Raphael Winery
Raphael Winery
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
126 reviews
Excellent
79
Very good
25
Average
14
Poor
2
Terrible
6
crzyldy1
New York City, NY33 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Beautiful tasting room and outside terrace. We went on a friday and there weren't too many other people there, which was perfect. The charcuterie board was a delicious lunch for us along with our wine tasting. The staff was friendly, I would recommend a visit to Raphael Vineyard.
Written October 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SueBlue962
Darien, CT863 contributions
Aug 2020
We are so happy that Raphael Winery has now reopened to outdoor tasting! We made a reservation, were seated at a lovely table for two outside in the fresh air and sunshine. We were impressed with their operation during the pandemic! We felt very safe. And of course, the wines were excellent as always. We shared a lovely bottle of our favorite Sauvignon Blanc with some cheese, meats, and crackers. It was the best way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon overlooking their beautiful vineyard and enjoying their delicious wine. Plus, we were able to buy some wine to take home at a discount!!
Written August 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ashley G
3 contributions
Aug 2020
BEWARE!! IF YOU ARE A BLACK CUSTOMER, YOU MAY EXPERIENCE POOR TREATMENT!! This past weekend, my boyfriend planned a phenomenal vineyard trip for me and a few of my closest friends to celebrate my birthday. Throughout the day, we visited several amazing vineyards and unfortunately, the treatment we received at Raphael’s was not only disheartening but also ruined our entire experience. By far the absolute worst feeling I’ve had as a regular to the vineyards in Southold.
For background, as a party of 10, my boyfriend confirmed one reservation for six guests (due to COVID policies) and was made aware that the remaining four guests would be seated on a first come first serve basis and may have to wait (as outlined in a reply email from Raphael’s).
Upon our arrival, the entire experience was ruined in a matter of 3 minutes because of the rush to judgment and abrupt dismissal of half our party, despite being told that walking in the day of was not against policy. We were greeted by the hostess - who confirmed that the policy mandated six, which my boyfriend agreed with; and he proceeded to state that we had two separate table reservations, one for a party of six (6) and the other for a party of four (4). The hostess then proceeded to state that she does not have a reservation for the table of 4. My boyfriend then proceeded to ask if there was a possibility to accommodate parties of two (at separate tables) so that we could all enjoy the establishment despite the possibility of not being able to sit in the same seating area. She then stated in a tone that displayed as if she was perturbed that he even bothered to ask such a request, “No, I have other reservations and people waiting - I’m not even sure if I will be able to sit the party of 4.” At this point, the men in the group elected that the women in the group go ahead and enjoy the reservation and that they would wait outside of the establishment for the possibility to be accommodated at the next “available” table, as suggested by the email.
As we were working out the details with the hostess, we were rudely interrupted by the special events coordinator, Julie Vergardi, who marched over after being at the bar moving cases of wine (never having been apart of the initial conversation and far enough distance that should could not have possibly heard the ensuing conversation) visibly upset and appearing to come to the “aid” of the hostess to ask, “What is the problem?” The hostess proceeded to state that my boyfriend said he had an additional party for 4, which Julie’s response was then “Well I don’t have a party under that reservation and I cannot sit a party of 10”. My boyfriend responded “okay” and continued to talk to the hostess, for which Julie unnecessarily took it upon herself as if to reprimand the group by saying, “I could end this whole thing right now and not sit you at all.”
We were there to celebrate my birthday and this ruined our entire experience, as the hostess could not get Julie to calm down. The hostess stated that she herself (not Julie) is the one that helps the reservations. Even as I tried to have a conversation with Julie, she was extremely irritable and ended our conversation abruptly by uttering her frustrations and heightened emotions that the restaurant is having a hard time dealing with customers due to COVID-19. Ultimately, making an excuse to try and justify her demeanor, tone, and actions towards our party, who was not trying to be accommodated for as a whole party of 10 but two separate tables as we were made aware of the restaurant's guidelines when making the reservations. Not only was this extremely unprofessional as her being an individual who works in the hospitality industry meaning she should be able to work under such “conditions” but also due to the reasoning that the establishment has been reopened for outside seating since July 9th.
