ASPEN...WE'RE READY FOR YA!

Hey there everyone!!!  Boy has it been awhile since I've posted here!!! It has been a busy and fun summer for sure!  I have so much to catch you all up on including a fun road trip we made out to the North Fork of Long Island, and an incredible vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida!  In the meantime, Rich and are getting ready to jet set to Aspen, Colorado for my very good friend's wedding.  It will be the first time we are going somewhere without the boys...and we are both so sad about it, but know it will be fun just the two of us!  Well, I have to get back to packing, but don't forget to follow along on Instagram!  Wheels up...Aspen we're ready for ya! ;-)

(This picture was taken by my friend who is getting married of the beautiful backdrop for her wedding!)

FASHION FRIDAY: CASUAL CHIC

(Sorry, totally forgot to post this yesterday! ;-)  TGIF!!!  So happy for the weekend and the warm, beautiful forecast in store!  This outfit is a perfect casual chic look for the weekend or a date night look.  This past week temperatures were cooler, so I put on this long sleeve top that I got at Goldy and Mac boutique in the town of Greenport out on the North Shore of Long Island, NY (one of my favorite stores out there).  I love it because it's lightweight, and has long bell sleeves, so it's good for a spring look, but keeps me warmer in the cooler temperatures.  This top would look great with a tight skirt too, but in keeping it casual, I paired it with jeans, my favorite caged heels, and some fun Stella & Dot accessories.  Can't wait to enjoy some time at the beach this weekend!  What are all you jet setters doing this weekend?

Top: Goldy and Mac Boutique (old, but similar here and here)
Jeans: Calvin Klein via T.J. Maxx
Shoes: DV by Dolce Vita via Nordstrom (on sale!!!)
Necklace: Stella & Dot
Earrings: Stella & Dot
Bracelet: Stella & Dot
Clutch: Stella & Dot
Sunnies: Ray-Ban via Nordstrom (on sale!!!)

BUBBLY + FAMILY

...Equals a little Saturday night fun!  Last weekend I finally made it out to the North Fork of Long Island for Champagne Tasting.  (Remember when I blogged about it before?  I have been wanting to go for so long now.)  Anyway, Sparkling Pointe is one of the BEST places to go for some Sparkling and Bubbly Wine.  It's so pretty inside- sparkly chandeliers, high arched ceilings, white leather couches, beautiful fireplaces.  It really feels like a Napa Valley winery picked up and moved to New York.

(Dress: Splendid, Sunnies: Target, Fur Vest: Nordstrom, Necklace: Gift, Watch: Swatch, Tights: Anthropologie, Boots: Unity)

THE NORTH FORK SPARKLES

Summer is over, now what?  Fall officially begins this Friday and that means it's the perfect time of year to watch the leaves change color and to visit the wineries of the North Fork for Harvest Season.  The North Fork of Long Island, New York sparkles each fall when many of the local wineries open their sparkling wines.  Consider it like jet setting to France for champagne tasting (except that nothing can be called champagne unless it comes from the Champagne region in France), but this trip will be cheaper and shorter!  I have visited the North Fork many times during the summer months, but have never been out during the off-season, and I've heard that it's a wonderful time to visit too.  I tried looking to see if I could find information about when the season is and which wineries to visit for sparkling wines and it wasn't too easy to find.  I did some research and here is what I came up with:

When to Visit: September-November

Where to Go To Sip:
Sparkling Pointe- This winery focuses exclusively on producing sparkling wines because they grow all three of the traditional champagne grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier).  Make sure to try their Brut Seduction which won top awards at the San Francisco Wine Competition.  Sparkling Pointe also does Sparkling Wines & Oyster events that start as early as this month!  (Champagne and Oysters-  I think I'm in heaven!!!)

Lenz Winery- Make sure to try their Cuvee (a sparkling wine made 100% from Pinot Noir), also try their Blanc de Blanc (made 100% from Pinot Blanc grapes), and Blanc de Noirs (made 100% from Pinot Noir grapes).  Their Pinot Blanc won awards by Wine Spectator Magazine and at the L.A. International Wine Competition for being a pretty, delicate and good bubbly.

Palmer Vineyards- This winery produces Sparkling Brut (made 100% from Chardonnay grapes).

Several other wineries on the North Fork also produce Sparkling Wines too, but these three have recently won top awards and press for their varieties.  Three others that are great to visit include Croteaux Vineyards (with an all-pink wine list), Sherwood House and Shinn Estate Vineyards.  Now I'm going to try to find a place to stay and then book my trip.  I can't wait to head out there this fall!

