Most American wineries that we are aware of have names that include words like Vineyards, Estate or Cellars. But Paumanok, on Long Island’s North Fork, doesn’t have one of those words; it’s just plain Paumanok. That’s okay, in part because the word is Algonquian for Long Island. It’s a no-nonsense name for a winery that’s basically about the wines they serve, without a lot of frills. If your purpose for visiting is also all about the wines, you’ll be happy there. If you’re looking for a party atmosphere, not so much.
The Paumanok winery, with its tasting porch.
It starts with the architecture of the winery. It’s a renovated old barn, simple and a little weather-beaten. Big barns do reflect the agricultural history of the North Fork, where potatoes and duckling were once the main crops, not grapes. Founded in 1983, Paumanok is a family-run enterprise. The interior is also plain and simple: a wooden bar and an expansive though rather empty wooden floor.
The Adirondack chairs, where you can sip and watch the workmen tend to the vines.
But if you are visiting on a pleasant day, you don’t want to be inside anyway. You want to be on the winery’s porch or near the vineyards, where Paumanok comes into its own. You can sit at a table or in a field of Adirondack chairs, facing the vines. You choose some wines to try, a server brings them to you and then you’re left alone to enjoy them. Again, plain and simple; if you want a buddy to converse with you, bring your own. The servers are informative but not chatty.
And to an extent, this straightforward approach is reflected in the wines as well. As is the case with almost all Long Island vineyards, they make wine from a wide variety of grapes, both red and white. Paumanok specializes in the Bordeaux grape varietals in their red wines. Power Tasting doesn’t review wines, but we can say that we were particularly impressed by their white wines. That’s quite a compliment coming from us, whose cellar is 90% made up of red wines. The Sauvignon Blanc and especially the Chenin Blanc were our favorites.
[Pardon us for a bit of a rant. Why do Long Island winemakers think they need to grow a dozen different grapes, when clearly the terroir there is supportive of only a few? Make what you’re good at and don’t try to please everybody with everything. And while we’re ranting, why don’t more vineyards grow Chenin Blanc?]
For those driving to the North Fork from the west, which is just about everyone, Paumanok is among the first you’ll encounter when you leave the Long Island Expressway, which makes it an excellent first stop (or last one on your way home). For people from New York City, visiting Paumanok is like letting out a long sigh: “Aaah, we’ve made it”. This good, solid winery with its good, solid wines sets a standard that the rest of the North Fork vineyards needs to live up to.