Raphael — Attraction in Town of Southold

This is mostly a wedding review, but if you’re on here searching for NoFo vineyards to hit, this is definitely one! The wine, food, staff and ambience are the best!! Premium flights are so worth it...I LOVE the first label Merlot. One wine not on the premium list I love is the Rosé of Pinot Noir. Highly recommend asking for table service after a tasting. Get a glass or bottle of your favorite vino and a pizza, grilled cheese with soup or cheese plate!! There are covered outdoor areas for summer fun and a cozy fireplace come winter!

Ok, so wedding: Literally do not know where to begin. The North Fork has been our playground since we got together, so we really wanted to have it at a winery. Raphael’s had been one of our go-tos, so they were one of the first we reached out to. Everything you’ve heard about the hassles of vineyard weddings/having to bring everything in: ignore it for this place. They cater it, have their own tables/chairs/linens and do a complete top-shelf bar. The cake comes too, and there are no add ons! You just get EVERYTHING. We had an ice cream bar that I’m not sure I even asked for but loved, multiple desserts, 3 signature cocktails (mine, his, my dog’s)...they brought out drunk food (pizza and sliders) at the end of the night...NOTHING cost extra. They just did it. People raved about the food, service and ambiance! It was amazing being able to have my dog there too!! It’s also the most beautiful place but most importantly the people there are the most beautiful people. We got treated like royalty every time we went there just for fun (too often for our livers but whatever). The whole staff is incredible and even makes my dog feel like a Queen (she is one). Lisa and Julie are unbelievable. They made sure we ate, put cocktail hour food in our bridal suite so we could have time to ourselves (didn’t even have to ask) and kept putting other food and drinks out for us in places no one was sitting so we could actually be with each other on our wedding day. Lisa takes no nonsense and is a riot. She answers emails within minutes and when I was feeling a little sad about the forecast sent me pictures of indoor ceremonies and it made me feel so much better. Every time we had a meeting we wound up talking about our dogs forever. I never once felt like just another bride or sale. And Julie is so sweet. I didn’t see my husband until I walked down the aisle so I had to hide all the way at the top of the building the hour before my wedding to avoid being seen. It was a mix of serenity and nerves and she kept checking in on me, getting me water, fixing my lipstick. She was like a calming force. I think I’m rambling, and I will truly never be able to say enough about how much I love this place and the people who work there. I’m so excited it’s a place we can visit for years to come even if they’re...

First of all, you don’t need me to tell you how beautiful Raphael’s Vineyard is …. But I will, its gorgeous. Every inch of this place is picture perfect.

Before I can tell you about our wedding I need to tell you about LISA! Lisa was our event coordinator at Raphael’s (not sure if that’s her exact title) and she is a godsent. From the very beginning she catered to our every need, even knowing what I wanted before I knew what I wanted. She kept in contact with us and always made sure we were doing well along the road to marriage. She contacted all our other vendors beforehand to coordinate and make sure everything was set. She knew exactly want we wanted and executed perfectly. Day of she made sure we didn’t have to do a thing! She made sure we had food, drinks, time to dance, essentially, she made sure we got to enjoy the day that was all about us.

LETS TALK FOOD…You will never have wedding food this good! Everything is fresh, farm to table ingredients, and will blow your mind delicious. And boy was there plenty of it!

Also, Raphael does their wedding a little differently…BUT IT IS WAY BETTER. At Raphael’s there is a cocktail hour, a sit-down dinner and then dancing and dessert. None of the up and down between courses stuff. All our guests were raving about it, eat and then party simple!

The staff were amazing. My dad was so impressed that they all knew who he and my immediate family were (and I have a big family), their names, and made sure they were taken care of. If you have your wedding at Raphael’s I promise you you will need to ask for nothing, they will have what you want in your hand before you can even ask for it. Just all-around lovely people who clearly love their jobs.

It really was magical! Everything we wanted and more and because of everyone at Raphael’s we truly got to enjoy every minute of it.

Ps. They have an excellent Cab Franc

Xoxo...

If you choose only one vineyard/winery to visit in the North Fork of Long Island, this is the one to set at the top of your list! My wife and I stayed in the North Fork of LI for a winery trip on our April break. We visited over 17 vineyards on our 3 day trip, and Raphael tops the list for so many reasons. Once you walk in the front door, you feel transported to another world. The interior space is amazing, and we chose to enjoy the view from the outdoor patio with views of over 50 acres of vines. All of the wines are excellent! Our host/server/awesome person took the time to explain the wines to increase our knowledge of how the vintages were crafted. What sets this one apart from the rest in the area are three things: the food, the attention to doing something extra(soda crackers & bottles of water, maybe an extra taste of your favorite wine, explanation of the history of the location, etc.), and most of all the welcoming and fantastic service/atmosphere. For food, Grandma’s Pizza and the pulled pork sliders were life altering levels of amazing that solidified a second visit the next day. Most of all, on both of our visits, was the sense that those working there were thrilled that we visited their creation of a truly unique wine experience in the northeast. The gentleman that welcomed us during both of our visits was so engaging and fun to talk to that we felt at home, and luckily we stopped by at a quiet time the 2nd day to be offered a personal tour of the cellar that we had not expected. On two visits within two days, we had multiple Wow moments here that we’ll never forget! We can’t...