Long Island wine country is a long way from Manhattan by city standards, but this private tour makes the trip feel easy. You choose either the North Fork or the Hamptons, then visit three wineries while a personal driver handles traffic, parking, and the return trip. I like the door-to-door pickup and the roomy, climate-controlled … Read more
New York wine tasting is at its best when it cuts through the city’s noise and gives you a small table, a few well-chosen bottles, and time to talk. This 90-minute experience focuses on five wines from around the world, with guidance designed for both curious beginners and seasoned wine drinkers. I like the small … Read more
The best part of this Hudson Valley outing is its sommelier-led approach. You are not simply dropped at a winery and left to sort out the tasting on your own. A wine guide travels with you from Midtown Manhattan, explains the grapes and winemaking process, and helps turn a long bus ride into part of … Read more
The best part of this Hudson Valley outing is the mix of wine education and easy transport. You leave Manhattan by air-conditioned coach, visit two New York wineries, taste four wines at each, and let a sommelier guide make sense of what is in your glass. I like the locally sourced lunch and the farm … Read more
The best part of this 12-hour private tour is the sweep of it. You leave New York City in the morning, see Southampton and Sag Harbor, cross Long Island Sound by ferry, and finish among North Fork vineyards and farm stands. It gives you a quick, well-organized look at several very different corners of Long … Read more
New York’s vintage-car ride is the hook here. You begin at Central Park Cafe, climb into a classic automobile, and roll past Times Square, Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, Hudson Yards, and the Empire State Building before returning for the tasting portion. It is a neat way to turn a drink outing into a small Midtown … Read more
The unusual part comes first: this New York outing pairs a three-glass wine tasting with a private ride in a restored car from the 1920s or 1930s. You get a little bar education, a little Manhattan sightseeing, and no need to steer through Midtown traffic. I like the personal format, since your guide serves as … Read more
Brooklyn’s beer scene makes a fine excuse to see more of the borough, and this 3.5-hour brewery tour gives you three stops, up to 12 samples, and subway travel between them. You start outside Sound & Fury Brewery on Lawrence Street, then walk through several of Brooklyn’s popular neighborhoods with a local beer guide. I … Read more
Manhattan’s Great Jones Distillery gives you a rare chance to see whiskey made in the city, then taste three of its finished bottles in one compact visit. It is the first legal distillery founded in Manhattan after Prohibition, and the tour focuses on the ingredients, equipment, and decisions behind each pour. I like the one-hour … Read more
New York Harbor looks different from the deck of a tall ship. On Clipper City, a replica lumber schooner, you’ll hear a live jazz quintet while Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Brooklyn Bridge slide past in the fading light. It is a relaxed way to see the city without another traffic … Read more