Morandi's Attentive Wine Service

Having done a short stint as a sommelier (yes, if you blinked you missed it) Vino Girl is even more attuned to wine service in restaurants these days. As you can imagine, I have witnessed everything from the severely overdone to the ridiculously inattentive but when service is carried out just right that is what really makes me stand up and take notice.

I had heard almost universally negative remarks about Keith McNally’s latest venture, Morandi, including backhanded compliments from the likes of Frank Bruni and Adam Platt. This admittedly kept me away from the West Village Italian eatery for many months but Vino Girl decided to give it a try on Friday.

Many of the critics rants were true (claustrophobically low ceilings, somewhat cliché décor, packed-in tables) but besides that and the fact that it was approaching ninety degrees inside, it was an enjoyable place and I would go back, mainly because the wine list is varied and the sommelier provided just the right amount of service.

Considering the temperature was rising as more and more bodies were packed into adjacent tables, white wine seemed the appropriate choice. I headed straight for Trentino-Alto Adige and ordered the Kerner from our server. Kerner is usually planted in the same places as Muller-Thurgau and is a cross between Riesling and Trollinger. The wines are usually very vibrant and packed with fruit, resembling Riesling in many ways.

I was happy with my choice — and parched besides — when the sommelier came weaving over to warn us that the Kerner on the list was a bit sweet, which is unexpected. When my nose wrinkled at the mention of ‘sweet’ he suggested the Muller-Thurgau (a cross between Riesling and Sylvaner). Muller-Thurgau has a similar flavor profile to Kerner but usually has less acidity. The sommelier assured me that this Muller-Thurgau which, mind you, was nearly $20 less expensive, was vibrant and a good substitute for my first choice. Well, he was right, he was pleasant and helpful about it all, and I had an extra $20 in my pocket to get some ice cream on the way home.

Salute to Morandi!
211 Wavery Place (btwn Perry & Charles)

1999 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva

For anyone who likes old world Rioja (earthy, spicy, great acidity and not all big fruit), the 1999 Rioja Reserva Vina Ardanza is definitely one to seek out. Plenty of old school Riojas can taste somewhat oxidized (sherry-like) but this one packs enough juicy fruit to make it an all around hit and wonderful with Spanish tapas of all kinds.

Tasted at Boqueria in New York City, everyone at the table found it unique and we thought it best described as elegant and very food friendly. The blend is 80% Tempranillo and 20% Grenache from 30 year old vines. La Rioja Alta is one of the leading producers in Rioja and, although they produce large quantities of wine, the focus is on premium quality as well as releasing wines when -- and only when -- they are ready to drink. All the wines are made in the traditional manner -- aged in American oak barrels, no filtration and extended aging in bottle before release. You can find the 1999 vintage at retail for $25 - $3o.

Incidentally, Boqueria (53 West 19th Street , btwn 5th and 6th Avenues) is a great spot with an authentically Barcelonian, casual vibe and great food, from tapas to larger plates.

The South of France Right Here In NYC

Who wouldn't want to visit Provence, right? With time constraints, airline fares and other irritants such as jobs, not everyone can just drop everything and jet off to France. Unless you are a jetrosexual and then my apologies for humbling you. Anyway, Vino Girl has a solution for the rest of us.

Vicki Freeman and Marc Meyer, the owners of Five Points and Cookshop in Manhattan, have purchased and revitalized Provence restaurant in Soho. The original was closed by the previous owner just over 6 months ago and, although a neighborhood favorite, the décor, food and service had become a bit — how shall we say — tired. The design has the same Provencal feel and the menu highlights the same Provencal food but both are decidedly updated. The restaurant also prints new menus every day in order to stay true to the premium, farm fresh ingredients the duo is known for. The all-important wine list is all France all the time with a focus on Southern France and, go figure, Provence.

