Foodstuffs: 'Sips of Summer,' Quail Hill Turns 35, and Celebrating a Riverhead Winery

‘Sips of Summer’ Returns

The Express Magazine’s “Sips of Summer,” an annual series of events celebrating wineries, breweries and distilleries that call the East End Home, is back with four happenings in the months ahead.

“Sips of Summer” kicks off in Sag Harbor on Wednesday, June 5, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. with “Exploring the World of Sake,” led by Jesse Matsuoka at Sen Restaurant.

Sen is a family-owned Japanese restaurant with a focus on sushi and American-inspired dishes, and it has a wide array of sake products. Jesse Matsuoka, the founder’s son, carries on the legacy and success of the family business as a co-owner and sake sommelier.

“I do a lot of sake education and tastings,” Matsuoka said. “I have this drive to be able to share the wisdom and the intricacies of this beautiful product.”

Guests will enjoy a tasting of a variety of sake products, some from Japan, where the fermented rice beverage originated, and some crafted on Long Island.

As a certified sake sommelier, Matsuoka has extensive knowledge about sake and a passion for its dynamic history and culture. He will accompany the tasting with an informative talk about each sake that is poured. Guests are free to ask questions to learn more. Light bites will also be served. Tickets are $50. Sen is at 23 Main Street in Sag Harbor.

The second “Sips of Summer” event on Thursday, June 20, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. will be “An Evening with Wölffer and Paumanok,” an intimate wine pairing dinner with winemakers Roman Roth and Kareem Massoud at The American Hotel in Sag Harbor. The American Hotel, dating back to the 1800s whaling era of Long Island, was renovated in 1972 and stands as a staple of fine dining. Paumanok Vineyards and Wölffer Estate Vineyard will provide some of their top wines to pair with each meal course. Seating for the dinner will be assigned — if you want to sit with other ticket holders, reach out to ellend@expressnewsgroup.com. Tickets are $140. The American Hotel is at 45 Main Street in Sag Harbor.

The third “Sips of Summer” event on Thursday, July 18, at 6:30 p.m. is “The Next Generation of Craft Beer” at Kidd Squid Brewing Company in Sag Harbor. Guests are invited to talk to the master brewers, sample craft beer from Kidd Squid Brewing, übergeek and North Fork Brewing and hear some behind-the-scenes information on the brewing process while enjoying light bites from Page Sag Harbor.

Kidd Squid Brewing Co., which opened in summer 2022, is a licensed farm brewery that creates a variety of different brews using local produce.

“[Guests] have the opportunity to get a lot more insight into the process and get to know us just personally,” Kidd Squid owner Rory McEvoy said.

Alongside McEvoy will be Peter Barraud of North Fork Brewing Company and Rob Raffa of übergeek. They will share some insights about their top brews, giving guests a more personal connection to the beers they taste.

All three breweries focus on using local agriculture to create their beers. übergeek prides itself on using unconventional ingredients to develop unique brews. North Fork Brewing Company is a farm brewery that uses the hops that grow in its own hopyard, as well as hops, grains, fruits and vegetables from various North Fork farms, Barraud said.

Tickets are $40. Kidd Squid Brewing Company is at 11 Spring Street in Sag Harbor.

The final “Sips of Summer” event will be “Craft Spirits From Master Distillers” on Thursday, August 1, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Sagaponack Farm Distillery and will feature tastings from various distilleries and highlight some of Long Island’s flavorful spirits, including vodka, bourbon and more. Tickets are $75.

Sagaponack Farm Distillery opened in 2019 and works closely with the Foster Farm, an East End farm that was founded in the 1800s and continues to grow grains and corn for the distillery, as well as flowers and vegetables.

“All of the raw materials that go into our spirits are grown on the Foster Farm, so the potatoes, the wheat, the corn, the barley, everything is grown over here about a mile from the ocean,” said Suzannah Wainhouse, the event coordinator for Sagaponack Farm Distillery.

Sagaponack Farm Distillery will provide a drink called the Farmer’s Daughter, featuring its cucumber vodka, as well as a list of seasonal cocktails available for purchase at the bar.

