There are wine weekends, and then there are New York Champagne Week weekends.
Earlier this month, the streets of Manhattan traded places with the salt air of the North Fork as founder Blaine Ashley, better known to the wine world as Champagne Blaine, debuted the inaugural SIP & SEA Retreat at The Shoals Suites & Slips in Southold. The sold-out weekend was exactly what the North Fork has been waiting for: an elevated escape where Champagne wasn’t simply poured. It became the centerpiece of an immersive coastal experience.
For Ashley, bringing New York Champagne Week east wasn’t a business decision as much as it was a personal one.
“I’ve escaped to the North Fork since moving to New York from Hawai’i 15 years ago,” she told me. “It’s my Northeast respite. There’s a slower pace here, a real sense of place, and a deep wine culture that’s authentic and qualitative.”
That appreciation became the foundation for SIP & SEA.
“For our new retreat venture, the North Fork felt like the perfect place to start. It’s where terroir meets shoreline, and where guests can enjoy Champagne the way I think it should be savored — thoughtfully, quietly, and joyfully.”
It’s hard to imagine a better setting than The Shoals, where marina views replace city skylines, and guests can just as easily arrive by boat as by car. Ashley laughs as she paints her perfect North Fork afternoon: “Picture rolling up in a caftan with salty hair, grabbing a glass of Champagne and a hot dog at The Shoals food truck while the sun slips into the Sound. That’s the spirit we want to bring while celebrating the local growers, artisans, and traditions that make this region special.”
Ashley’s vision feels right at home. Think vineyard tastings by day, oyster shucking demonstrations overlooking the marina, Champagne masterclasses, sunset boat rides, caviar pairings, and leisurely dinners where every glass seems to sparkle a little brighter than the last.
It wasn’t just another wine weekend. It was an invitation to slow down, indulge, and experience the North Fork through a decidedly glamorous lens.
Home base for the retreat was The Shoals, the boutique waterfront hotel that has quietly become one of the North Fork’s most stylish destinations. With its marina setting, nautical charm, and intimate atmosphere, it served as the perfect backdrop for Ashley’s signature blend of luxury and approachability. Guests explored nearby vineyards, toasted sunsets from the docks, and discovered that Champagne feels just as at home beside Peconic Bay as it does overlooking the skyline of Manhattan.
When I asked Ashley what she hopes guests leave with after a SIP & SEA weekend, her answer wasn’t about Champagne at all.
“If I could bottle the feeling,” she said, “it would taste like strawberry season, sea salt, and a little toast of warmth — clean, bright, and utterly relaxed.”
She calls the retreat’s philosophy “Terroir Meets Merroir,” blending the region’s vineyards with its waterfront lifestyle.
“Three days of curated winery visits, farm-to-table meals, boat outings, seaside dips, and plenty of Champagne sips. We design every moment so guests leave with the taste of place, new friendships, and memories that feel like they’ve been slowly uncorked.”
The retreat also highlighted something I’ve been watching happen across the North Fork. Luxury here no longer means stuffy. It’s barefoot elegance. It’s opening a bottle of grower Champagne after a day on the water. It’s oysters straight from the bay paired with world-class bubbles while watching boats drift into the marina.
Ashley understands that better than anyone.
“What I hope people remember isn’t a gimmick or a headline moment, but the way they felt — welcomed, surprised, delighted,” she said. “My background in luxury hospitality taught me to create moments of surprise and delight, and growing up in Hawai’i taught me to deliver everything with passion and Aloha spirit. Long after the last glass is poured, I want guests to remember the small unexpected touches, the laughter around a long table, and how the event honored the people and producers of the North Fork.”
Fortunately, the celebration isn’t over.
On Thursday, July 2, New York Champagne Week returns to The Shoals for Champagne, Caviar & Caftans, an evening that promises to kick off Fourth of July weekend in effortless style. Co-hosted with Altima Caviar, the event invites guests to slip into their favorite resort-inspired caftans, sip curated Champagnes, indulge in premium caviar pairings, and enjoy a sunset soirée where maritime charm meets metropolitan polish.
If the June retreat proved anything, it’s that Champagne belongs on the North Fork just as much as local rosé and crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
And if you missed the inaugural retreat, don’t make the same mistake twice.
The excitement surrounding the first SIP & SEA experience was so overwhelming that presale tickets are already available for the September 11 through 13 Fall SIP & SEA Retreat, returning to The Shoals during harvest season. The weekend promises another intimate itinerary featuring curated winery experiences, waterfront dining, sailing, and spa indulgences.
When I asked Ashley to finish the sentence, “Champagne belongs on the North Fork because…,” her answer perfectly captured the spirit of the retreat.
“The glittering bubbles in a glass echo the shimmering Sound at 67 Steps. Name a better accompaniment to a North Fork sunset, a dockside picnic, or launching into a meal before opening a bottle from a local winery. Bubbles and beaches belong together here.”
Because sometimes all it takes is a single pop of a cork to start a new tradition.