I could tug at your heart strings and tell you that Vicki and Marc just couldn’t bear to see Provence go because they were engaged within its walls, but Vino Girl just wouldn’t go there. What I will tell you is that Vicki and Marc teamed with Chef Lynn McNeely and Aibhinn Wilson to reopen the spot and it is bustling — the place to be let me just tell you.

Oh, I almost forgot the most important tidbit — yours truly is working part time as a Sommelier serving up the best Roses and Bandols Provence has to offer. Be sure and stop by to say Bonjour to Vino Girl while enjoying a little taste of France right here in NYC. Santé!

Provence - New York
38 MacDougal St. (Prince & 6th)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 475-7500

Cookshop Wine Service Deserves Praise

It's pretty rare that we actually praise a restaurant for its wine service. In case you haven't noticed, we are usually bitching and moaning about restaurants for their boring lists of undrinkable wines served by a mostly bird-brained staff. Well, Vino Girl has a fresh outlook for you today.

I ate at Cookshop in NYC last night, a restaurant run by the same guys who opened Five Points in Noho many years back and are re-opening Provence in Soho in a week or so. The food was delicious and the wait staff was charming but, alas, we are not here to discuss such inconsequential details -- we are here to talk about the wine.

The wine list is only one page, whites on one side and reds on the back, but it is carefully chosen and diverse. I did notice an overabundance of the most recent vintages (a pet peeve of mine and Winemonkey's) but altogether at least there were some interesting choices to make. My eye went directly to a 1968 Rioja for $150 that stuck out like a sore thumb for many reasons. 1968, which happens to be my birth year, is also generally speaking a horrifying vintage around the globe (save for a few examples in Italy, Spain and CA). What in the world was it doing on the list? I summoned our waiter who summoned the wine guy and he explained that the wine was really alive right now and that he likes to rotate something interesting and unexpected on to the wine list every so often. He also told us that he has some vintage bottles in the cellar that are off the list but for the offer for those who want to spend some extra money on wine.

In the end, we resisted the temptation to try the '68 (I am holding out for the 1968 Vega Sicilia Unico for any of you who are shopping for my birthday gift) and went with the Sommelier's suggestion of a 2001 Carinena, also from Spain. He was very enthusiastic about it and at $50 it fit more with our meal and casual mood. Not the most memorable bottle of wine but pleasant, very drinkable and unique. It was refreshing to talk to a Sommelier who is passionate about their list and enjoys recommending wines and following up on his suggestions. There are places with more involved lists for wine fanatics to be sure but if you want to be assured an agreeable wine experience, Vino Girl highly recommends Cookshop. As a side note, they also stock some killer stouts, porters and pilsners. ;) Cheers!

Blue Ribbon Downing Street Wine Bar

There has been much hype of late about the opening of the Blue Ribbon Downing Street Wine Bar (can you have a longer name for a smaller place?) this past week in NYC. The bar happens to be on my block in the West Village (right down the street from Blue Ribbon Bakery) and I have been anxiously awaiting its arrival for going on 6 months now. I am not privy to the issues that may or may not have taken place while constructing the tiny, almost perfectly square space but I will say that I have seen at least one other business move out of location, put a "for lease" sign up in the window, find a tenant and have a grand opening in the time that it took for this miniscule spot to paint the exterior. That said it is beautifully done both inside and out, right down to the light wood chosen for the walls, the raw lighting and the completely hidden entrance to the restroom.

I stopped in on Valentine's Day eve, the second night the bar was "unofficially open" (the kitchen is not completely done yet) to see what I have to look forward to. The bar was predictably packed and the windows fogged over, giving the place an air of anonymity. Perhaps that is why Julianna Margolis and her youngish male companion looked so contented sitting amongst a crowd of unmoved Manhattanites at the bar. The staff was extremely welcoming and the wine list, although there was a little too much commotion for me to dig into it, looked like it had a lot of decent options. The small plates, some recognizable from other Blue Ribbon menus and some new, seem the perfect accompaniment to the list.

