A few years ago, a group of us woke up early on a Saturday and piled into a extended limousine to head out to the North Fork of Long Island for a tour of the wineries. It is about a two hour drive from Manhattan. There are a number of car services who specialize in these tours and will help to plan your trip.
One of our first stops was Water's Crest. We were a bit taken aback when we pulled up as our expectation was to visit a vineyard as opposed to a strip mall. Looks can be deceiving, though. Their tasting room quickly changed our opinion. The owners are knowledgeable and were especially friendly to our group.
Sadly, I have come to learn that our favorite spot along the tour is now only open for private events. They may have closed operations entirely as indicated by the Yelp listing and it looks as though there hasn't been much activity on their Facebook page.
Another great spot along our tour was Pellegrini Vineyards. Their tasting room is spacious and they have a beautiful courtyard with views of the vineyard.
There are a number of great wineries and the landscape is absolutely beautiful. It is a great trip idea for birthdays or celebrations of any sort. It's also just a great reason to get friends together for a fun day!