There are two wine festivals tomorrow - sort of opposites that might attract you.

The Lenz Chardonnay Classic is held at the Lenz Winery tomorrow Saturday July 7th from 5:30 PM to 8 PM.  If you love Chardonnay then this is the wine tasting event you should not miss. There will be chardonnays from all over the world (France, Austrailia, California, Long Island and more).  The Lenz winery will serve artisanal cheeses and hors d’oeuvres to match the varieties of chardonnay.  Tickets for subscibers are $35 and for the general public they are $50. 

The Martha Clara Vineyards is hosting an “Anything but Chardonnay & Merlot Festival“.  And its all about the other less well-known varietals that are produced on the east end of Long Island.  It takes place on July 7th from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

This week Newday is reporting good news for people who enjoy sport fishing, weekend anglers, and people who fish to put food on the table.  The article in today’s paper Flounder, bluefish plentiful in Long Island Sound starts off on this happy note: “Action with summer flounder on Long Island Sound has been smokin’ in recent days.”  The flounder right now are plentiful between Northport NY and PortJefferson NY.  Bluefish and stripers are also running surprising close to shore in many parts of Long island Sound at this point in the summer. And along the south shore there is a steady cacth of keeper fluke.  The Newsday article has great detail, a fine Long Island fishing report.  So go read it now if you are fishing on the north or south shore this weekend.

Whether you are going out on a sport fishing trip, a charter boat or a sightseeing trip this weekend you’ll find helpful information in our Long Island business listings.  The following categories are useful for the last minute supplies you may need and for planning a great fishing trip later this season:

• Long Island fishing charter boats
  We have a great variety of companies listed providing large group charters, private charters, and sport fishing specials.  Some boats are geared to inshore fishing tours and some for offshore fishing.  Some companies specialize in charters for a type of fish (tuna, bluefish, shark, etc.).  Some charter companies offer half-day, full-day, night and moonlight trips.  A few charter companies offer corporate trips. And a few companies offer two-day trips to get the best bluefishing and striped bass fishing opportunites offfshore.
• Long Island fishing clubs
  There are fishing clubs for all types and ages.  Some specialize in types of fishing like fly fishing, deep sea fishing, shark fishing and more.
• Long Island fishing gear and fishing equipment
  A ccomplete listing of companies all over Long Island for professional fisherman and people who just love to go fishing when the mood strikes.
• Long Island marinas
  The most complete list of marinas on Long Island. You’ll find the right marina for any of these needs: launch servie, moorings, repairs, and winter storage.  Some marinas advertise family-friendly facilities like picnic areas and playgrounds on site.

It is inspiring to discover the Long Island Idea Factory a local Long Island blog that asks the big questions and offers a unique blend of critical analysis and commentary.  The common theme that unites many of the individual posts is simple enough: adapt the latest web information technology and social media to help solve Long Island’s regional problems.  Of course, the devil is in the details and as people in technology would say - in the implementation.  The first step though is bringing some of these Internet technolgy tools to the attention of Long Island’s business leaders, nonprofit leaders, community organizers, and cconcerned citizens.  There is increasing recognition that persistent problems like affordable housing and the so-called “brain drain” (the migration of young adults from Long Island to other states) must be solved on a regional basis. It will be interesting to see how the Long Island Idea Factory can help organizations and communties move forward toward common solutions.

Many people have talked about 07-07-2007 as being an especially lucky day.  Many couples have selected it for their wedding day.  So if you tried to celebrate July 4th with a fireworks viewing and got rained out then 7/7/07 may be your lucky day.

The Sag Harbor Yacht Club Fireworks is being held this Saturday July 7th. And the celebration is also in hor of Sag Harbor Villages’s 300th aniversay.  This will no doubt be a special event.  The club itself is only open to members and guests.  But the general public will have good views of the fireworks display from Marine Park, the Long Wharf and at waterfront restaurants.   Boats in Sag Harbor will also have a great view.  The event is scheduled for 9:30 PM.