This is honestly one of the smallest spaces I have ever seen in New York (which is saying something) and I “worry” that, although I live practically across the street, I will be unable to score the aptly name "Gold Coast" bar po by the windows. Further more, will I ever be in the mood to cram myself in to the congested space simply for a glass of wine and a toast point? I hope it doesn’t come to that but I suppose I am doing myself a disservice by blogging about it in the first place. Well, I can always head across the street at 5pm when the bar opens, score myself a bar stool and let people pack themselves in around me. Now that’s more like it!

Blue Ribbon Downing Street Wine Bar
34 Downing St., New York (btwn Bedford & Varick)
212-691-0404
5pm – 2am

Wine Bar NYC - Park Blue

The semi-regular juice on New York City’s growing wine bar scene

Park Blue
Midtown West
158 West 58th Street bet. 6th and 7th Aves.
(212) 247-2727
Hours: Monday through Tuesday 5pm-2am, Wednesday through Saturday 5pm-3am (really 4am)

New York has seen the rise of the half bottle in wine bars around town. It is a format that we enjoy quite a bit since you can try twice as many wines for about the same price. One particular wine bar of note is the late night lounge Park Blue located across from the back of the Essex House.

This classy little haunt is located incredibly close to our offices and as such we have been enjoying its food and wine since it opened last year. Unfortunately, it's been a while since we've been there since we are notorious for spending way too much money and having far too good a time (especially on a weeknight.) Luckily for you, owner Fonda Tsironis has been able to maintain the place in our absence.

With over 100 different labels, the bar has an interesting and eclectic selection of only half bottles from excellent and sometimes culty producers. Fonda is a true wine lover and does not fill his list with plonk. In fact, if you are a true wine geek (like us) ask if he has any interesting "off the list" selections-- and if he does, grab them before they're gone. Now your pocketbook might smart from all the wines you taste (it's amazing that some people are put off by a $50 bottle but are happy to purchase a bunch of $30 half bottles) so we recommend going the whole distance and stuffing your gullet full of food from Eric Simeon's kitchen. His small plates, while a touch pricey, are worth every penny. Our call is to wait until after 11pm to get a hold of his decandent Lobster Eggs Benedict (pictured.)

The bar's location and grown-up demeanor make it a good choice for an after work rendezvous and New York foodies should already know this is where hoi poloi can mingle late night with the midtown restaurant scene as chefs pile in when each of their respective establishments close.

So kick back, listen to the jazz and order another (half) bottle.

The Big Cheese

Just a quick post to let you in on a little (not quite secret) tip. Vinogirl met up with a good friend at Artisanal Restaurant in NYC last night, a glorified French bistro known for their massive cheese selection. It was an annual get together for our husband's November birthdays and, although certainly aware of the occasion, I didn’t mention any such thing when I made the reservation. In fact, I went the no hassle route and used Open Table.

As the hostess showed us to our table, we passed by families with young children and a bachelorette bash (the veil clued us in), all of us holding our breath in hopes that we would not be seated near either party. When we were led in to the cheese cave, a small private room where you are literally surrounded by wheels of cheese, everyone looked at me as if I had planned it. I hadn’t, as you know, but was certainly ready to take credit after they kept insisting that I must have done something. While someday I hope that the mere mention of my name will send people running to accommodate ('the best of the best, vino girl is here!') that is certainly not the case today.

The cheese cave was a great surprise and an even better place to dine with friends on a special occasion. The bistro is loud and you can actually have a conversation in there. If you have a small party (the cave seats up to 5 people) it is worth requesting. You normally have to call in advance to request the room but it just so happens that the party that had it "reserved" decided to sit near the windows. Too pungent perhaps?!

While you are not required to order cheese when seated in the cheese cave, it's hard to resist. We ordered a 6-cheese plate and paired it with the 2004 Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz-Viognier from Austalia. The winery is a joint venture between Anthony Terlato of Napa winemaking fame and Michael Chapoutier of Rhone renown. Although we overpaid for it (Artisanal's wine list is notoriously overpriced) it was a beautifully silky wine with lots of fresh ripe fruit and spice. My first remark was "I hope you like bacon in your wine" and we all agreed that it was in there, along with a dash of smoke. You can find it for around $20 at retail ( I hesitate to tell you that we paid about $56) and I would recommend it for something different with plenty of personality. A "best buy" for sure!

