Newsman Purchases Popular North Fork Winery

NORTH FORK, NY — A popular North Fork vineyard is set to enter a new chapter.

Dan Abrams, chief legal correspondent at ABC News and television host, confirmed that he is in the process of purchasing Laurel Lake Vineyards on Main Road.

"I'm so excited to invest in the North Fork and this vineyard with the goal of creating a new luxury Long Island wine," Abrams said in a statement to Patch. "Expanding into the wine business has long been a passion of mine and this winery presented a perfect opportunity to create an experience that both local residents and seasonal guests will enjoy."

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said Abrams reached out to him to talk about his vision for the future of the winery.

"We haven’t had a chance to meet yet but, I’m looking forward to it. It sounds like he has exciting new ideas," Russell said.

Kareem Massoud, president of Long Island Wine Country, spoke with Patch about the news: "The sale of Laurel Lake Vineyards to Dan Abrams represents continued belief in the future of Long Island wine and the high quality of the wines grown here. Ours is a small wine region, we are tight both geographically and in terms of camaraderie. We look forward to welcoming Dan Abrams to the Long Island wine industry."

According to a Newsday report, Juan Sepulveda, Laurel Lake's winemaker, has been asked to stay on. "I'll be very happy to continue with the wine here and take it to the next level," the Newsday report said. "I'm very happy Dan is coming here with great ideas."

Laurel Lake Vineyards is located at 3165 Main Road in Laurel.