Paumanok Vineyards
Located in Aquebogue, Paumanok Vineyards, a 32-hectare estate, was founded in 1983 by the husband and wife team of Ursula and Charles Massoud. The winery takes its name from the name used for Long Island by the indigenous peoples who lived there centuries before the arrival of European settlers. Born and raised in the “Old World” — Charles in Lebanon and Ursula in the Pfalz, Germany — wine had always been a part of their lives. Separately and together they dreamed of becoming vintners themselves, and quickly fell in love with the terroir of New York’s North Fork after learning about the work of about winemakers Alex and Louisa Hargrave. The couple planted their vineyards to Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Albariño, Melon de Bourgogne, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Pinot Noir.
Today, Ursula and Charles’ son Kareem has taken over winemaking at the estate. His brothers also work on the estate, Nabeel as the vineyard manager, and Salim as head administrator. All wines are made with estate fruit and the production is limited to fewer than 12,000 cases. Paumanok Vineyards is not only a 100% solar powered winery, but also is certified sustainable by Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing (LISW), the first organization of its kind on the east coast.
