Not good at all. Does not fit in with the community. They should move to the Hamptons! I hope the southhold police keep an eye on that location for DWI's.

Soo, the Sherwood House folks can't get a simple tasting area built that is respectful and representative of the region, but this place can PACK 48 with party buses (I've counted over 30 at one time before), overserve frozen sangria and throw a dance party? What is wrong with this picture?

For those of us making wine on the North Fork and trying to do things the right way, this is offensive on so many levels. It's not what the North Fork represents.

Agree with Richard 100%

IF ITS WITHIN CODE AND ZONING MORE POWER TO THEM. ITS 4-5 HRS //2 DAYS A WEEK LIKE HARBES....MORE PEOPLE SUPPORTING EAST END TAXES...

"GET READY FOR THE MOST EXPLOSIVE SEASON YET"

People have a right to pursue their own idea of happiness. But noone has any right to subject other people to first hand canned music. Sound carries on the East End.

Isn't there a new noise law?

Next year, I expect Santa's Christmas Farm to host Disco Parties for the holiday season!

If you put a search for Vineyard 48 on YouTube much worse scenes pop up. I would think night clubs would have different zoning? There was one video where you could clearly hear the DJ telling the crowd the next person to show some skin would get a free bottle of wine.

Dear Sandy , I went wine tasting one weekend with friends and while I wouldn't go to club 48 all the time, It WAS a blast! I see why the 20 something's love it!

Yea!! More girls in hot pants and high heels throwing up in the King Kullen parking lot!!

While I like a party, this is not a venue for the North Fork...What brings folks out to the tasting rooms is the relaxed atmosphere and great live entertainment. If folks want a "party scene" they can stay in the City or go to the Hampton's...It is not fair to the other vineyards to conduct their business in a tasteful way....I wonder, why would folks would make the trip in a limo...and forgo the beauty of the North Fork, only to be be crammed into a tent like a bunch of sardines..when they stay in the city and do the same......beats me!

First reaction: Not again.. I'm really starting to not like drunk people.

Second reaction: But, it's funny to watch them stumblebum around, try to sing (come to jerry and the Mermaid on a saturday night for a good laugh), and then try stagger back to the car. Not to mention the way they pass out on the lawn at odd angles, drooling and such.

I'm torn. it's such a relief to see others do this and remember that I don't have to anymore. :)

Clubs and wine go together like peanut butter and quail eggs. Mmmmm

Susan Fisher Tyler said on Facebook: "I think it's TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! (but you know that already!!!!!!)"

Lori McBride said on Facebook: "I can't wait!!!! So excited for another season. And if anyone thinks that's like the Boardy Bar, then they've clearly never been there. No one's pouring wine all over each other or slapping stickers all over peoples bodies at Vineyard 48. It's just drinking wine, dancing and music under a tent. "

Rich Anderson ‎said on Facebook: "It's just drinking wine, dancing and music under a tent." That's agricultural use? Call it what you want, it sounds more like a bar to me."

Susan Fisher Tyler said on Facebook::"I have been there Lori. It is like the Boardy Barn. Maybe everyone has been mature and respectable when you were there Lori, but that's not always the case. And the music isn't just 'under the tent' it's in every room of my house, louder than my tv even when all the windows are shut. And yes, adults on the dance floor swigging wine out of bottles is so mature. And drunk people screaming in the microphone about getting laid is very mature and respectable also. And people crossing 48 and sprawling on my lawn & leaving their plastic cups is very mature. That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure there's more."

Diane Strebel-Blados said on Facebook: "And because it is "agricultural", does that mean they arent taxed like any other bar??"

Lori McBride said on Facebook: "I go there pretty much every sunday in the summer. My Aunt works there and its a great place for her to be. I agree that sometimes people get ridiculous but look at half the people in this town who act the same way in local bars. I'm just saying its a good time and better than some of the other wineries that play old folk music that I'm not that into."

Susan Fisher Tyler said on Facebook: "My worst complaint, because I can deal with a few cups, is the volume, from 12-5 EVERY Saturday & Sunday from Memorial Day thru Labor Day. It gets OLD. And, he plays the same songs, every day, every weekend...which the people there don't know that because they're not there every day, every weekend. I sent the DJ a fb msg about it & he said he plays what the people ask for, and I get that. I don't begrudge people partying, drinking, dancing, whatever...but when I can't hear my tv in my own living room with the windows closed, it's just not right, or considerate."

