If you need a weekend cure for winter’s drawn out cabin fever, the North Fork wine trail is now ministering with therapeutic afternoons of sips and song. This year’s eighth annual Winterfest Live On the Vine is underway, featuring enlivening musical performances each weekend in several east end wineries and other venues.
The annual six-week long event began in 2008 under the name of Jazz On the Vine, featuring live jazz musicians’ sultry notes paired perfectly with the flavor notes of Long Island’s wines, all in the cozy comfort of tasting rooms warmed by the dancing flames of their fireplaces. The festival offered chilled Long Islanders an enjoyable respite during the bleak winter season, and served as a reminder to all that the wineries are continually welcoming and relaxing throughout the year.
Last year, the festival name was changed to Live On the Vine when musical genres were added to the lineup that now includes jazz, blues, soul, rock, folk and engaging world beats. From local talents to Grammy winners, the diverse choices offer something for every ear’s preference each week. Participating wineries include Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard, Bedell Cellars, Sparkling Pointe, Macari Vineyards, Jason’s Vineyard, and Raphael Winery, among several others. For those who seek a full weekend escape from the weekday grind, Hotel Indigo and Heron Suites are also hosting Live On the Vine performances on their premises. Musical interludes are also taking center stage at the historic Suffolk Theatre in Riverhead and in the oceanic themed backdrop of the Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center, also in Riverhead.
The east end crowds may disperse after the last great pumpkin is picked, but the wineries, craft breweries, restaurants, museums and theatres remain in full swing all winter long. What better way to wile away a wintery afternoon while the snow is falling than within the warm glow of a tasting room with a comforting glass of wine in hand, a platter of cheeses within reach and the harmonious sounds and syncopated rhythms reverberating to restore the soul.
Winterfest Live On the Vine 2015 runs through March 29. You can access each weekend’s calendar of performances at www.facebook.com/liwinterfest or on .liwinterfest.com.php53-18.ord1-1.websitetestlink.com/
The annual six-week long event began in 2008 under the name of Jazz On the Vine, featuring live jazz musicians’ sultry notes paired perfectly with the flavor notes of Long Island’s wines, all in the cozy comfort of tasting rooms warmed by the dancing flames of their fireplaces. The festival offered chilled Long Islanders an enjoyable respite during the bleak winter season, and served as a reminder to all that the wineries are continually welcoming and relaxing throughout the year.
Last year, the festival name was changed to Live On the Vine when musical genres were added to the lineup that now includes jazz, blues, soul, rock, folk and engaging world beats. From local talents to Grammy winners, the diverse choices offer something for every ear’s preference each week. Participating wineries include Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard, Bedell Cellars, Sparkling Pointe, Macari Vineyards, Jason’s Vineyard, and Raphael Winery, among several others. For those who seek a full weekend escape from the weekday grind, Hotel Indigo and Heron Suites are also hosting Live On the Vine performances on their premises. Musical interludes are also taking center stage at the historic Suffolk Theatre in Riverhead and in the oceanic themed backdrop of the Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center, also in Riverhead.
The east end crowds may disperse after the last great pumpkin is picked, but the wineries, craft breweries, restaurants, museums and theatres remain in full swing all winter long. What better way to wile away a wintery afternoon while the snow is falling than within the warm glow of a tasting room with a comforting glass of wine in hand, a platter of cheeses within reach and the harmonious sounds and syncopated rhythms reverberating to restore the soul.
Winterfest Live On the Vine 2015 runs through March 29. You can access each weekend’s calendar of performances at www.facebook.com/liwinterfest or on .liwinterfest.com.php53-18.ord1-1.websitetestlink.com/