Wine Club is back! With Fall comes a new Wine Club after taking the summer off. As usual, this month we will be presenting wines from a region you might not be too familiar with - Alsace. The region is located in far Eastern France along the border with Germany, the southern tip touches Switzerland, and for me - the wine most associated with this region is one of the hardest to pronounce - Gewürztraminer.
Since the 17th century, the region has passed between German and French control numerous times, resulting in a cultural blend. German traits remain in the more traditional, rural parts of the culture, as well as in the cuisine and architecture, whereas modern institutions are totally dominated by French culture.
Alsace is an important wine producing region for France. The wines of the region are mostly white, varietal wines - Sylvaner, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and of course Gewürztraminer. For red, Pinot Noir dominates though it represents less than 10% of land under vine.
Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to speak with an Alsatian wine-maker from Pfaffenheim who was leaving a trade show with his luggage in hand - he was eager to get to the airport as the NYC COVID shutdown loomed. Being an “ad man” I wanted to know what the “Unique Selling Proposition” was for the wines of Alsace. The question must have grabbed him, because he stopped in his tracks, put his luggage down and thought for a moment.
Finally, he said, “The wines of Alsace are for the curious wine-lover.” And bid me “adieu”.
I have not seen him since, but that said, we’re welcoming back Wine Club and the wines of Alsace - the wonderful wines in the tall bottles which I know you will enjoy and invigorate your curiosity in wine.
Eleonore, Crémant d’Alsace, Extra Brut, 2018
Joseph Cattin, Pinot Blanc, 2021
Domaine Allimant-Laugner, Pinot Noir, 2021
A $65 value for only $55 - Save ten bucks!
Veritas Studio Wines - September 2023 Wine Club
veritasstudiowines.co
It is time for another Natto wine pairing - this time - we pair French Onion soup with a healthy dollop of Natto under the cheese with a skin-contact Serbian Furmint from Baša Vino. Soup and wine are hard to match but this soup is more stewie than soupy. I must say, the Natto maintained all of its special characteristics and matched well with the complex nature of the Furmint. The wine is a standout and aptly went head-to-head with the aggressive salty flavors of the soup. This was another success but the difference was, where with past dishes, the Natto usually replaced an ingredient - here it was added. A wonderful and easy dish and a wonderful wine to boot. Delicious!
#BašaVino #serbianwine #orangewine #organicwine #furmint #nattofest #natto #frenchonionsoup #livingwine #winepairing
Wines of Serbia Furmintday Orange Wine
Time is winding down - voting ends today in the W42ST Magazine “Best of” competition. Your vote for Veritas Studio Wines is a nomination for us being the best RETAIL shop in Hell’s Kitchen. We have always been the only wine shop to become a finalist three years running - thus de facto - Best Wine Shop. You need not vote for other categories in order to vote, so no worries - just think Veritas Studio Wines for Best Retailer. Let’s win it this year! Voting is open until midnight today! Thank you… Stay tuned.
https://form.jotform.com/232283703487157
Please join our friend Dan Schneider as he hosts “First Mondays on a Thursday” - a Networking Event to benefit the Writers and Actors Strike. The event will take place at Gossip Bar located at 733 Ninth Avenue from 7p-9pm. Show your WGA, SAG/AFTRA card and you’ll get a free drink on “Ramblin’ Rose”. See you there!
Daniel Schneider Gossip Bar NYC
We love wine. All sorts. But we do not covet wine. There is too much really good wine out there to worry about selling (and drinking) one wine or another. I read about wines from time to time, but I am more Socratic, and would rather have someone tell me about a wine, talk about it and of course taste it. So I was looking over one of our wine partner’s portfolio list - which is focused on sparkling wine - and I noticed one of these wines I had read about and tasted recently at a friend’s home - no prices - just the note “Just Arrived”. I asked about it - and low behold, we’ve received some.
Champagne Suenen Oiry Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs MV, 100% chardonnay the wine includes 50% reserve wines and offers up inviting aromas of sweet orchard fruits, dried white flowers, baking spices and fresh bread. Medium to full-bodied, racy and vibrant, with a fleshy core of fruit, excellent concentration and lengthy finish. It is terrific from who I am told is one of Champagne’s new stars.
The origins of Suenen date back to the late 1800’s when Suenen ancestors moved to the Cramant area. Wine became a part of the family tradition when great grandfather Marcel and his wife Simone decided to bottle and sell a single vat of Blanc des Blancs. Likely one of the first Grower Champagne produced. The family trade continued with sons, Bernard and André. Then in the 1950’s Daniel was born and with son Aurélien, Champagne Suenen really started to flourish.
Aurélien took the helm at Suenen in 2009 and has since refocused and adjusted the family holdings as well as the bottlings under the Suenen label. He currently is only bottling Blanc des Blancs Champagne however, just like his great grandfather.
