Locals usually breath a sigh of relief on December 26 as the last Christmas tree
heads west atop a car. The period of quiet, when the North Fork returns to the "good
old days," however, lasts just barely through January and then it's back to business
for connoisseurs of the North Fork's nightlife and weekend party potential.
What? You never connected the North Fork with nightlife and partying in the winter?
Then obviously you've never hit the "other fork" when the Jazz on the Vine series
kicks off.
Five years ago, the Winterfest committee — comprised of the East End Arts Council,
the Long Island Wine Council, and the Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau
- took a look at the two-year old Winterfest event and decided the program needed
some, er, jazzing up. "We decided music at the vineyards might be the answer to
enhancing the program," said Executive Director of the East End Arts Council Pat
Snyder, "and it became an immediate success."
"The wineries generally enjoy strong visitor traffic in their tasting rooms from
June through October," said Stephen Bates, Executive Director of the LI Wine Council,
"but they struggle during the winter months. We tried a number of promotions, then
started a partnership with the East End Arts Council to produce a larger wine and
cultural promotion. In 2008, we decided to adopt a more focused program using the
Jazz on the Vine theme."
As Snyder added, "You can't go wrong with music."
The first year the event was held, 50 percent of attendees were new to the wineries
and the North Fork — considered an absolute SRO smash in tourism circles. Last year
6,000 tickets were sold and the event drew some 10,000 people to the well-over-two-dozen
wineries. The trickle down to other local businesses was equally impressive. What
Bates also found most interesting was the fact that the Jazz on the Vine fest has
grown in stature with the musicians as well. This year's lineup features some seven
or eight Grammy nominees/winners (see page the Calendar of Events for a full listing
of who, what, when and where for the month of February), and while it hasn't (yet!)
equaled the Newport or Monterey jazz festivals' notoriety, jazz aficionados have
noted Jazz on the Vine's importance in musical circles.
Musicians such as pianist/composer Michael Weiss, Russian born Alex Sipiagin, singer/songwriter
Lauren Kinhan, trombonist/composer/arranger Papo Vazquez, France's musically nomadic
Stephane Wrembel, Chapman stick artiste Steve Adelson and many more of equal stature
and talent will be performing in venues that — although it's winter — still possess
soul-calming vistas and charming and award winning grapes, all buttressed by some
of the best jazz you'll hear anywhere.
And, considering that Monterey is about a two-and-a-half hour drive from Napa Valley,
and Newport is a half-hour drive plus a 90-minute ferry ride from the nearest wine
region (the North Fork!), it's a no-brainer that if you like your vino and your
jazz, the North Fork is the spot to partake in both.
Not bad for the quiet ol' wintertime North Fork, eh?
