Long Island's signature red: structured, savory, Bordeaux-style Merlot from the North Fork. Updated for 2026.
Merlot is Long Island's signature red grape, the variety that, more than any other, defines New York's maritime wine country and sets it apart from the Riesling-driven Finger Lakes upstate. When the Hargraves planted Long Island's first vines in 1973, they judged the climate, moderated by the Atlantic, Long Island Sound, and Peconic Bay, to be similar to Bordeaux's, and Merlot, the softer, earlier-ripening Bordeaux red, proved ideally suited to the long, temperate growing season. The result is a distinctly Long Island style of Merlot: medium-bodied, structured, and savory, with real freshness and food-friendliness rather than the ripe, high-alcohol weight of warmer regions. From the benchmark estates that proved the grape to boutique, small-lot specialists, Long Island Merlot is the region's calling card.
Below are the Long Island wineries we think make the most compelling Merlot, from the benchmark Bedell and age-worthy Lenz to Bordeaux-focused and boutique specialists. Current as of October 2026.
The signature Merlot name
More than any other producer, Bedell helped establish Merlot as Long Island's signature red, and its polished, estate-grown Merlot remains a regional benchmark, so acclaimed that the 2009 vintage was poured at President Obama's second inaugural luncheon in 2013. The first stop for Long Island Merlot.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Cutchogue / North Fork.
Our tip: Taste the estate Merlot that defined the region; Long Island's benchmark red.
Age-worthy, structured Merlot
One of the North Fork's oldest estates (1978), Lenz is prized by Long Island veterans for its age-worthy, structured Merlot, wines built to reward cellaring and famously shown to compete with far pricier bottles in blind tastings, a serious, quality-first Peconic producer.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Peconic / North Fork.
Our tip: Taste the age-worthy Merlot; structured, serious, and built to cellar.
Polished family-estate Merlot
The Massoud family's respected Aquebogue estate makes a polished, well-regarded Merlot among its strong Bordeaux reds, a quality-first expression of the grape from one of the North Fork's most dependable names.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Aquebogue / North Fork.
Our tip: Taste the estate Merlot and Bordeaux reds; polished and dependable.
Sustainable-estate Merlot
From sustainably and biodynamically farmed vineyards above Long Island Sound, Macari in Cutchogue makes a well-regarded Merlot as part of its broad Bordeaux-focused range, a respected, scenic North Fork source for the grape.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Cutchogue / North Fork.
Our tip: Taste the sustainably farmed Merlot; respected and scenic.
A Bordeaux-focused Merlot specialist
A quality-first Cutchogue estate focused on Bordeaux varieties and Pinot Noir, McCall makes serious, estate-grown Merlot in limited quantities from its North Fork vineyards, a connoisseur's stop for those seeking a more boutique expression of the grape.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Cutchogue / North Fork.
Our tip: Taste the limited, estate-grown Merlot; a boutique, Bordeaux-focused specialist.
Approachable, consistent Merlot
A North Fork pioneer founded in 1983, Palmer in Aquebogue makes an approachable, consistent Merlot within its well-liked range, a friendly, reliable introduction to the grape at one of Long Island's oldest wineries.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Aquebogue / North Fork.
Our tip: Taste the approachable Merlot at a North Fork pioneer; friendly and reliable.
A Merlot-focused Peconic estate
A Peconic estate built with a focus on Bordeaux-style reds, Raphael is known especially for its Merlot, made in a structured, estate-driven style in a handsome Mediterranean-influenced winery, a quality-minded North Fork stop for the grape.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Peconic / North Fork.
Our tip: Taste the structured, Bordeaux-style Merlot; a Merlot-focused North Fork estate.
Boutique, small-lot Merlot
A small, well-regarded Riverhead-area producer, Roanoke Vineyards makes boutique, small-lot Bordeaux reds including a sought-after Merlot, poured in an intimate tasting setting, a quality-first North Fork stop for those who like discovering smaller names.
Good to know: Tastings; estate. Riverhead / North Fork.
Our tip: Taste the small-lot Merlot; a boutique, quality-first North Fork find.
Long Island's best Merlot comes almost entirely from the North Fork, so base your tasting there and loop between estates along Route 25 and the back roads through Cutchogue, Peconic, Aquebogue, and the Riverhead area. A rewarding approach is to compare a benchmark, polished Merlot (Bedell) against an age-worthy, structured one (Lenz) and a boutique, small-lot version (McCall or Roanoke) to see the range the grape takes on the island. Plan three or four stops, ask to taste current and library vintages where available (Long Island Merlot can age well), and visit late spring through fall. The North Fork is about two hours from New York City; September and October harvest is the most atmospheric time to taste the reds.
Do not expect big, jammy, high-alcohol Merlot; the Long Island style is more medium-bodied, structured, and savory, closer to Bordeaux than to warm-climate reds, so taste it on its own terms. Do not judge the grape on one bottle; styles vary from approachable to age-worthy, so compare across producers. And do not overlook the smaller, boutique names (McCall, Roanoke), where some of the most interesting Merlot is made in limited quantities.
Why is Merlot Long Island's signature grape?
Because the maritime climate suits it. When the first vines went in back in 1973, growers judged Long Island's climate, moderated by the Atlantic, Long Island Sound, and Peconic Bay, to be similar to Bordeaux's, and Merlot, the softer, earlier-ripening Bordeaux red, thrived in the long, temperate growing season. It became the grape most associated with the region and remains its benchmark red, especially on the North Fork.
What is Long Island Merlot like?
Distinctly different from warm-climate Merlot. The Long Island style is typically medium-bodied, structured, and savory, with real freshness and food-friendliness, closer to Bordeaux than to the ripe, jammy, high-alcohol reds of warmer regions. The best examples (from estates like Bedell and Lenz) are elegant and can age well, rewarding cellaring over several years.
Which Long Island wineries make the best Merlot?
Standouts include the benchmark Bedell Cellars (whose Merlot was poured at a presidential inauguration luncheon), the age-worthy Lenz, the polished Paumanok, the sustainable Macari, the Bordeaux-focused McCall and Raphael, the pioneering Palmer, and the boutique Roanoke, almost all on the North Fork.
Where should I taste Long Island Merlot?
Mainly on the North Fork, where almost all the top Merlot producers cluster along Route 25 and the back roads through Cutchogue, Peconic, Aquebogue, and the Riverhead area. Base yourself there, plan three or four stops, and compare a benchmark Merlot (Bedell) against an age-worthy one (Lenz) and a boutique version (McCall or Roanoke). The North Fork is about two hours east of New York City.
Can Long Island Merlot age?
Yes, the better examples can. Because the Long Island style is structured and savory rather than soft and jammy, top Merlots from estates like Lenz and Bedell are built to reward cellaring over several years, developing additional complexity. Many producers offer library or reserve bottlings, and it is worth asking to taste older vintages where available to see how the wines evolve.
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