Ok, so it wasn't a short post. I think all that wine and cheese went to my head!

Wine Bar Quest - Bin 71

The semi-regular juice on New York City’s growing wine bar scene

Bin 71
Upper West Side
237 Columbus Ave. between 70th and 71st St.
Hours: Mon-Tue, 5pm-2am; Wed-Sun, noon-2am

Is the Upper West Side morphing into “wine central” New York City? That is a question we asked ourselves over lunch at the tiny wine bar, Bin 71, the other day.

There seems to be wine stores and wine bars popping up every other week in the land of Fairway shoppers and Bugaboo strollers. What gives? Well, although the postage stamp sized bar was not filled to capacity on this particular, incredibly rainy Wednesday afternoon, it seems that it is bursting with revelers trying to grab a spot at the u-shaped marble topped bar every evening of the week. Suffice to say, the UWS is ripe for anything grape these days.

The good news is that Bin 71 is a cozy yet sophisticated place to taste wine and experience the Italian cooking of the owner’s father, who is apparently the one making your meatballs in the tiny basement kitchen. There is a nice sized list of by-the-glass pours as well as a long one-page list of wines by the bottle. The list is interesting if not extensive and includes wines from around the world with an emphasis on Spain, France, Italy and the U.S. The bartenders are very familiar with everything on the list if you need some help deciding. In fact, everyone we met at Bin 71, including the proprieter, Lawrence Bondulich, was very cheerful and accommodating.

The bad news is that I have spoken to folks who live on the Upper West Side and, although they share my enthusiasm for Bin 71, they rarely make an attempt to go because it is always so crowded. Patience, my friends, patience. A little bird told us that Lawrence is soon to open another wine joint in the hood in the not so distant future.

As far as ordering wine, we would recommend staying away from the 2004 Coturri Grenache from Mendocino. We chose it because red wine seemed the best choice on such a damp day, Grenache is something different that we usually drink, and Coturri has a pretty good name in California. The wine is made with no sulfites and natural yeast and it just tasted funky (not really sure if one has anything to do with the other.) The wine had some good earth on the nose but the palate was tart and the fruit tasted a bit cooked. Perhaps it was an off bottle but we wouldn’t go there again regardless. Incidentally, the wine retails for about $25 and is on the Bin 71 list for $44 – not a bad markup, believe it or not.)

As an aside, there is a flat screen television (not something you find in most wine bars) if you want to catch the game!

Wine Bar Quest - Bar Carrera

The semi-regular juice on New York City’s growing wine bar scene

BAR CARRERA
East Village
175 2nd Ave (at 11th Street)

Bar Carerra is Spanish. This fact alone should make you want to grab your amigos and head on down to the East Village – rapidamente! I say this because although there are plenty of tapas bars in NYC there are not many authentic Basque wine bars around town.

My impression is that Bar Carerra’s owners put a lot of thought into making the experience authentic from the gracious atmosphere, tiled walls and distinctive wine list to the simple tapas preparations. The décor is austere but not as clinically so as it’s next door neighbor Bar Veloce. Oddly enough, both wine bars are run by the same proprietor. With a name like Frederick Twomey I suspect he is neither Italian or Spanish but from the looks of both places I think he has a better handle on the Spanish bar scene (I have not been to many wine bars in Italy where they serve you Montepulciano in a lab coat!)

While the bar does not go so far as transport you to the Basque resort town of San Sebastian, it is a worthy escape from the ale houses and cowboy bars that litter the surrounding East Village. The bar is minute in size, so not a good place for a big group but for a nice glass of wine and a snack before dinner or a leisurely and convivial evening of wine and tapas the place cannot be beat.

