Tour schedule goes indoors and out at Shinn Estate

David Page and Barbara Shinn

Visitors to Long Island's North Shore wine country will have several opportunities to tour a major winery indoors and out over the next few weekends.

Beginning this Saturday and Sunday, owner-viticulturist-winegrower Barbara Shinn will host 45-minute walking tours and wine tastings at Shinn Estate Vineyards & Farmhouse. In addition, owner-vintner-distiller David Page will conduct hour-long tours of the winery and the barrel cellar.

Each separate tour is $25 per person and will take place if six or more reservations are received. Dates and other details about the tours are available on the Shinn website.

Visitors will find Shinn Estate Vineyards a bit different compared to most such establishments. The business began in 1998 when Shinn and Page purchased the old Tuthill homestead on Oregon Road in Mattituck. They then planted 20 acres of grapevines and built an estate winery and the Farmhouse bed-and-breakfast which has been named a top American wine destination by such publications as Fodor, U.S. News Travel, Food & Wine, and Bon Appetit.

In the summer of 2009 and spring of 2010 they had a solar- and wind-power installed, thus making theirs the first East Coast winery and inn solely powered by alternative energy. They also utilize a gravity-fed winemaking operation, and native yeast fermentation.

Shinn Estate, the first Long Island winery to also hold a farm distilling license, installed a 400-liter copper alembic pot still from Portugal during harvest 2010. Page produces grappa, eau de vie, grape vodka, and alembic brandy.

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