With its maritime climate and well-drained glacial soils, Long Island AVA is New York State’s answer to Bordeaux, with many of the French region’s prized varietals thriving here. Within the Long Island AVA are two sub-AVAs: the North Fork Long Island and Hamptons Long Island AVAs, established respectively in 1986 and 1986. Thanks to Atlantic breezes, which keep the area temperate, the growing season here is at least three weeks longer than in the rest of the state, encouraging dark-skinned Vitis vinifera varieties like Merlot and Cabernet Franc. (Hurricanes and salt water remain hazards, particularly for the South Fork, which has less protection from oceanic elements than the North Fork.)

While the Long Island AVA mandates that 85% of a wine’s grapes must come from within the AVA, the precise varieties are up to the winemakers, which has resulted in a broad range of styles, from the Hamptons’s rosé blends to the North Fork’s traditional-method sparkling wines. Merlot remains king and makes up 30% of all Long Island plantings, while Chardonnay is the most planted white variety.