In short, if you are looking for more casual Spanish vibe and less Patatas Bravas, Bar Carrera is the place for you. Salud!

Wine Bar Quest - Peasant Wine Bar

The semi-regular juice on New York City’s growing wine bar scene

PEASANT WINE BAR
AKA Cantina 194
Nolita
194 Elizabeth Street, between Prince & Spring

Perhaps Peasant figured out that being coy and calling their terrific little wine bar ‘Cantina 194’ after the address of the restaurant was not the best way to use their reputation to attract customers. At any rate, the bar is now referred to simply as Peasant Wine Bar.

The bar is located directly underneath the restaurant and you enter by following the stairs to the right of Peasant’s doorway. Although it may look like you are on your way to an abandoned basement, a warm and friendly atmosphere awaits you through the door at the bottom of the steps. The feel is ‘Italian Enoteca’ with communal tables, brick walls, non-scented white candles and a simple menu of no fuss foods. Although I must admit to being sick of all decent wine bars in NYC being Italian wine bars this one has the formula down right.

The perfect place to tuck in with a friend for a quick bite and a glass of wine, Peasant Wine Bar is also a great spot to settle in with a group and share a few bottles paired with cheeses, Italian cured meats and possibly a panini or two. The Italian wine list has some interesting selections and the descriptions provided should help even a wine novice navigate their way past the Prosecco and Chianti Classico.

PWB seems to be a popular spot for locals in the ‘hood but we think it’s worth a trip from anywhere in the City. Just grab the N/R to Prince Street or the 6 to Spring and raise a glass -- you won't get the 'boot' until 2 or 3am.

Cowboy Up at Maremma

Have we ranted enough about restaurant wine lists? We probably have but I just can’t help myself. Vinogirl trudged through the rain Friday night to a restaurant in the neighborhood (Greenwich Village) called Maremma. Maremma is dedicated to the region of the same name on the coast of Tuscany — an area known not only for its cowboys and simple, rustic Italian cuisine but for illustrious Super Tuscan wines such as Sassicaia and Ornellaia. Not a bad foundation with which to build a great restaurant, not to mention a great wine list.

Maremma’s décor is rustically striking and the staff is very friendly. Unfortunately that is where the attraction ends. Ordering the food was easy because we were starving and everything on the menu makes your mouth water. What could be bad about slow cooked short ribs or Tuscan crepes with basil & walnut pesto? I got the food ordering out of the way so that I could dig in to the wine list. I was so looking forward to picking out a great Super Tuscan given the list is made up entirely of wines from the flourishing Maremma region.

The list is not long – one page of whites and one of reds – but you would think since they have one region to concentrate on that you would find some real gems in there. Not so. First of all, the majority of bottles offered (I can safely say 95%) are from the 2003 and 2004 vintages, including the Sassicaia. That wine is no where near ready to drink. Perhaps some of the simpler wines offered at lower price points are ready but, really, where is the excitement in that?

A smattering of wines from the lousy and inconsistent 2002 vintage made the list but I tend to stay away from Tuscan ‘02s unless they are a known entity and I did not recognize any of the producers on hand. Maremma has a stash of 2003 Le Volte which is the “value” wine from Lodovico Antinori of Ornellaia and Masseto fame. I have had the 2003 Le Volte and, although I agree that it is a great wine for the price, every Italian restaurant in NYC seems to have it on their list right now and, frankly, I’m over it.

Finally I settled on a Morellino di Scansano, the only 2001 on the list. I usually dislike Morellino di Scanscano but I wasn’t about to go for broke on this list and our waiter, who also admitted to being responsible for this riveting wine list, proclaimed it to have more depth than your average Morellino. He was right but it was only just passable. The food, by the way, was just passable as well. I guess we’ll have to cowboy up and quit ranting about restaurant wine lists for awhile. All you can do is dust off our boots and keep trying. Andiamo!