Chalk soil, fermented in neutral oak and enamel lined vats - ambient yeast - aged 9 months in neutral oak and concrete egg and 2 additional tears on the lees in the bottle. A mere 1000 cases made - 2g sugar, very dry, unfiltered and unfined.
I suspect our “luck” has as m
Help us become a better wine shop and fill out our CUSTOMER SURVEY. We want to improve and there is no better way to do that than by getting feedback and ideas from our customers. All answers will be kept confidential - so don’t worry. It is pretty simple - even little improvements will make us a better wine merchant. Thank you in advance. See you soon.
Summer is still here and we have recently gotten a very special rosé wine from Provence in Bandol - Domaine des Trois Filles, Bandol, Provence, 2021. Of course the most prestigious wines of Provence come out of Bandol and they include Pradeaux, La Begude and of course Tempier - and the prices can be steep. Though not inexpensive, Trois Filles is about as good a rosé I have had in a long time.
60% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, 15% Cinsault from hillside clay-limestone soils, the Trois Filles Bandol rosé has a beautiful pale pink color, with explosive fruit aromas that lead to a complex and unctuous palate. With a deliciously long and expressive finish, this will be your new favorite Rosé.
Audrey Arlon worked at Domaine Ott and Domaine du Gros 'Noré, leaving in 2013 to take over her family's vines in La Cadière-d’Azur. Her parents founded the winery as "Domaine des Trois Filles," named after Audrey and her two sisters, Leonie and Justine.
What better dish to pair with this gorgeous wine than a nice plate of deviled eggs - elevated - with poached cold shrimp and a nice dollop of Natto as part of our pursuit of Natto-Fest - A celebration of Natto.
A drop of wasabi and a drop of soy sauce - and we have a perfect match. WOW! These deviled eggs were so good and the wine was simply great.
So while you save on the Deviled Eggs, why not splurge on the wine. This wine. You won’t regret it.
#nattofest #natto #roséwine #DomainedesTroisFilles #artisinalwines #bandol #provence #frenchwine #deviledeggs
Wines of Provence Artisanal Wine Cellars Domaine des trois filles Rosé Wine Mansion Korin Knives Deviled Egg Co.
We love the wines of Provence.
It is likely that your first rosé was from this region which hugs the Mediterranean. From Marseilles in the West to Nice in the East - all sorts of wonderful wine and cuisine comes from this area of France. So yes, we think rosé first and likely the majority of the wine that comes from Provence is in fact rosé. That said there are four (plus) main regions which produce different wines. There is Cotes de Provence where rosé dominates. In Aix-en-Provence red is king with some 60% of the wine made there is dark hued. In Bandol, where Mourvedre dominates, Red is again king, but the rosé are well regarded and designed to age. And lastly, Cassis, the least known where white wine is #1 - some 75% of wine there is white.
So I thought on a hot, August evening a broad shouldered Cassis would do the trick when pairing with my fusion salade niçoise. The fresh tuna, which by itself is controversial, was cured in Kombu and had a Furikake crust; I included roast Shish*to peppers which were finished with garlic and lemon; soft boiled eggs, steamed potatoes, was and green beans, anchovies, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and friseé lettuce were drizzled with a wasabi/yuzu vinaigrette.
The wine, Chateau Barbanau, Clos Val Bruyere 2022 was perfect. Hand picked, 30% Ugni Blanc, 30% Clairette, 30% Marsanne, 10% Sauvignon; Organic farming the wine-maker’s website suggests some skin maceration. Records show the Clos Val Bruyere vineyard dates back to 1889 and the estate was established 100 years later. Today Sophie and Didier Simonini-Cerciello run the show.
The wine is so good - Bright with green tints, nose of white flowers, citrus and exotic fruits (Fennel, jasmin, lilac, lime & pineapple). I did not feel compelled to move on to a red wine - which I usually do. The wine is a real treat and somewhat rare (the importer says we’re only one of two customers who purchase this rare, but affordable wine).
What a great combination - a perfect dish a
As we celebrate 50 years of Hip-Hop, I went to the internet seeking images I might use for a post. I found the expected - rappers posing with Hennessy, Bartenura, 19-Crimes and Ace of Spades. I was disappointed until I stumbled upon a pod-cast by NY Times wine columnist Eric Asimov. He was reporting on a personality he had encountered by the name of Jermaine Stone. Bronx born and an aspiring rapper himself in his youth, Jermaine Stone today is an independent wine consultant and social media entrepreneur and hosts, "Wine and Hip Hop”, a pod-cast whose mission is to bring wine and hip-hop together through similarities. Stone, who is African American, began his journey in wine at the renowned retailer Zachys and rose through the ranks learning about fine wine warehousing, logistics, client service and the auction business. Fast forward to today, Jermaine is founder of Cru Luv Selections, a wine branding and marketing outfit dedicated to blending the “best elements of wine and hip-hop culture”. Wine and Hip-Hop has hosted a range of personalities - wine makers - Jeremy Seysses (Dujac), Dominique Lafon and Saskia de Rothschild (Château Lafite Rothschild), wine-folk, Sarah Thomas, Dustin Wilson and Philippe André and some others like NBA stars Tony Parker and former NY Knick, Channing Frye.
