Mattebella Winery, Long Island

Hello Sweet T & friends!

My life seems to be a whirlwind of adventure and magical days spent with people who continue to inspire me and leave an imprint on my heart. Today I wish to start my day with gratitude and share a glimmer of one of those  special days. For the past three years I have taken what is now an annual pilgrimage to the Long Island wineries. After the hoopla of the holidays it is a bright spot to look forward to in the (usually) cold, long, winter. Brett, my good friends Sue, Brian & I have been going there for the past three years to celebrate Valentine’s day. We head out early on the ferry with a pitcher of some delicious morning cocktail that my honey creates, a picnic basket that belonged to my gram stocked with an array of cheeses, snacks and other delights as we watch the morning set in. We have always been blessed with beautiful weather for this trip and this year was no exception. The sun was shining and the day bright.

Isn't this the cutest tasting room? It was so cozy inside! (Mattebella Winery)

Succulent Sue at Mattebella Vineyard

The boys at Mattebella~Don't you just love that barn wood table?

They thought of everything here~bread, water in pretty glasses and yes, even frosted brownies!

The first winery we visited was Mattebella, named after the owners children. Honestly, upon our arrival in the parking lot I don’t think we pictured such a quaint tasting room. It was like a little cottage with a modern decorating twist (my favorite style). The wood floors were beautifully stained a dark, rich brown making it ever so cozy. There was a long, rustic farm table with bench seating which added to the farmhouse/cottage vibe and the small, white leather couches created a fresh touch. I just loved it! We learned of how the vineyard came to be and how popular the outdoor patio is in the summer.

We ended up visiting all of these wineries (and I think I may be forgetting a few~I will blame my memory lapse on the vino!). The websites have lovely descriptions of the wine and more pictures than I could ever share here.

Mattebella

Pindar

Winemaker’s Studio

Sherwood House

Pellagrine

Sue and I were beyond excited to learn that the Winemaker’s Studio was right next to White Flower Farmhouse!!! We both follow their blogs (they have two) and are in love with all the vintage items they sell there. It was quite a delight to actually see it in person. We each left with treasures and had plenty of time to shop while the boys relaxed next door at the Winemaker’s Studio (which also happens to serve beer~FYI). It was PERFECT!

Sue bought me one of these AWESOME ball jars! We had a hard time deciding which one to choose as they were all so beautiful!

We ended our trip at Sherwood House, a place we had visited before and loved for the rustic coziness and grande stone fireplace. We sipped our wine while enjoying live music fireside. You felt like you were at home with friends on a magical night.

I am filled up with the splendor and magic of the day. Even traveling just a little bit off your beaten path can give you such a sense of adventure. This part of Long Island felt like I was in another world and I will hold my memories of the day and the people I was with dear to my heart.

With gratitude & love,

Laura

p.s. Where are your favorite places to visit? We all create our own adventures and we would love to hear about yours. You are invited to share in the comments below. Who knows, you might just inspire someone to create an adventure of their own!

p.s.s. Find out how these adventures feed into my artwork in a upcoming post. Here is a sneak peek:

The tiniest hint of a new painting. ©laura gaffke 2012