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July 12: Walk & Wine at Peconic Land Trust with Saltbird Cellars

Jul 1, 2022 | In The News, Past Events

We are back with another Walk & Wine to celebrate and explore the edible garden at Peconic Land Trust and to sip local wine from Saltbird Cellars. Please join us on July 12, from 5 pm – 7:30 pm as we enjoy a guided tour with Peconic Garden Director Rick Bogusch, who will teach us about the work they do and their edible garden!

Tickets are $50 each, or $40 for Slow Food East End members or Bridge Gardens members. They can be purchased from Peconic Land Trust by phone (631-283-3195) or email (events@peconiclandtrust.org).

Space is limited, so we request you reserve your tickets in advance! Rain date is July 13.

Salt Bird Cellars is located on the North Fork. Saltbird Cellars’ winemaker Robin Epperson-McCarthy grew up sailing the Peconic waters and has been inspired by the cooler micro climate of the East End and other cool climate regions where she has worked and trained to focus on making unique wines that honor the distinctive maritime terrier where Saltbird vines are grown. Come taste her new releases, plus enjoy freshly made bread provided by Flour Power and Truly Grass Fed.

Get Your Tickets Here!

June 29: Slow Hour at Peconic Bay Vineyards

Jun 24, 2022 | Past Events, Slow Hour

Summer is back! We are in a mood to celebrate and we invite you to our very first Slow Hour, Slow Food East End’s version of Happy Hour.

When: Wednesday,  June 29, 2022 from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT

Where: Peconic Bay Vineyards, 31320 Main Road, Cutchogue, NY 11935

How: Its easy! No tickets needed, just let us know you are coming.

Slow Food is a global, grassroots organization committed to promoting local food cultures and celebrating our local food sources and providers who believe in a food web that is locally sourced and environmentally sustainable. Slow Hour is a delicious opportunity to learn more about what Slow Food East End does and to help support our local businesses.

Peconic Bay Vineyards, located on Main Road in Cutchogue, has a handsome tasting room nestled among acres of vineyards with a large outdoor patio and garden with covered seating too. The tasting room also has a newly hung art installation featuring barn studies by Jamesport artist Carol C Young that you won’t want to miss.

Rain or shine come and slow down with us we’d love to meet you, we’d love to tell you what we’ve been up to this past year and our plans for the future.

Yes, food & wine will be available for purchase! The menu includes lobster rolls, charcuterie platters and the Hampton Oyster Co will be shucking fresh oysters for Slow Hour.

To thank you for joining us, please enjoy a 15% discount off your bill (oysters excluded).

The event is free to attend – but please do register to help us plan properly.

Want to know where and when the next Slow Hour will be? Sign up for Slow Food East End’s newsletters to receive news about all our upcoming events.

Register on Eventbrite

SFEE Reaches out to Winemaker In Need

Aug 4, 2020 | In The News

Robin Epperson McCarthy of Saltbird Cellars.

What many people miss about the wine business is that it’s year round. There’s a lot going on in between harvest and popping the cork.

“Grapes don’t stop growing because of COVID,” says Robin Epperson-McCarthy, who is the one-woman show behind Saltbird Cellars.

Epperson-McCarthy applied for an SFEE Resilience Grant (you can help fund the grants here) to help her buy screw caps and labels for her 2019 Sauvignon Blanc. “If hadn’t gotten it when I did, I would have put it on a credit card, which many wine growers end up doing.” She adds, “I’m concerned about other people will wind up in debt.”

Sauvignon blanc is Epperson-McCarthy’s specialty and is a grape that grows well on the East End. And winemakers like Epperson-McCarthy have been working to make the wine in the style unique to Long Island that reflects our soil, weather in climate. It’s working with Long Island wine landing in the middle between the two most famous sauvignon blancs: New Zealand and Sancerre.

Like other farmers Epperson-McCarthy had to modify her business model to adjust to the pandemic. She says regular customers are still able to buy the wine at the tasting room she shares with winemaker Alie Shaper, Peconic Cellar Door on Peconic Lane, which sells five different brands through their cooperative Chronicle Wines.

While the tasting room was closed, the wines were set up in the front window so customers can see what’s for sale and pick up curbside. The two have been shipping a lot of wine, she says, and online sales are brisk.

Epperson-McCarthy created tasting kits so customers can have the tasting room experience at home. The boxes include wine notes, tasting mats and five different wines in 50 ml bottles.

Things are getting back to “normal.” Peconic Cellar Door is now open Friday through Monday from 12pm to 5pm with outside seating and masks required.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the grant,” says Epperson-McCarthy. “Slow Food East End reached out in a time of need; we’re a community.”