It’s a cloudy Thursday as I drive to Macari Vineyards in Mattituck, but as I pull into the gravel parking lot, the sun peaks out and shines across the beautiful property.

The Macari family has owned the waterfront estate for more than 50 years, but Joseph and Katherine Macari and son, Joseph Macari, Jr. didn’t establish Macari Vineyards until 1995. Now in the capable hands of Joseph, Jr. and his wife, Alexandra, Macari Vineyards spans 200 acres of vines in Mattituck. In June 2009, the family opened a second tasting room in Cutchogue, which added 20 acres of vines.

There’s the requisite outdoor seating, which people lucky enough to have Thursday off from work take full advantage of as they notice the sun has come out. The tasting room is large and a perfect mix of vintage and modern. The flags behind the bar and yellow accent wall give it a pop of color, and the barrels and large and wooden chandeliers and furniture are a nod to the past.

The dynamic duo of Kelly Urbanik and Helmut Gangl have produced award-winning and crowd-pleasing wines. Don’t leave without trying the 2010 Cabernet Franc, which was named Best Red for New York State at the New York Wine and Food Classic, or the much-loved red blend 2010 Bergen Red.

Unwind with a glass of wine (or two) and great music when Macari hosts Friday Night Jazz July 31 in Mattituck. Catch Macardi at Dan’s Taste of Two Forks Saturday, July 18.