighbors Jimmy Fallon, Donna Karan and Neil Patrick Harris dropped in as well.
Wölffer Estate harvest party: Happiest hour of all in the Hamptons