My boyfriend and the rest of the men left the reception area as the ladies were reluctantly shown to a table. Our group was still very upset and extremely embarrassed that Julie tried to exercise her power as special events coordinator by threatening to dismiss our entire party. Our group decided to leave rather than to dine at an establishment that would treat paying customers so poorly.
Upon leaving, Julie continued to antagonize us by sarcastically yelling “happy birthday!” to me, I was shocked that she would do that in an attempt to further embarrass our group. After spending months in quarantine and finally getting a chance to enjoy the vineyards, we were terribly disappointed to find that people still hadn’t changed. Julie displayed poor judgment skills, an abuse of power to black women and even further, an egregious level of mistreatment to customers. We didn’t even receive a follow up email to rectify the issue! Her actions and the inaction of the Raphael staff lead me to believe that the entire Raphael staff condones this type of behavior towards customers. It’s safe to say that we will NEVER come back to Raphael’s!
For background, as a party of 10, my boyfriend confirmed one reservation for six guests (due to COVID policies) and was made aware that the remaining four guests would be seated on a first come first serve basis and may have to wait (as outlined in a reply email from Raphael’s).
Upon our arrival, the entire experience was ruined in a matter of 3 minutes because of the rush to judgment and abrupt dismissal of half our party, despite being told that walking in the day of was not against policy. We were greeted by the hostess - who confirmed that the policy mandated six, which my boyfriend agreed with; and he proceeded to state that we had two separate table reservations, one for a party of six (6) and the other for a party of four (4). The hostess then proceeded to state that she does not have a reservation for the table of 4. My boyfriend then proceeded to ask if there was a possibility to accommodate parties of two (at separate tables) so that we could all enjoy the establishment despite the possibility of not being able to sit in the same seating area. She then stated in a tone that displayed as if she was perturbed that he even bothered to ask such a request, “No, I have other reservations and people waiting - I’m not even sure if I will be able to sit the party of 4.” At this point, the men in the group elected that the women in the group go ahead and enjoy the reservation and that they would wait outside of the establishment for the possibility to be accommodated at the next “available” table, as suggested by the email.
As we were working out the details with the hostess, we were rudely interrupted by the special events coordinator, Julie Vergardi, who marched over after being at the bar moving cases of wine (never having been apart of the initial conversation and far enough distance that should could not have possibly heard the ensuing conversation) visibly upset and appearing to come to the “aid” of the hostess to ask, “What is the problem?” The hostess proceeded to state that my boyfriend said he had an additional party for 4, which Julie’s response was then “Well I don’t have a party under that reservation and I cannot sit a party of 10”. My boyfriend responded “okay” and continued to talk to the hostess, for which Julie unnecessarily took it upon herself as if to reprimand the group by saying, “I could end this whole thing right now and not sit you at all.”
We were there to celebrate my birthday and this ruined our entire experience, as the hostess could not get Julie to calm down. The hostess stated that she herself (not Julie) is the one that helps the reservations. Even as I tried to have a conversation with Julie, she was extremely irritable and ended our conversation abruptly by uttering her frustrations and heightened emotions that the restaurant is having a hard time dealing with customers due to COVID-19. Ultimately, making an excuse to try and justify her demeanor, tone, and actions towards our party, who was not trying to be accommodated for as a whole party of 10 but two separate tables as we were made aware of the restaurant's guidelines when making the reservations. Not only was this extremely unprofessional as her being an individual who works in the hospitality industry meaning she should be able to work under such “conditions” but also due to the reasoning that the establishment has been reopened for outside seating since July 9th.
My boyfriend and the rest of the men left the reception area as the ladies were reluctantly shown to a table. Our group was still very upset and extremely embarrassed that Julie tried to exercise her power as special events coordinator by threatening to dismiss our entire party. Our group decided to leave rather than to dine at an establishment that would treat paying customers so poorly.
