On the western end, my end, you have the densely populated boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.
In the middle, tight city blocks give way to lawns and suburban sprawl.
The famous one is the so-called South Fork, home of the Hamptons.
Long Island Sound, as seen from a guest room at Greenport’s Sound View hotel.Christopher Simpson
The other one is different.
TheNorth Forkhas long been wilder, more isolated.
But gentrified, it was not.
The Sound View’s main building.Christopher Simpson
Still, a connection to land and sea remains and locals want to keep it that way.
Friday
I woke with the sun at theSound View, just outside the town ofGreenport.
It’s also an emblem of the change that has recently come to the area.
From left: Dishes at The Sound View’s restaurant, the Halyard; Cedar Beach County Park, in Southold, with the Peconic beyond.Christopher Simpson
One way people are maintaining local roots in the North Fork is through the terroir.
“The tendency back then was to copy California,” he said.
“But this land is actually a lot like the Loire Valley or northern Italy.”
From left: The tasting room at Kontokosta Winery, in Greenport; a soup course at the celebrated Southold-area restuarant North Fork Table & Inn.Christopher Simpson
Vintners started consulting with their counterparts abroad, eventually pivoting to grapes like Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc.
Now, Olsen-Harbich says, “We’re growing with a lot more precision and information and care.”
He also helped develop the guidelines for theLong Island Sustainable Winegrowingconsortium.
“We’re starting to become our own person, so to speak.”
The wine list, too, stays close to home.
“I love doing experiments with small farmers,” she said.
“This year, we were able to grow our own ingredients and do everything biodynamically.”
The Sound View provided support for the reporting of this story.
