Lenz Winery Farmer's Market Gets Soggy but Busy Start

Despite rainy and chilly conditions this past Saturday afternoon, visitors and locals packed into a farmer's market under a large tent outside ofin Peconic.

And the good turnout in less-than-ideal conditions was a good forecast for future farmer's markets at the winery throughout the summer and in .

Dorothy-Dean Thomas, a marketing consultant for Lenz Winery who helped organize the farmer’s market, said that the idea for the event was modeled after a Friday night farmer’s market she had heard that some wineries in Napa Valley were doing with great results.

“I’ve been wanting to do something like this for eight years,” Thomas said, adding that most wineries have sold their development rights — which limits them as to what sort of events they can do “in any big way.”

“So everything has to be along the lines of an educational showcase of what they do,” she said. “The support of a local farmer’s market makes this easier.”

Everything from organically grown produce and locally harvested honey to chocolate and barbecue sauce was showcased and available for sampling at Lenz on Saturday, and local musician provided some acoustic guitar and vocals inside the tasting room.

Trevor Hoar, 21 of Stony Brook, was perusing the booths at the farmer’s market at Lenz with his family, who he was visiting on the North Fork before heading back to the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

“We came out here to taste some wines, and this was a nice surprise,” he said.

Peter Ambrose and Caitlin Kalke from Pete’s Endless Summer were also on hand, giving out free samples of salsa, barbecue and other sauces that “make locally-grown stuff taste really good,” Ambrose said.

“Not everything can be homegrown,” he said.

Ambrose has been in the catering business for 20 years based in Sag Harbor but this is the first time he’s tried a farmer’s market at a winery.

“It’s a good foot-in-the-door,” he said.

K.K. Haspel, owner of an organic farm called agreed that even though the weather might not have been the absolute best during this first trial run of a farmers market at Lenz, the event was a great way for people to get a taste of the North Fork.

“You see a lot of people you wouldn’t normally see at the farm,” she said. “And it’s a nice way for you to see what else is going on.”

Walter and Mary Gaipa of Garden Fusion in East Marion agreed that Lenz is a nice high-traffic spot to set up shop once in a while — “We’re so far away from the Main Road,” Walter said of his Rocky Point Road location.

Even those peddling custom pickles and unique chocolates and jams said that they had a good day under the tent in the rain. Many said that they are also looking forward to setting up at the farmer’s market planned for this summer in Greenport.

“People were really getting into it,” said Sharon Attridge of Homegrown Chocolates in Mattituck as she served a cracker topped with strawberry-jalapeno jam. “We’re really looking forward to next time.”

Call Lenz Winery at 631-734-6010 for more information on future farmer's markets.