Along with Sagaponack, Twisted Cow Distillery of East Northport and Matchbook Distilling Co. of Greenport will have specialty cocktails and other products from their distilleries for guests to enjoy. Live music will be provided by Brad Penuel and light bites from Page Sag Harbor and the Art of Eating food truck are included in the price of $81. Sagaponack Farm Distillery is at 369 Sagg Road in Sagaponack.

Tickets for The Express Magazine’s “Sips of Summer” events are available at eventbrite.com.

Quail Hill Farm Is Turning 35!

The Peconic Land Trust is celebrating the 35th season of Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett. Founded in 1990, Quail Hill Farm is one of the first Community Supported Agriculture farms in New York State. Quail Hill’s unique model — where farm members harvest their own shares from the fields — provides members with a personal connection to their food.

Situated on land donated to the Peconic Land Trust by Deborah Ann Light, a central part of the mission at Quail Hill is to educate its apprentices, farm members and the public concerning such issues as soil health, sustainable food systems, and regenerative farming practices. Each year, Quail Hill Farm signs onto the Northeast Organic Farming Association, New York (NOFA-NY) Farmer’s Pledge “to sustain the land in healthy condition for future generations.”

“In creating a space for people to connect to the land over the past 35 years, we have been building a rich network of eaters, growers and lovers of land who come together to support an ethic of land stewardship that advances resilient food systems now and for many years to come,” explains Quail Hill Farm Director Layton Guenther.

The Summer Share season begins in early June and goes through October. Farm members get to harvest on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in the fields from over 500 varieties of vegetables, herbs and cut flowers. A box share option is also available for pick up either at the farm or at the Trust’s Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton on Saturdays throughout the summer.

In 2020, Quail Hill Farm launched its Farm to Food Pantry program in partnership with the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center (aka The Center) to address acute food insecurity exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and accompanying shutdown. Working with The Center, the farm provides fresh local produce to hundreds of individuals served by the food pantry’s distributions. Now in its fifth season, the program continues to provide thousands of pounds of vegetables throughout the growing season.

Quail Hill Events — Summer 2024:

Quail Hill Farm participates in the Amagansett Square Farmers Market on Thursdays from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. beginning May 23. The farm also offers a robust winter share, beginning the week before Thanksgiving and going through February.

Over Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 25 (from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and 26 (from 9 a.m. to noon), Quail Hill Farm will host its “Annual Plant Sale and CSA Open House.” Learn more about the farm while picking up some vegetable, flower and herb seedlings to plant at home — all grown in the Quail Hill Farm greenhouse.

On Thursday, July 25, “Meet and Greet With Birds of Prey” with the educators from the Quogue Wildlife Refuge in the orchard at the farm.

On Saturday, August 17, meet the “Bees and the Beekeeper” with Bees’ Needs Mary Woltz in the orchard at the farm.

Additional information about the farm, farm shares, and the Farm to Food Pantry program can be found at quailhillfarm.org. For a list of more Peconic Land Trust events taking place across the East End, visit peconiclandtrust.org/calendar.

RG | NY Fifth Anniversary Celebration

RG | NY wines on the North Fork is celebrating its fifth anniversary on Saturday, May 25, from 6 to 10 p.m., with “VinodeRG,” a party at the RG | NY Tasting Room in Riverhead. RG | NY honors its Mexican heritage and the Rivero González family tradition. The vineyard’s journey, beginning with the acquisition of Martha Clara Vineyards in 2019, has been marked by a commitment to excellence, sustainable practices, and deep community ties.

Join in an interactive journey through five years of RG | NY wine. Once guests check in and get their “VinodeRG” glass, they’ll use a map to take a trip through the winery’s first years of this adventure together, tasting and trying a special wine from each of its past five vintages. Paired bites from restaurant partners at Casa Carmen will be punctuated by celebratory Mexican dance performances by the Calpulli Mexican Dance Company and a special viewing of art by Alexis Zambrano. And if that wasn’t enough, guests will also get a sneak peek at RG | NY’s new Speakeasy, El Sótano.

So join in a toast to five years and beyond, as RG | NY remains steadfast in its commitment to crafting exceptional wines and nurturing the legacy of Rivero González. Tickets to the anniversary party on May 25 are $30 at shop.rgnywine.com. RG | NY is at 6025 Sound Avenue in Riverhead.