Southold Town Board Votes to Reject Permit For 'Pour the Core' Festival

The Southold Town Board recently voted to reject the special events permit for “Pour the Core”, a hard cider festival which takes place at the Peconic Bay Winery in Cutchogue.

“The intention of our special events code is to not let private companies make money by holding parties on farmland,” Town Supervisor Scott Russell said.

At the town board work session meeting on Tuesday, the board unanimously voted to reject the permit for the event, which was scheduled for October.

Last year, the permits for the event passed the town board with a 4-2 vote, with Supervisors Russell and Bill Ruland voting against it.

“The reason I voted against it last year and again this year is that when we crafted special events legislation, the purpose was to allow events at agricultural operations as an opportunity for those farmers to promote and sell their crop,” Russell said. “Peconic Bay Winery is no longer an agricultural operation.”

The tasting room for the winery has been closed down since 2013, but the vines can still be leased to another party unaffiliated with the winery.

In addition to the “Pour the Core” festival, the winery has hosted events such as North Fork Craft Beer Festival and the Long Island Potato Festival, which are all sponsored by the private event promotion company, Starfish Junction.

“In the past, the event didn’t even focus on local products/fare,” Russell said. “Hard cider being produced throughout the United States and other countries along with food being provided by vendors from Oceanside and Medford does little to promote the North Fork. If Peconic Bay Winery is renting its property for events then I believe that the code doesn’t permit that.”

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