Upon leaving, Julie continued to antagonize us by sarcastically yelling “happy birthday!” to me, I was shocked that she would do that in an attempt to further embarrass our group. After spending months in quarantine and finally getting a chance to enjoy the vineyards, we were terribly disappointed to find that people still hadn’t changed. Julie displayed poor judgment skills, an abuse of power to black women and even further, an egregious level of mistreatment to customers. We didn’t even receive a follow up email to rectify the issue! Her actions and the inaction of the Raphael staff lead me to believe that the entire Raphael staff condones this type of behavior towards customers. It’s safe to say that we will NEVER come back to Raphael’s!
Written August 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
simi1
New York67 contributions
Sept 2013 • Friends
My sister in law and I took 5 friends visiting from Florida to experience some LI wineries. We took them to Raphael where we had a few free coupons for tasting. The woman behind the counter was rude and seemed to be bothered that we were there. She was not helpful and poured a couple of tastings with no explanation of the wines or questions as to what we like. There used to be a very nice gift shop with local ceramics and quality gifts but -- no more. I would not recommend this winery at all. There are many, many more welcoming vineyards with a much better quality wine selection.
Written September 17, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Terri C
Abington, PA10 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
We visited this winery on the recommendation of the Inn where we were staying. From the outside it looks beautiful, but once inside we were virtually ignored for 5 minutes while the people who were leading the tasting washed glasses. Normally, there is a set fee for the tasting, I.e. $5 for 5 wines. However, at this winery, each wine had a price to taste, i.e. $3 to taste a merlot. The woman who was behind the counter talked down to us and had such a demeaning attitude. Folks, this is Long Island not France, Spain, Italy or even the Napa Valley. And, most importantly, the wine was not good. Don't go here unless you want to be mistreated.
Written July 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travelingover50
Sandwich, MA1,129 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
We had a lovely tasting here with crostini’s and cheese. Our hostess was lovely and the grounds were spectacular. We enjoyed hearing the stories of each wines conception and how they go through THIER processes of creating THIER wines. It was intriguing and interesting and we loved walking the grounds after while enjoying a glass of a new favorite wine!
Written August 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pasquale Z
Hoboken, NJ5 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
We had the great pleasure of marrying at Rahpael on August 23rd, 2013. The experience was an absolute dream. My Husband and I visited Raphael when we first started dating 2 years ago. Upon entering the Italian-style vineyard, we just knew that we would wed there someday. Our guests still rave and talk about what a beautiful, special, picture perfect wedding it was. From the food, to the aesthetics, atmosphere, and most importantly, the way the wedding was run, everything was top quality.
Julie, Lisa, and Sam will plan and execute your wedding. They will NEVER tell you “no,” the word does not seem to exist in their vocabulary. When planning your wedding, they provide you with ideas, but the choice is always yours. I would suggest, if they make a recommendation to you, you go with it. They truly know best. Once you sign your wedding contract, you don’t ever feel like you are in a business relationship. The entire 9 months we planned our wedding, we felt as though our family was planning it.
And then there were, what we call, “the surprises.” I won’t share them all because if you do have your wedding there, you too should feel the overwhelming happiness when you experience all of the extra detail that goes into your big day! One of our favorite surprises was a martini bar at our wedding. We picked out the flavors of the martinis with Julie…seems simple enough. When we went over to order our first drink from the “martini bar,” each martini was named: “Something Old” “Something New” “Something Borrowed” “Something Blue.” It is small details like this that put the biggest smile on your face all night! And all you can think is wow, they didn’t miss a thing! Most importantly, Raphael staff is committed to ensuring the Bride & Groom share a few special moments alone on your busy day. During one of those moments, I remember turning to Sam, our Bridal Attendant, and saying can you ask my Gram to join us? When I went to remind her who she was, what she was wearing, etc., she was gone and returned in less than 5 minutes with my Gram. They take the time to know ALL of your immediate family…by their first name.
I could write a book about our wedding day, it was truly perfect picture. The food was outstanding, the drinks were plentiful, the wine outstanding, and the vineyard, both indoors and outdoors is exceptional. It is a romantic, gorgeous, and fun atmosphere, suitable for anyone, at any age. We will always be loyal customers to our new family at Raphael.
If you are simply traveling to the North Fork for a weekend getaway or vacation, do not miss this gem of a place!
