LI Wine & Spirit Lives Up to Its Name

A Commack wine shop is taking its name seriously, expanding to make itself a landmark for Long Island and New York wines. 

 has recently opened its New York and Long Island Room, dedicated exclusively to showcasing and educating local consumers about local vintages. Adam Schneider, wine buyer for the store, said the regional room is one of a kind. 

"We've completed several renovations recently. Most importantly is our room dedicated to the wines grown in New York state, which is completely unheard of. May stores will simply put a shelf together," Schneider said. 

The concept was born out conversations with several East End winemakers, according to Schneider, who were searching for ways to reach out to local consumers who don't always take the time to make the drive to pick up a bottle of their favorite wine. This combined with increased customer interest in buying local spawned an idea. 

"I wasn't sold myself on New York State wine until I started trying them," Schneider said. "I had never heard of Lemberger grapes before, which are grown quite a bit in upstate New York and produce gorgeous wines." 

Schneider said Long Island Wine & Spirit jumped into action with its neighboring fruit stand relocated, giving the wine shop a chance to take over a neighboring space that would become the New York/Long Island wine room. 

There are more than 40 Long Island and New York winemakers represented by the room. Long Island wines are on the outer perimeter, starting with Martha Clara Vineyards, and placed on the shelves from east-to-west, the rough order you would drive past the vineyards. The central aisle features wine labels from the Hudson Valley and Finger Lake regions of New York. 

Labels include everyone from Brotherhood Winery, the oldest running winery in the United States, to Earle Meadery, who produced sweet honey-based wines in the Finger Lakes, are represented. Above each bottle of wine is a small tasting note, which offers a description of the flavors such as the fruits, spices, acidity or sweetness of each. 

"I see people walking in this room all the time and reading, educating themselves and ultimately buying something to bring home," Schneider said. 

For customers who might have an interest in learning about their favorite bottle firsthand, the store has dedicated wall space to brochures from various vineyards the offer information on tastings and tours. 

Schneider said he expects the New York/Long Island room to keep growing, as word spreads of the store's expansion via word-of-mouth and bringing in more local winemakers. 

Long Island Wine & Spirit Merchants celebrate the completion of this expansion with a LI Winemakers series starting June 30, from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Other recent renovations to the store include the completion of a temperature-controlled wine cellar for exceptional and vintage bottles, and a bottle engraving service.