Secret Cellar at 21

I was lucky enough to get a tour of the wine cellar at the 21 Club in NYC this weekend. The whole thing is very ‘underground’ which you might expect from a restaurant that started out as a popular speakeasy in the 20s during Prohibition. The restaurant gets its name from the address at 21 West 52nd street. The “secret” wine cellar is actually located at 19 West 52nd street which helped to confuse investigators during Prohibition era liquor raids. Moreover, restaurant workers were able to truthfully tell inspectors that there was no booze on the premises at 21 West 52nd. Clever.

Nowadays you can get to the wine cellar by walking through the kitchen and down the stairs led by a member of the 21 Club wine staff. The door is visible although it does blend in by looking like a regular old brick wall in the basement. The door was built to be imperceptible in the days of the dry movement and was concealed by a pantry of canned goods and hanging meats. Weighing in at 2 ½ tons, the door can only be opened using a meat skewer placed in one of the cracks in the cement. There are many cracks in the door which served to further confuse pesky federal agents.

When you push the heavy door back you step into a wonderland of wine. Although ‘21’ no longer accepts wine from personal cellars — they’ve run out of room housing their own impressive collection — they used to store private collections for their best customers. You can still see bottles with famous names attached. The first one I noticed was Elizabeth Taylor’s private stock which, as far as I could tell, has dwindled down to a single lonely bottle. Unfortunately I couldn’t get close enough to see what it was but considering Ms. Taylor doesn’t drink anymore, it makes perfect sense that she would want Vino Girl to have it, don’t you think? (Unfortunately, the wine director did not agree.) We also saw some of Richard Nixon’s bottles which he is no longer around to enjoy.

Alongside the celebrity bottles there is plenty of Montrachet, Romanee Conti, Lafite and Latour, along with an empty Nebuchadnezzar (20 bottles) of Roederer Champagne that was popped when the cellar was first built. The cellar was remodeled in modern times to incorporate a private dining room seating 20, something you should experience if you have the chance. The restaurant is pricey as is the extensive wine list. If you don’t have the chance to eat in the cellar, stop in for a drink, order from the lounge menu and ask your server if they can give you a quick tour. If there is no one dining down there, they seem more than wiling to oblige. Enjoy!

Taste & Take Away in NYC

If you live in New York City you know that wine bars seem to be popping up faster than you can hail a cab these days. The concept of an authentic wine bar first entered my wine loving conscious in Italy. I can still remember sitting in an unassuming little wine bar just across the Arno in Florence called L'Volpe eL'Uva. It was perfect. Just a counter and some stools, a simple selection of bruschetta, cured meats and cheeses, and a great selection of wines, all of which were also for sale to take away. Besides the fact that the setting was ultra relaxed and the owners exceedingly friendly and helpful, the place was unique in that if you liked what you tasted, you could walk out the door with it (well, after you paid for it) and drink it with dinner. Perfetto!

While the ‘wine for sale off-premise’ concept is a bit more difficult to get around in NYC wine bars (damn blue laws) there are two new wine bars that have taken the notion and run with it.

VinoVino
This relatively new wine bar in Tribeca has two distinct entrances (the requirement for wine bars/retail stores in NY) but the place looks like one big space, a glass wall the only thing dividing the bar from the shop. VinoVino's decor is relaxed but fashionable with lots of dark wood and candles. The bar carries a decent selection of wines from various regions, mostly from lesser known producers. Choices include 10-15 selections each of dry whites and reds available by the glass or bottle, as well as a smattering of sparkling and dessert wines, sake and beer. The fact that the wines come from various regions and not just Italy is a plus to me mainly because most of the wine bars that get it right in NYC are Italian and, well, sometimes you just want some alternatives. The menu is simple -- cheeses, cured meats and pates -- and the simpler the better I say. All in all VinoVino is a great place to meet up with friends for a libation and a snack.

(Note: VinoVino also features jazz and tastings during the week but best to check out the calendar on their website and not subscribe to their e-mail newsletter until they tone it down and you can actually read beyond the design madness.)