NORTH FORK WINERIES- PART 2

So, this past weekend, I made a return out to the North Fork of Long Island to check out some more wineries. If you didn't read about JSS' journey to the North Fork wineries the first time, click here. This time, I went with a group of 12 people. We all rented a van to pick us up in the city and drive us out and back for the day- this made for a fun, worry-free, wine-filled day, and it was awesome! I have to say that I did not love these wineries as much as the smaller mom and pop ones that I went to a couple of weeks ago. These were larger, and catered to bigger parties, and the "party crowd," but it was perfect for our group. Again, I hope to visit more of them in the near future...so stay tuned for Jet Set Smart's next North Fork Wineries List.1- Lieb Family Cellars: Very small winery... but great staff and very reasonable wines. We tried their white merlot ($15 each) which was very good. We also had their table red wine ($15 each - excellent for spicy dishes such as Thai). Tasting hours are Tuesday through Sunday 11:30am-5:30pm.2- Vineyard 48: This place is fabulous! The Tasting Room and grounds are beautiful, and the wines are amazing. Plus, the service was fast and friendly. There was also a band playing music, so that was a nice touch! I highly recommend this winery to anyone looking to enjoy great wines in a great setting, especially for the party crowd. Tasting hours are Tuesday through Sunday 11am-5pm.3- Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard: This place was my favorite winery of what we visited this time around. It had a casual and relaxed atmosphere, and plenty of outside benches for seating. The wine tasting room itself was also really nice, and they do have a full mini-service restaurant where you can order sandwiches and salads if you are hungry. As far as their wine goes, it's pretty good. The best was the Merlot Rose! (Never had something like this before!) Tasting hours are Mondays and Wednesdays through Fridays 11am-6pm, and Saturdays and Sundays 11am-7pm. They are closed on Tuesdays.

NORTH FORK WINERIES

Many jet setters are unaware that the North Fork of Long Island in New York is considered Wine Country (basically our own version of California's Napa Valley or Santa Barbara's Wine Country but in New York). In fact, there are more than 30 wineries to choose from, each with its own personality. Here's a list of the wineries I visited over the July 4th Holiday weekend out on the North Fork, and a little about what I thought of each of them. My two favorites were McCall and One Woman. Shinn was also very cool, but more for its indoor space than outdoor which is a waste if you get a nice day. I like Bedell (and its related property Corey Creek). The one to stay away from on this list, in my mind, would be Raphael as it's too corporate. I hope to visit more of them in the near future...so stay tuned for Jet Set Smart's next North Fork Wineries List.1- Shinn Estate Vineyards: This place has good wines and a nice laid back feel. It's located on Oregon Road which is a pretty road, and is not on one of the two main roads on the North Fork, so I feel like it's more secluded. Tasting hours are Monday-Sunday 12pm-5pm.2- Raphael: The setting here is as if you are in an old Italian villa in Tuscany. It's beautiful and is considered (by many of the locals) to be one of the best tasting rooms on Long Island. They have very good quality wine at a reasonable price. Tasting hours are Sunday-Friday 11am-5pm; Saturday by appointment only.3- Bedell Cellars: Bedell has a huge outdoor deck complete with a tasting bar and a great view of the vineyards. The inside is decorated in a modern style with some interesting art. If it's a nice day, I'd highly recommend grabbing a seat outside, grabbing a bottle, and just enjoying the setting. Tasting hours are Monday-Sunday 11am-5pm.4- Corey Creek Vineyards: This is the sister vineyard of Bedell at only a fraction of the size. The view from the porch at Corey Creek is one of the best on the North Fork. The rows of vines seem to extend endlessly. The tasting room itself is fairly... should I say "intimate"? While Corey Creek doesn't lend itself well to large parties (buses are not allowed), I'd definitely recommend it for smaller parties or couples. Tasting hours are Monday-Thursday 11am-5pm, and Friday and Saturday 11am-6pm.5- Laurel Lake Vineyards: This is a must stop on your wine tour. It is a very small place and not on the very fancy side but the wine speaks for it's self, plus the two outside decks face right out onto the vineyards. Tasting hours are Monday-Sunday 11am-6pm.6- Pellegrini Winery: I would say this winery was okay. Most of the sitting area is in a large patio area that's pretty much enclosed by the tasting room building. There are only a handful of tables that actually taste the vineyards. As for the wine itself, nothing to rave about. Tasting hours are Monday through Saturday 11am-5pm.7- Pugliese Vineyards: Pronounced (pull-yay-zee). The scenery here is nice, you can sit outside and look out onto a pond filled with koi fish while you are sipping your wine. We enjoyed a nice bottle of Sparkling Merlot, something I've never had before, and it was refreshing and light. Tasting hours are Monday through Sunday 10am-5pm.8- One Woman: This winery has only been open for a little over a year. It is a winery and vineyard run by one woman and her daughter. It's definitely rustic and beautiful, and the wines are fantastic. Tasting hours are Friday through Monday 12pm-6pm.9- McCall Vineyards: This is also a new winery; their tasting room (set in a beautifully restored barn) just opened in May of this year. They only have three wines so far and they are all very good.

NORTH FORK FOR THE FOURTH!

Hi All! Hope you jet setters had a Happy Fourth of July! This weekend for a fun getaway for the 4th of July, I jet setted (really went by car) to the North Fork of Long Island in New York. The North Fork has its own wine country, which is surrounded by rustic beauty, the Peconic Bay and the Long Island Sound. There are 11 small towns and villages located on the North Fork, or the east-end of Long Island. The North Fork is approximately 80 miles east of Manhattan and includes: Aquebogue, Jamesport, Laurel, Mattituck, New Suffolk, Cutchogue, Peconic, Southold, Greenport, East Marion and Orient. This past weekend, I stayed in the town of Greenport in a place called The Cliffside Resort, which is a Condominium complex that rents out small apartments with kitchen efficiencies. The room has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, but also has a pull-out couch, so the place can sleep six. I got a room with a balcony which faced the Long Island Sound. The Cliffside Resort also has a pool, a private beach, and is dog friendly. For $429 a night (for 6 people), I thought this was a Jet Set Smart idea for sure, especially on a holiday weekend. I spent the weekend checking out a bunch of different wineries and restaurants that I can't wait to share with you all...so stay tuned!