Beth Citti Susan said on Facebook: "does this mean if I go there this summer I can sleep on your couch?"

Gwen Groocock said on Facebook: Gwen Groocock I have thought about this place since this promo video came out - I read a lot of comments from other people, and looked at the other, less attractive video clips on youtube. While V48's business model - dance music and frozen sangrias - is not an improvement to the LI wine industry, perhaps it has its place. and as the code stands, the business has a right by default to include music and dancing. Serving low-quality wine is their personal choice - not much can be done about that (and I feel for the winemaker who would probably like to focus more on quality). The problem here is twofold: the actions of the owners, and the actions of the enforcement bodies. First, code and law enforcement, specifically of the noise ordinance, event permits, the parking regulations, underage drinking and DWIs: According to town hall sources I have spoken to, the place has its event permits for 2012, and the plan is for much stricter enforcement....

Gwen Groockock continues on Facebook: "... Second, V48's actions: Attracting 20-somethings to the wine scene is not a bad idea, but imho if we want them to be valuable future visitors to the North Fork, why can't we teach them how to behave properly at a winery - but offer a little fun and dancing, too? V48 should conduct itself in a more civilized and tasteful fashion - no pole dancing, Dj's encouraging stripping, hump-dancing, bar fights, overserving etc - all of which the youtube videos show. And turn down the noise! it's just rude to ignore the neighbors' complaints. Unfortunately Southold Town can't legislate taste or manners. But given the exurban nightclub-owning background of the owners of V48, it's unclear whether they understand that wineries are not dance clubs, and unlikely that they will amend their behaviour for fear of losing a few bucks - obviously, for them, it's not about making wine, it's solely about making money. 20-somethings have a lot of disposable income, and when they're drunk, they'll lose the contents of their wallets as thoroughly as some of the charming young people in the videos lost their dignity and items of their wardrobe."

Lori McBride said on Facebook: "I'm 26 years old. Born and raised on the North Fork and my family are one of the last Potato farmers left out here. I've been to just about EVERY winery on the North Fork and a select few on the South Fork. I'm just saying I'm not that into some of the music that's played at some of the other wineries out here. Jazz, acoustic guitars etc. That's not me. And Vineyard 48 doesnt just serve frozen sangria. They serve their own wine. And who's to say that this one isn't a real winery. They are. They're just different. Every winery out here has it's own atmosphere and their own ambiance.

I'm not here to say that I love seeing the drunk idiots from up island come out here and act ridiculous. Because I don't. Clearly they're on their vacations or daycations or whatever it is they're out on the North Fork for, and that's how they choose to act. I go to that winery every weekend in the summer and I don't strip, dance on poles, chug wine from bottles or scream into the microphones.

Gwen Groocock said on Facebook: "Lori, I am glad that you do not behave like the people on the youtube clips of V48, but I am surprised that it doesn't bother you that the people around you are acting like that. Doesn't it get a little, um, icky? I, for one, love to dance, but would not stay long in a place if I saw that stuff. As to what music the other wineries have, well, I personally have diverse tastes, but more to the point, I don;t go to a winery for music, I go for the wine. the fact that you go to V48 for the music first and wine second illustrates the problem. maybe sometime midsummer you could tell us all if the behaviour has improved, as we all hope it will. btw they do serve frozen sangria - see the website.

Crystal Parker said on Facebook: "Gwen I've been to every winery here on The North Fork and enjoy myself at each of them. Every winery has something to offer. And I was born n raised out here just like Lori. I don't care if they did play OLD FOLKS tunes or not. Its all about the company your with and the atmosphere. And I have mannors and morals as well as respect for people. Just because you watched a youtube clip don't think that how I act or behave.

Lori McBride said on Facebook: "I didn't say that they don't serve frozen sangria. They do! Lol and I love it. I honestly really don't give a darn how other people act. That's their issue, not mine. I worry/care about myself. All I am saying is that place is enjoyable and a fun way to spend a nice summery weekend. And no, it might not be for everyone. But also, anytime I've ever been wine tasting, I never learned about the wines. And its not because I wasn't paying attention. It was because the place I was at was ridiculously busy and the pourers were trying to get to everyone so you really don't "learn" about the wine unless you go for a private tour.

