Before the summer ends, give opera a try. There’s free wine and homemade thin crust pizza involved, too.
On August 15, Diliberto Winery will host its second of two Opera Under the Stars concerts. The evening will bring local and international performers to the North Fork and the first glass of wine is on Maryann and Sal Diliberto, co-owners of the winery. Homemade pizza and other Italian specialties and even more wine will be available for purchase.
Come back on September 18 for an author talk with Long Island’s own Tom Clavin, who wrote Reckless a true story of a brave racehorse who was sold to an American Marine and carried heavy artillery in combat during the Korean War. Sit and listen free of charge as you drink wine and eat another slice (or three) of that delicious pizza.
It’s only fitting that the Diliberto family would offer such unique-but-must-try experiences. Diliberto, which has four acres of planted vines and is one of the North Fork’s smallest wineries, is not your run-of-the-mill East End winery.
For starters, walk into the tasting room and take note: there’s no bar to stand at as you sip your flight and head off to the next winery. Sit down, relax and truly enjoy your wine at a table on the covered patio, which has views of the perfectly manicured lawn and vineyard, or in the tasting room with incredible murals that will have you imagining you are sitting in a café in Tuscany.
While you sip, nibble on complimentary olives, lupini beans or taralle with a tasting. The free fare offerings are inspired by Maryann and Sal’s first trip to Torino in Northern Italy two years ago. They stayed at the Grand Sitea Hotel and showed up early for a dinner reservation. Of course, the duo grabbed a spot at the wine bar and was served meats and cheeses to taste just because they ordered wine. They decided to treat their customers to the same.
The Dilbertos have raised a glass to some pretty high praise for their own wines, including when their 2003 Merlot was named “Best Merlot” at the 2005 New York Wine & Food Classic.
Don’t want to leave? Before your next visit, book a stay at the romantic luxury vineyard apartment. With a cathedral ceiling, kitchenette, queen size bed, WiFi and flat screen television, it’s the perfect blend of quaint and modern.