Though litigation with the Town of Southold is ongoing, the managers of Vineyard 48 in Cutchogue are offering everything from dance parties and catering to beer and sangria at their Route 48 tasting facility — and they will continue to do so throughout the fall.
In late May, the town issued a temporary restraining order against Vineyard 48, the managers of which organized and promoted outdoor dance parties that often exceed the building’s permitted capacity and generated complaints about noise and lewd behavior from neighbors. So the manager moved the DJ indoors and continued the dance parties throughout the summer, and complaints have been a lot less frequent, Southold Town Councilman Al Krupski told North Fork Patch this past July.
Manager Matt McBride told Patch this week that the vineyard has been working to “make sure everyone is happy.”
“It seems to be working out with the town,” he said. "We actually no longer promote the dance party, just that we have music. And we monitor the occupancy all the time as also."
As fall sets in the, Vineyard 48 is offering a free pumpkin with every take-home wine bottle purchased, pints of Greenport Harbor Brewing Company beer, and free barbecue every Sunday catered by Marc LaMaina of Butta’ Cakes restaurant in Greenport.
After what he described as the best summer in his four years in business on Main Street in Greenport, LaMaina said he’s making a push toward catering this fall and winter — at Vineyard 48 and wherever else his food is needed.
“We’re offering everything from an oyster bar to barbecue to a Mexican menu,” he said. “Our clients tell us their ideas and theme and we design a specialized menu that hits on all their needs and wants. We can get everything from the tent to the ice.”
LaMaina added that with the catering strategy, he’s “just trying to go to the people, since a lot of people don't come all the way out to Greenport this time of year. They hit the farms then head back home.”
“You have to follow the people,” he added.
Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said he could not comment on Vineyard 48’s fall plans due to the ongoing litigation.
What do you think? Tell us in the comment boxes below.
Patched In: Read this Newsday report on the fall vibe at Vineyard 48.
Scott "Iron Fist" Russell is really useless -- going after legit businesses who bring good people out, but not doing much of anything with these clowns.
You claim to be for code enforcement, but apparently don't have any problem with what Vineyard 48 is doing. You do realize that they are in litigation with the town over violations because they, more or less, run the place as if it were a nightclub. If you're happy with the North Fork being overrun by the Snooki set, those looking to get wasted at a dance club in the middle of the day, perhaps you don't understand or appreciate what a special place the North Fork is. Or maybe you're just not that bright.
The addition of beer service was added to the law this year at the Governor's request, so as to further promote the agriculture of this state - providing for tastings and sales of New York grown, New York brewed, and New York consumed beer in establishments who are equipped to handle the sales of alcoholic beverages already - wineries. Breweries can now sell NY grown and produced wines, by the way... And the limos do the same thing to "your" roads that your car does. They ride on it. And keeps the "drunks" from getting behind the wheel - the safety of which I feel outweighs the imagined damage to said road. Plus they pay higher registration fees and taxes to compensate for the impact on what is really the state's roads.