WANT TO LEARN WINE GO TO PALMER AND SPEAK TO MIGUEL

1) Every business has a right to be creative and make money, but they need to respect the people around them as well. 2) If you run a winery, you should be taxed like a winery. If you run a club, you should be taxed like a club.
Oh, and on the snobby North Fork, when we put something in quotes, we make sure spell it correctly...

Holy cow !! If you don't like it don't go !! But don't complain about it . I don't like the Boardy Barn so I don't go , but I don't beat them up because it's not my thing . If you like the quiet places go there, if not go to 48 .

Poor taste aside, the real issue here is zoning and land use. If they are not subject to the same permits, SLA laws, health department codes that other night clubs or bars have, it's not right. Also, if people are disrobing in public, I would imagine there are other regulations for "adult" businesses. This is agricultural zoning. Either the town has to really move on new rules as to what is permitted in this zone, or the town officials need to spend a Sunday afternoon there to get a better understanding of what's going on there.

Gwen Groocock mentioned that the owner (s) have a background in nightclubs. I have met the owners more then once and believe me they have absolute no backround in nightcluibs or bars.

Why do our politicans love wineries? The jobs created pay mostly squat, use immigrant labor so they can easily ignore labor laws . The call themselves Agriculture, but grow no food just booze. The average guy trying to start a real business has to climb the politicos 90 dgree mountain. The wineries are provided a special elevator. Maybe it's because some politicans have been seen puking in there parking lots? A pig in a dress is a pig. A place selling alcoholic drinks is a bar. Wine is an alcoholic dink, sorry to many shots of wine.

immigrant labor - unless you are a "born" here indian we all are immigrant labor. i think you mean illegal? ... if you dont think wineries are not real business - cultivate, pick and ferment - also take losses when the grapes "fail". i guess every deli is a bar... unless its .2 so is beer.... politicans love voters and tax payers no matter the inclination...

Does this community want government to start regulating our taste in music or wine, and for code enforcement to be the taste police? I don't think so.

While I agree with Sandy that one of the issues here is zoning, perhaps more important are the noise disturbance and on street parking issues. It's my understanding that all of these issues are regulated already under various existing town codes. Whether or not they are being enforced properly is a different issue.

You might want spend some time reading the town codes to determine for yourself whether or not any activity this winery is engaging in rises to the level of a violation, in particular:

Noise Ordinance: http://www.ecode360.com/15368786
Farmers Bill of Rights: http://www.ecode360.com/5163184
Public entertainment: http://www.ecode360.com/5159442

My questions are:
1. Did V48 apply for a variance through the ZBA before expanding the capacity of their tent?
2. If a variance was applied for and approved, was parking along Rt 48 given any weight by the ZBA in determining approval?
3. Did the town receive any formal complaints from neighbors about noise pollution by this vineyard? If so, what action did they take?
4. Did the town receive any formal complaints about the on street parking along Rte 48 during V48 events? If so, what action was taken?

My 2 cents :-)

Excellent point i agree to "within code" i dont think a tent is a permanent structure and therefore outside zba. i would assume with the amount of rhetoric I would think it was reported and within the hours and “db” it was found to be ok. Parking on rt 48 is not illegal. But surely could be made so… i think any arg. facility "getting" a tax reduction and sells consumable "on site" products should pay a sur-charge on said products. an arg. property get the tax relief and a catering estab. pay 15% syur charge or at least an event charge ... if that satisfies some ...

So if a law is broken and the perpetrator isn't caught it OK?

Most of us do not know the various zoning laws and exemptions for business entities. We elect representatives to oversee our interests and to make sure individuals and business are upholding the current laws.
While I agree more laws are not the answer unfortunately some individuals and businesses take advantage of the community spirit in the name of easy short term profits.
I guess the answer is to be vigilant and contact your local government or police if you see a problem.
Erin, this is a great topic, thanks for putting the spotlight on this controversial subject.

