Harbes Farm, North Fork

With August half over, I think I need to step it up on accomplishing the items on my Summer 2012 to-do list! It’s unlikely I will get to all of them, but I’d still like to try. Despite the fact that I haven’t done everything I hoped to do this summer, it has definitely been fun.

Our wine tasting trip to Long Island allowed us to enjoy some of the best summer has to offer. Seriously, the North Fork is like one giant farm stand, surrounded by water, and our eats on the trip reflected that. Oysters, strawberries, tomatoes, and corn made up most of the menu that day. Plus wine, of course.

One of our favorite stops on our visit to the North Fork was Harbes Farm & Vineyard.

Harbes is more than just a winery; they’ve got a full farm stand, snack bar, petting zoo, wine tasting barn and more. It’s a fun place to visit!

We wandered around a bit before heading to the tasting barn. Along the way we sampled some sangria made with Harbes wine and received tickets for a complimentary taste in the barn.

Since we each had a coupon to taste one wine, we ended up sharing tastes. It wasn’t a surprise that I loved the dry Red Horse Rosé, lots of berry flavors without the sweetness that some rosés offer. I’ll be seeking out North Fork rosés for the rest of the summer, that’s for sure.

While we sipped on our wine, we dug into some of the cheeses that my sister-in-law picked up at The Village Cheese Shop (A great place for cheese, meat, etc., but the staff definitely had attitude and was overwhelmed by the stream of traffic.) Eating cheese and bread while sipping wine in a barn overlooking wide open spaces was just about as good as it gets!

Harbes Farm & Vineyard is a place for the whole family; parents can come and taste wine, kids can take pony rides and play on tractors. Even big kids. . .

The wine and the grounds at the farm were great, but the fresh food was what made the experience for me.

Local berries, heirloom tomatoes, watermelons, all sorts of lettuce and more filled the roadside farmstand space.

And across the street, fields of sunflowers let off a cheery glow.

We even had a little taste of fall with some cider donuts; my sister-in-law and her boyfriend, visiting from Ireland, had never tasted them before!  Harbes’ snack stand also sold roasted corn on the cob, dipped in melted butter. It was divine.

We spent the most time at Harbes, and I definitely would have stayed longer to have a glass of wine if it was a little less crowded. With all of that natural beauty and local produce, this experience was what summer should be.

Dying hydrangeas mean that my all time favorite season is going to come to an end, but I will enjoy every last moment!