With Love & Gratitude,
Allison and Pasquale
Julie, Lisa, and Sam will plan and execute your wedding. They will NEVER tell you “no,” the word does not seem to exist in their vocabulary. When planning your wedding, they provide you with ideas, but the choice is always yours. I would suggest, if they make a recommendation to you, you go with it. They truly know best. Once you sign your wedding contract, you don’t ever feel like you are in a business relationship. The entire 9 months we planned our wedding, we felt as though our family was planning it.
And then there were, what we call, “the surprises.” I won’t share them all because if you do have your wedding there, you too should feel the overwhelming happiness when you experience all of the extra detail that goes into your big day! One of our favorite surprises was a martini bar at our wedding. We picked out the flavors of the martinis with Julie…seems simple enough. When we went over to order our first drink from the “martini bar,” each martini was named: “Something Old” “Something New” “Something Borrowed” “Something Blue.” It is small details like this that put the biggest smile on your face all night! And all you can think is wow, they didn’t miss a thing! Most importantly, Raphael staff is committed to ensuring the Bride & Groom share a few special moments alone on your busy day. During one of those moments, I remember turning to Sam, our Bridal Attendant, and saying can you ask my Gram to join us? When I went to remind her who she was, what she was wearing, etc., she was gone and returned in less than 5 minutes with my Gram. They take the time to know ALL of your immediate family…by their first name.
I could write a book about our wedding day, it was truly perfect picture. The food was outstanding, the drinks were plentiful, the wine outstanding, and the vineyard, both indoors and outdoors is exceptional. It is a romantic, gorgeous, and fun atmosphere, suitable for anyone, at any age. We will always be loyal customers to our new family at Raphael.
If you are simply traveling to the North Fork for a weekend getaway or vacation, do not miss this gem of a place!
With Love & Gratitude,
Allison and Pasquale
Written September 26, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2nd grd tchr
Long Island,NY65 contributions
Oct 2012 • Friends
Attended a wedding at this winery.
Stunning location for an outdoor ceremony.
Cocktail hour, dinner, dessert were incredible: delicious food in an elegant setting.
Truly a special experience.
Stunning location for an outdoor ceremony.
Cocktail hour, dinner, dessert were incredible: delicious food in an elegant setting.
Truly a special experience.
Written October 14, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheresaP
Long Island332 contributions
This winery has 1 white and 1 rose on it's tasting menu so if you are not a red wine fan and it is your first time out to the wineries I would not put this at the top of the list. However the building is gorgeous and reminds me of an Italian Villa. I always skipped this winery because it was mainly red, but finally stopped in this past weekend. The staff was warm and friendly and the overall atmosphere was nothing but pleasant. The two wines I did taste were very good and it cost $4 for the tasting. My mother who is a red wine fanatic asked me to pick up a bottle of their Cabarnet Franc when she heard I was stopping, she loves it. They also have a little gated off area where you can shop for wine products and souveniers. Also off to the side of the tasting bar you can look out a window and down into the area where the wine is made. They do offer tours, for $12 including a tasting, if you are interested in the behind the scenes of wine making. Overall if you are red wine drinker make this a must if you are not maybe just stop to look around.
Written March 18, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mharris10715
Norwalk, CT69 contributions
Jul 2019 • Friends
For all the vineyards we went to on the trip, this was our least favorite. It’s set up as an old Italian looking venue which was nice, but not my style. For the tasting we did, we only liked 2/4 wines (but drank them anyway because we paid around $20 for them). They give you plain glasses which I wasn’t a fan of, I love when wineries use they’re nice glassware. But average rating!
Written July 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mobetta
Long Island, New York
Did Raphael Winery ever respond to this review? I am planning a trip for my friends and I definitely am hesitant to visit a vineyard with this type of review. It speaks volumes.
Written April 17, 2021
How much is it for a wine tasting , and how many wines to you get to sample? Party of 6. do we need a reservation? Thanks
Written October 29, 2019
No reservation required for a party of six although I would recommend you make one on weekends. Call ahead to see if open as they are closed slot on Saturday for weddings
Written November 8, 2019
I do not think it is a full restaurant, however they do have a good service. I have never eaten there, but have often seen groups being served.
Written June 25, 2018
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