Here's a thought... I would have to say over 90% of the business that goes to the vineyards of the North Fork on the weekends in season are brought there by limo drivers. Not drunken limo drivers as stated, but, professional drivers hired so people being responsible like myself can enjoy a tour of the Vineyards. These tours consist of more than one vineyard, usually up to three. Of these wine tours people get to choose the wineries they stop at. If their choice is to have fun at Vineyard 48 than that is their choice. I agree there are fine laid back vineyards to choose on the North Fork but that's not everyone cup of tea or should I say glass of wine. It's a fun place and they do have some good wines... I always make it a stop... I stop there Bidell and Piconic Bay... It's a great day... I'm sure it may be annoying to some people that live on the North Fork with all the traffic on the weekends but that is the attraction and that is what i assume fuels most of the business on the Fork... If I bought a house near in air port I would figure I would hear planes landing... if I live near a vineyard I would guess their would be people drinking and having fun... hahahaha but I live in Nassau county and I just get to deal with my noisy neighbor who's house is right on top of mine!!! LOL

Love this place! So much fun:)

Found Vineyard 48 totally by accident while looking for cigars. Couldn't believe I stumbled upon a fabulous daytime party, complete with BBQ, music, dancing and WINE! Love the concept of this place...definitely different from surrounding vineyards but that is what makes it so great. If it's not for you, just keep driving along to the next one. People love to complain about anything and everything. Get a grip people...life is too short. Just sit back with a glass of wine and enjoy the music.

CN - I LIVE HERE AND AGREE WITH YOU - BIG DEAL - HAVE FUN AND AS M SAID HAVE A PRO DRIVE.-

Can't wait to see everyone's smiling faces this year!!! Vineyard 48 is an amazing Vineyard with amazing wine and amazing people! It's about time there's a venue where people can get together, laugh, smile and have some fun! It was said in the previous comments if it's not something your into then don't pull into the parking lot.. Looking forward to an amazing season with all my friends at Vineyard 48!!

eliminate traffic - get a helo'pad

If i didn't want to deal with a lot of traffic and young kids then i wouldn't buy a house next to Disney World. If I didn't want to deal with traffic and drunk people i wouldn't live near a bar or winery. I can't knock V48 for their idea. It is working for them. As a neighboring resident I would see what can be done about the noise...maybe the speakers should be set up pointed away from houses if possible and a sound dampening wall could be put up wherever it would make the most sense to put it and that could help noise complaints. That being said it is mostly a nice event that is thrown there. You can't let one or two bad apples (or grapes in this case) ruin what is mostly a nice, fun and popular event. I wish V48 the best in it's up coming season...

It is very simple, if you don't like it DON'T GO. If your idea of a nice day is going to a quiet vineyard and tasting a few wines to convince yourself that you are some sort of high class wine and cheese connoisseur then vineyard 48 is not for you. Stop complaining. 1500 people disagree with you every Saturday. It's nice to have another option out there. Vineyard 48 is an awesome spot. Over 1500 people agree every weekend.

Firstly you can't compare 48 to the Barn. For those that have never been there (sounds like most of you) yes there's music and dancing (and the problem is?) but it's all varieties of music and more importantly all ages of people. I have never witnessed a fight. Most people take buses or limos so they don't drink and drive. Even better it brings 'new' fresh younger business to the wineries. I, myself, have discovered and love 'new' vineyards I would have never found before. It's a few hours a Saturday and usually it's peoples last stop AFTER they visit other wineries. With the economy the way it is now a days do you really think it's good to complain about an area attraction that's bringing 'new' blood?

- Stephanie L

SL - you are correct the barn is a fire trap - dont judge all no fo's by some of the blogs - better here in fresh air and great wine than anywhere else.

Rosemary
Vineyard 48 is a great place to visit for all ages! As a senior citizen, I have toured a few wineries on Long Island. For the past couple of years, my senior friends and I have gone to Vineyard 48 two times and enjoyed the music, the setting, the wine and the people. The employees were all friendly, helpful and respectful to us. We are looking forward to another pleasant experience at Vineyard 48 this summer!

wow 1500 people awesome ! so that means in this rough economy all the northfork retail businesses we see some of the people spending their hard earned money in restaurants, markets, gas stations, motels etc etc so stop crying and let the tourists do their thing without you want have a north fork you will have no fork

I'm going Saturday...can't wait to get wasted, dance, slay some hoes, dance again, then puke on someone's lawn..Who wants to get some free fertilizer???? Haters