Wine bars on Long Island
Let's raise a toast to wine bars, those cozy, cosmopolitan niche bistros where Bacchus is king and food plays second fiddle to glasses of merlot, cabernet and pinot grigio.
A half dozen or more wine bars are spread out from Port Washington to Greenport, serving the grape by the glass and bottle, as well as food for pairing. At these congenial gathering spots, imports from France, Italy and Spain compete for your palate with varietals from Long Island and California, as well as wines from lesser-known winemaking nations such as New Zealand, Argentina and Chile. Wait staffs and bartenders offer expertise in wine traditions and etiquette, so all you need do is sit back, close your eyes and drink it all in.
Just don't forget to bring along a designated driver - and an appropriate toast of your own.
Novitá
860 Franklin Ave.,
Garden City
PHONE 516-739-7660
WEB novitany.com
WINE SELECTION More than 100 by the glass, 150 by the bottle
LEAST EXPENSIVE GLASS $8, Cadonini Pinot Grigio, Graff Riesling and Maigo Reserve Merlot
MOST EXPENSIVE GLASS $42, Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
MENU New Italian cuisine, with popular dishes such as rigatoni ragu, $16. You can also mix and match a meat and cheese platter, $5 per meat and $4 per cheese.
Vintage Port
109 Main St.,
Port Washington
PHONE 516-883-1033
WINE SELECTION 10-15 by the glass, 40-50 by the bottle
LEAST-EXPENSIVE GLASS $7 Gladiator Nero D'avola, Domaine Tariquet Sauvignon Blanc
MOST-EXPENSIVE GLASS $15 Waters Winery Interlude (Bordeaux blend)
MENU Cheese boards, $15-$23; steak sandwich with Roquefort cheese, $15
Bin 56
56 Stewart Ave., Huntington
PHONE 631-812-0060
WINE SELECTION 16 by the glass
LEAST-EXPENSIVE GLASS $8 Malbec, Line 39 Cabernet Sauvignon or Tempranillo Grenache
MOST-EXPENSIVE GLASS $12 Lyeth Meritage or Chianti Classico
MENU Tapas-style favorites include falafel crab cakes with tzatziki sauce, $12; a tortilla (Spanish omelet with potato and red onion), $6; and three bite-size chorizo-stuffed cheesebread sliders, $7.
Northport Tasting Room & Wine Cellar
70 Main St., Northport
PHONE 631-261-0642
WEB northportwines.com
WINE SELECTION 30 by the glass, 110 by the bottle
LEAST EXPENSIVE GLASS $8 Cinsault
MOST EXPENSIVE GLASS $17, Txomin (pronounced Sho-min), from Spain's Basque region
MENU Cheese, olive or meat plates, plus cheesecake, carrot cake, raspberry mousse cake, all $8, or order in from nearby restaurants.
La Cuvee
Greenporter Hotel, 326 Front St., Greenport
PHONE 631-477-0066
WEB thegreenporter.com
WINE SELECTION 50 by the glass or bottle
LEAST-EXPENSIVE GLASS $8 Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon
MOST-EXPENSIVE GLASS $15 Laurel Lakes Cabernet Reserve
MENU Choose from 12 appetizers, including oysters or French onion soup, $8-$15. Entrees include mussels with French fries, $16; hand-carved roast beef sandwich with French fries, $16; and steak, $26-$28
Grappa Wine Bar
62 Main St., Sag Harbor
PHONE 631-725-0055
WEB grappawinebar.com
WINE SELECTION 18 by the glass, 50 by the bottle
LEAST EXPENSIVE GLASS $8 Banfi Chianti, Sangiovese or Orvieto
MOST EXPENSIVE GLASS $18 Brunello
MENU Italian, featuring an antipasto plate with fire-roasted peppers, caponata, grilled zucchini, roasted cipolline, marinated olives and artichokes for $25. Individual (9-by-6-inch) grilled pizzas, $9.75; spaghettini with veal meatballs, $9-$18.
formore
WHAT "Around the World of White Wines"
WHEN 2-4 p.m. Saturday
WHERE Hofstra University
PHONE 516-463-7200
WEB ce.hofstra.edu
COST $99
White wine lovers ages 21 and older can learn how to pair wine with food, find the best values on bottles and sample international varieties in this course taught by wine expert Robert Windorf.