CentoVini
CentoVini opened even more recently near the shopping madness that is Soho. The bar also has an annexed retail shop with a separate entrance. Although the wine is all Italian and the menu a little more involved, the wine selection is bigger and the food is genuinely Italian influenced. The décor is fashionably funky, as you might expect knowing that this is a joint venture between the owners of Moss design shop and I Trulli restaurant. A welcome addition to the neighborhood, Cento Vini is a comforting place to escape the insanity of Broadway during the day or to settle in after the tourists have left and enjoy a full bottle and a light dinner.

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!

Some like it hot?

So, I have to say the your good ol' winemonkey was quite the hipster this weekend taking in a New York style late night dinner at The Stanton Social. Our 11:30pm resy wasn't even the coolest as the dining room was full to the gills until after 1am and even got a 2am bump with late night partygoers looking to chow down.

The company was excellent and the food fun with tapas sized items that included kobe beef sliders and french onion soup dumplings along with a handful of fried items whose batter was a bit heavy. This post, however, is not a knock on chef's heavy handed breading.

It would be obvious to anyone reading a wineblog that we ordered up some vino and this, my friends, is where everything went wrong. After sallying forth into a interesting and eclectic winelist typical of many of these hotspots, we awaited for our ill fated selection to arrive.

The waiter, in standard fashion, showed me the bottle and poured a taste. As I am want to do in the presence of non-wine entusiasts such as my dining companion, I tone down the ritual rhetoric to a quick sniff for corkage or fault and wave the waiter on. My first instinct was that the wine was a bit alacoholic, but it was not of too much concern as we picked a random Aussie to try and I figured the heat was a finction of an over-ripe americanized style. As I began to take my taste (and as the waiter began to pour the wine out) it became obvious to me that this wine must have been sitting under the heat lamp with our kobe beef sliders. I could have sowrn I was drinking mulled wine it was so hot. I stopped our waiter and asked him to chill the bottle, but should have immediately sent the thing back. I am sure he looked at me with surprise as it was a big red wine, but I was basically paralyzed due to the shock of the situation.

Now I have tasted thousands of bottles of wine and while I am quite good at noticing cork taint I will have to say that this is the first time I have been poured hot wine. Now, I am not talking cooked wine, that no doubt many of you have experienced, but hot wine. Could this be the new trend in wine service? Are the hipsters mocking the wine faithful and saying "Forget 68 degrees we drink red at 86! Bring me a cup and a saucer!"

Thankfully, my company more than made up for the wine (which ended up being plonk), but I have to admit that I will now fufill the wine tasting ritual from nose to palate to avoid another overheated bottle.

Or perhaps I am just not as hip as I thought.

Cheers.

March Madness

My husband’s family was in town this weekend and that inevitably means that I am in charge of what the whole gang drinks with dinner. It took me years to earn the job but I suppose they couldn’t fight it anymore when I chose wine as not only my hobby but my career.

Although sometimes being in the wine business means that picking out wine for a varying degree of palates on your weekend can feel like work, I cheerfully accept the responsibility. After all, if you can have control over one thing when the in-laws are in town it might as well be alcoholic intake.

If you have ever been the “go-to person” when it comes to navigating a wine list for a crowd of people you are acutely aware of the many road blocks, from dinner orders and personal likes and dislikes to how much to order and exactly how much to spend per bottle. That is precisely why I make every effort to get the wine list in my hands well prior to dinner.

Generally speaking this is not a difficult feat. Many restaurants now post their wine lists online (although you should be wary of out of date lists) and others are more than happy to fax or e-mail the list to you. That is why I was shocked to find out that March, a highly regarded restaurant in Manhattan, refused to send me the list ahead of time because it is “too extensive” and it is their “policy”.

Policy shmolicy. What harm could possibly come from sending your wine list out to a discerning customer who is going to spend lots of money at your restaurant later that evening (I mentioned that I was dining there with a party of 11)? Does it come down to possessiveness or just plain laziness? I will only say that in this case the wine list was approximately 12 pages. Pretty extensive, huh?