Because it's so exciting

I love New York. Cliché, I know, but where else can you find practically any wine in the World? I attended a South African wine dinner last night (in NYC, of course) hosted by Cape Classics and, while sitting down to a fabulous meal paired with great wines from Kanu and De Toren, we discussed the virtues of eating and drinking (mostly drinking) in New York. We New Yorkers may take it for granted but we have access to wines from virtually every country and region in the wine world. What other city can say that?

Admittedly, our friends from South Africa are offered almost exclusively South African wines in retail stores and restaurants in Stellenbosch, Johannesburg and Cape Town. They were wildly excited to be in a city that offers the best of South Africa and beyond — way beyond. Just try to dine out in France and order a nice bottle of California Cabernet. Not only is it highly unlikely that you will find one on the list but do you really want to ‘go there’ at the risk of tempting your waiter to spit in your steak frites? By the same token, traveling to Napa and craving a Red Burgundy is akin to yearning for a green salad in Ireland. It’s just not going to happen.

Sure, there are other states in the U.S, and I am sure other countries that offer diversity in their retails stores and wine lists but bottle for bottle, cork for cork, they just can’t go as deep as the big apple. In good ol’ NYC you can drink Italian with your pasta, Gewurztraminer with your Chinese takeout and Riesling with your Indian Tandoori. So, raise a glass of Aghiorgitiko with your Tsatziki and toast to the city that never sleeps — and never settles.

Salute!