Wölffer Estate Vineyard Celebrates 25th Anniversary All Summer

Wölffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack is celebrating its 25th year this summer.

The vineyard, situated on 55 acres of land, is one of only three on the South Fork. Wolffer’s first Chardonnay grapes were planted in 1988, and the first Merlot were planted in 1990. Then, before it took the name of founder Christian Wölffer, it was known as SagPond.

“Wölffer Estate is very different from other wineries," said sales director Suellen Tunney during a visit to the tasting room Thursday. "Our main goal is making sure the customer has a great experience.”

Understanding that they cater to the “3 p.m., sunburnt off the beach crowd,” Tunney stressed that the vineyard can either exemplify the best about a Hamptons summer, or serve as a quick getaway. The ongoing “summer in a bottle” theme this year emphasizes Chardonnay, sparkling, and rosé wines that offer a cooling refresher in the sun. “People come in here,” Tunney said, “and they forget where they are. It doesn’t look like the beach or the village, it looks like the south of France or Napa.”

Though it might seem like a break from Long Island, since the first vineyards opened on the North Fork in the 1970s, it’s become common knowledge that the soil here is superb for wine growing. Due to the sand just below the layer of topsoil, the vines can enjoy the rainfall and have the excess water siphoned away. Thanks to this natural phenomenon, Wölffer Estate does not need to use an irrigation system.

Tours of the winery are available from 11 to 5 p.m. and customers are encouraged to take part in one of six different wine tasting flights during their stay. Wines by the glass and by the bottle are also available.

“Apart from offering a memorable experience,” Tunney said, “we want to offer an educational one as well. We like to teach visitors about the wine, how it's made and how it’s different from other wines. We’re trying to break down the insecurities some people feel walking into a store or ordering in a restaurant when the names are all in French. We want people to have the confidence to better choose wine and to be better able to talk about it.” 

In addition to tastings and tours, there is also live music at the tasting room, and at Wölffer's wine stand on the side of Route 27.  Twilight Thursdays feature live jazz music from 5 to 8 p.m. at the tasting room, and Friday and Saturday music starts at the wine stand at 5 p.m. and doesn’t end till sunset.

“We like to think we have a little something for everyone,” Tunney said.