TV Movie Films At Pindar Vineyards

PECONIC, NY — A North Fork winery that recently got a shout out for its "breathtaking vistas" was the backdrop Wednesday for a new movie filming on Long Island.

The made for TV movie, entitled "As Christmastime Goes By," is a romance written and directed by Candice Cain and starring Abigail Hawk of "Blue Bloods" and "Reality Check," Cody Calafiore of "Big Brother," Ashley Brinkman of "New Dogs, Old Tricks," and Clayton Snyder of "Lizzie McGuire."

(Lisa Finn)

Although filmed on the North Fork, the movie is set in Malta, sources on the set said; the cast and crew spent the day shooting various scenes, including a wedding segment. The film is produced by the Bryant Zamberlan Group and Gemelli Films, according to imbd, which also described the plot: "A young woman travels to a country for the first time on her own and falls in love with a guy also traveling alone. Although they have a rocky start, they overcome the obstacles in front of them, fall in love and live happily ever after."

Pindar Damianos, owner and general manager of Pindar Vineyards, said the experience was one his family will always remember. "My son Andrew was able to participate and was made to feel like a member of the cast and crew," he said. "When we left tonight, they all cheered and hugged him. Isn't that what a romance movie is all about? A feel-good experience."

(Lisa Finn)

And what better place to film a romance than at one of the most beautiful spots on the North Fork.

Recently, Pindar Vineyards, located at 37645 Main Road in Peconic, garnered a state-wide shout out for being a breathtakingly scenic winery with its very own "sea of sunflowers."

According to a post by Only In Your State, not only are the wines at Pindar Vineyards well-loved, so, too, are the magnificent vistas. The post said while many are used to sipping drinks on the water ". . .when's the last time you drank wine as you were sitting across from a sea of sunflowers? If this sounds like the type of magical summer adventure that you've been longing for, then don't hesitate to start planning a trip to this one amazing vineyard."

In addition, said Only In Your State, Pindar produces nearly 20 different kinds of grapes and features more than 30 kinds of wines to taste and purchase. The post also raves about "exciting things" happening at Pindar Sunset Fridays on the Wisteria Deck.

But it's the sunflowers that get a special nod from Only In Your State's post.

"Yet, out of everything that attracts us here to this breathtaking vineyard, it's the sunflowers that have been growing here for over 20 years that leave us feeling really magical," the post said, also mentioning Pindar's Sunflower Chardonnay.

The sunflowers have special meaning, according to Damianos.

The sunflowers are a bright and beautiful legacy from his father — Herodotus "Dr. Dan" Damianos, founder of Pindar who died in 2014 at 82 — Damianos said, first planted between 25 and 30 years ago.

The sunflowers also honor the release of the previous year's vintage Pindar's Sunflower Chardonnay, and usually bloom between the middle of July and early August, he said.

The bright sunflower field is a popular destination — the flowers can be cut and are sold for $2 a stem — and countless happy visitors pose in the field each year, Damianos said.

"People have gotten engaged in the sunflower field, taken their engagement photos there," he said. "It's become a landmark on the North Fork."

Recently, Pindar Vineyards in Peconic has made it even easier to enjoy two of their most popular wines, whether on the beach or at the pool, at festivals or on a picnic: Beginning April 1, Pindar began offering both their Winter White and Summer Blush wines in cans.

The vision was to give customers, who might come in on boats or be headed to the beach or the pool, an alternative to glass. Sometimes, Damianos added, a client forgets the bottle opener and has to run back to the car or ask around on the beach.

The new cans, he said, can easily be popped into a cooler and taken to an outdoor concert, hiking in the Adirondacks, or to a sunny day spent at the beach. Also, Damianos said, "You don't have to drink it out of the can. You can still bring beautiful plastic wineglasses." Customers heading out for a day on the sun-splashed beach don't want to be lugging fine stemware, he said.

The wine is available both at Pindar Vineyards in Peconic, at the Port Jefferson tasting room, and at local wine shops, including Peconic Discount Wines & Liquors in Cutchogue and Michael's Liquors in Riverhead, with more to come.

"We've gotten a very good reception from the wine store owners and as we continue to do the legwork, more stores will be taking it," Damianos said.

And those opting for the convenience of cans won't have to trade on taste, Damianos assured.

"Whether you bought a bottle or a four-pack of Winter White, it's the exact same blend. And it's the same with the Summer Blush — whether you bought a bottle or a four-pack of cans, the taste is exactly the same. We made one big blend, bottled it and left some behind, and then bottled the cans with that exact same blend. The same taste," he said.

The cans are representative of a new approach to wine, Damianos said. Gone are the days when a day of wine-tasting meant a stuffy atmosphere that some found daunting or prohibitive. Today, wine is enjoyed by anyone out to embrace all that summer has to offer — in all the places memories can be made, whether on the water, at the beach, or in the backyard by the pool, he said.

Cans are gaining huge traction in popularity among customers in their mid-20s to 30s, Damianos added. "People just love it, for the ability to put it in the cooler," before heading off to a night under the stars, listening to music or a day in the summer sunshine.

The movie was the most recent in a string of projects filmed on the North Fork recently

Last month, it was lights, camera, action on the North Fork as trailers and trucks lined up on Rocky Point Road in East Marion for the filming of a new HBO series. According to crew on the set, the series is called "The Undoing."

A post on HBO.com said the project, which features Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, marks a reunion between Kidman and "Big Little Lies" creator David E. Kelley. The series is directed by Suzanne Bier; no debut date is available, according to Anne Reilly, vice president of media relations for HBO.

A film crew also flocked to Greenport in March to shoot scenes for a new TV pilot, "Emergence."

According to Jude Donnelly, transportation co-captain on the scene, the pilot was directed by well Paul McGuigan, a Scottish filmmaker and director who's known for films including "Lucky Number Slevin," "Gangester No. 1" and "Push," and episodes for TV series including "Sherlock," "Smash," "Monroe," and "Scandal."

Starring in the pilot are Allison Tolman of the TV series "Fargo," and Clancy Brown, well-known for his roles in films including "Highlander," "The Shawshank Redemption," and "Starship Troopers," Donnelly said.