Its author is Ted Conklin, owner of the American Hotel in Sag Harbor. Mr. Conklin's credentials are in order. A lifelong resident of the East End and a dedicated wine enthusiast, he has put together a remarkably complete cellar in his hotel. What's more, he has been a champion of the Long Island wine industry since its beginnings at Hargrave Vineyard in Cutchogue in the mid-1970's.

"The industry has matured more rapidly than anyone dreamed possible a quarter of a century ago," he said over a glass of Lenz merlot last week in his hotel. "It's time we created some kind of ranking."

A rating system is necessary now, he said, because he is convinced that quality is being sacrificed to rapid expansion. The first-generation winemakers were dedicated people, Mr. Conklin said, adding, "Their successes showed the way, and others followed." Some second-generation people built big wineries for economies of scale; others were interested mostly in the real estate; still others, using some juice from outside the region, built "to exploit the tourist trade by selling inferior wine from roadside tasting rooms," he added.

Mr. Conklin does not see his classification as a set of rigid guidelines. "Far from being fixed and stultifying," he said, "this ranking is meant to stimulate public interest and, depending on its validity, public performance." It will, he said, "invite and require annual changes."

Not everyone in the Long Island wine world agrees on the need for ratings. Charles Massoud, at Paumanok, had misgivings — even though he described Mr. Conklin as "a wonderful supporter of the industry" and acknowledged being "glad we came out well in his ranking." As Mr. Massoud put it: "The overall tone of his argument is too pessimistic. It's true some wineries have imported wine from elsewhere, but they don't represent the majority. As for rankings, let's say they are a necessary evil in our business."

Dr. Herodotus Damianos, founder of Pindar Vineyards in Cutchogue, Long Island's largest winery, questioned Mr. Conklin's credentials. "He is a restaurant owner who has never made wine," he said. "Where does he come off ranking or rating anyone in our business? Who made him an expert?" Mr. Conklin gave Pindar his lowest rating: commercial.

"Robert Mondavi makes 300,000 cases of fine wine and 5 or 6 million cases of inexpensive wine," Dr. Damianos said. "Does anyone call him `commercial'?"

The Eastern End of Long Island has 2,500 acres producing 300,000 cases of wine annually. Here is how Mr. Conklin rates the wineries:

First Tier: Bedell (1980). First vintage, 1985. Winemaker: Kip Bedell.

• Lenz (1979). First vintage, 1985. Winemakers: Peter Lenz to 1988, then Eric Fry.

• Paumanok (1983). First vintage, 1985. Winemaker: Charles Massoud.

• Pellegrini (1988). First vintage 1991. Winemaker: Russell Hearn.

• Wolffer Estate (1988). First vintage, 1991. Winemakers: Charles Flatt in 1991, then Roman Roth.

Second Tier: Corey Creek (now owned by Bedell Cellars). Principal winemaker: Dan Kleck. Current winemaker: Kip Bedell.

• Lieb. Principal winemaker: Russell Hearn.

• Osprey's Dominion. Principal winemaker: Peter Silverberg.

• Schneider. Principal winemaker: Kip Bedell.

• Silverstone. Winemaker: Dan Kleck.

Third Tier: Bidwell. Winemaker: Bob Bidwell.

• Channing Daughters. Winemaker: Larry Perrine.

• Jamesport. Various winemakers.

• Martha Clara. Principal winemaker: Roman Roth.

• Peconic Bay. Various winemakers.

• Pugliese. Winemaker: Ralph Pugliese.

• Ternhaven. Winemaker: Harold Watts.

Transitional and Emerging: Gristina (recently sold to Vincent Galluccio), Hargrave (sold in 1999 to Marco Borghese), Macari (formerly Mattituck Hills), Raphael, Manor Hill.

Commercial: Duck Walk, Pindar, Palmer, Laurel Lake.

In the first tier, Mr. Conklin explained, are most of the earliest wineries. "They share characteristics such as `boutique winery' scale, continuity, tenure, experience and passion." The second tier, he said, has "wineries that are either large and commercial, rookies, tourist wineries and others that clearly fail to meet the quality criteria of the elite first-tier group." The third, he said, "reflects more recent developments at some new and some older operations whose new owners seem to be dedicating themselves to quality."

The transitional-emerging group has new wineries with star potential, like Raphael, and older wineries, like Hargrave, that should regain their earlier cachet under new owners.

It is against the second-tier wineries that Mr. Conklin directs most of his ire. "Projecting elite standards while underperforming is unsustainable and counterproductive," he said. "Although many second-tier wineries have made fine bottles of wine over the years, the majority has damaged, wittingly or not, the region's reputation."

A chief complaint is the importing of wines from outside the region to meet demand. By doing nothing about this, he said, the industry damages its reputation. "Other wine regions address these issues," he said, "and put Long Island at a competitive disadvantage."

Dr. Damianos acknowledged that Pindar brings wine in from outside the Long Island area but insisted its use was entirely legal.