Moriches Wine Barn and Farmers Market offers wine, produce and pastries

The Wine Barn and Farmers Market, a business that opened this past April, offers food and wine sourced from local Long Island vineyards, farms, and breweries to passersby on Montauk Highway.

The business replaced a previous establishment, LaCorte’s Farm Stand, which operated out of the same building.  The main structure is divided into two halves:  the left half offers a selection of beer and wine, while the right half showcases fresh produce and pastries.  The Wine Barn and Farmers Market currently also has plans to offer live music performances and to expand to include outdoor serving.

“I worked for [the previous business] LaCorte’s,” employee Brendan Nevins said.  “I’ve been here since 2019.  The inventory has changed slightly [since LaCorte’s].  The baked-good portion is all the same stuff and has expanded.  The farm stand produce has shrunk.  [The new business] incorporated this whole amazing wine bar.”

The main structure of the building has been divided into two halves.  On the left-hand side of the building is the “wine barn” section of the new building.  A collection of rustic wooden tables, some with party games like tic-tac-toe atop them, stand in front of the business’ wine bar.  Debbie Cortina, an employee who said she joined the business when it opened in April, explained that a “Wine Down” event happens every Wednesday.  During the event, the business offers flights of wine for $10 and tap beer for $5.

“All the wine [here] is from Long Island vineries and the beer is from Long Island breweries,” Cortina said.  “We also have ciders.  We have little ‘Barn Bites’ [that are] mostly food.  In the Farmers Market, we have fruit, vegetables, pies [and] gelato.  We have merchandise: T-shirts, hats, candles.”

Outside and to the left of the main building is an outdoor “Wine Shed,” with various lawn chairs and tropical flora dotting the yard in front of it.  The Wine Shed isn’t operational yet.

“We’re waiting for our licensing to go through with our outdoor serving,” Nevins said.

The right half of the main structure is divided among a fresh produce stand, merchandise, including some items bearing the Wine Barn and Farmers Market’s branding, and a selection of freshly baked pastries.

“I am the primary baker,” Nevins said.  “We do pies, cookies, crumb cakes, cupcakes [and] brownies.  Per day, [we bake] probably close to 100 [products].”

Cortina said that the Wine Barn and Farmers Market currently hosts live music performances on weekends, as well as some book clubs.  The business also has plans to change according to the season.