I appreciate and embrace what Stone is doing - breaking barriers - eliminating the pretension of wine - the white table cloth world that made wine so foreign to so many and making it more familiar to all. I am just starting to get into his pod-casts and learning more about Jermaine Stone - so I thought he is the perfect personality to honor on this day - 50 years of Hip-hop - which like Mssr Stone, was born in the Bronx, when DJ Kool Herc lit up a house party with his turntables and sparked a cultural movement which we still love today.
I hope to meet Mssr Stone some day but in the meantime - please tune in to his pod cast - https://open.spotify.com/show/2mvmqJ3nWjhzz0MaaOjJ
Oh dear - Paul Reubens aka Pee-wee Herman, gone - like so many greats. He entertained us for over forty years - which included his TV series, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, his movies - Pee-wee’s Big Adventure - over thirty films and fifty TV shows, he even had a LIVE stage production — he was a staple of modern American media culture. And though he had his troubles, he will forever be known as helping popularize the song “Tequila” by the Champs and of course his many quotable lines - “I don’t make monkeys. I just train them.”, “That’s my name. Don’t wear it out.” And of course the immortal comeback - “I know you are, but what am I?” But for me - perhaps his only reference to wine - in his first year of acting - he only had one line in the 1980 Blues Brothers Movie where he played a waiter at Chez Paul and when asked about the restaurant’s best champagne - "We have a Dom Perignon '71 for $120."
RIP Paul Reubens - forever - Pee-wee Herman!
“Be sure and tell ’em Large Marge sent you.”
I like natural wine. I respect natural wine. And I think it is getting better and better every year. There was a time when natural wine meant wine that tastes bad, raw, abrasive and volatile. Not so today. I am not sure what has happened - obviously the role of the importers and distributors have a lot to do with it - and a leader in this area is Scuola di Vino. Natural/Organic wine is all they do and perhaps that is the best approach to this end of the business. You sense the wines are unified by an invisible thread no matter the region or the grape.
What I like about “natural wines” is that they are so food friendly. A natural wine can tame aggressive and strong flavors while maintaining its posture. Such is this wine - Note di Bianco by Sicilian wine master Alessandro Viola, 100% Grillo. Indigenous to Sicily, farmed organically under the appellation Terre Siciliane IGT. Note di Bianco is zesty, crisp, and refreshing with aromas of white fruit and flowers, ideal with fish-based dishes as I did.
I paired it with this fried “prawn head” salad - crunchy, crispy, earthy, maritime prawn heads melded with aromatic cilantro, creamy avocado, sweet mango, earthy roast beets, salty quick pickles and zesty scallions and shredded daikon. The Grillo stood up to all these flavors beautifully.
As I said - I like natural wines - and perhaps I will drink more of it.
#Grillo #ScuoladiVino #sicilianwine #AlessandroViola #italianwine #naturalwine #sicily #organicwine
Scuola Di Vino Sicilia, Italy Wines of Sicily
One of the nice things about having a neighborhood shop is getting to know your customers. What they do for a living, how is their family, any vacations soon, preparing for High School or College. We are involved with the ups and downs of their lives and everything else in-between. Often, customers come in with their children and nothing is more boring to a kid than a wine-shop. So we provide things for them to do - toy cars, books, an old globe, pranks. Just enough to keep them occupied for ten minutes or so. And as they grow up I think they, the kids, learn to like us (though I am not sure we have been around long enough to sell their kids wine when they turn 21, but soon I am sure!). That said, this one kid came in with his dad who has shopped with us for five years or so. He had this artwork rolled up and asked if he could hang it up since he knew I displayed the art of my daughter. Of course we would. It does not have a name, but maybe you can come up with something. I see a dragon. And a slice of pizza. What else can I say but we’re happy to be a part of the neighborhood and be a part of our customer’s lives (ps: I was invited to my first customer wedding!)
#namethepainting W42st
Here we’re back again with Suzuki-san and trying another Natto and Wine pairing. I have to take my cues from Suzuki-san when it comes to Natto and a couple things he says he has never had - nor, does he think they do with Natto very often - and here is one of them. Natto served warm over soba in a cream and grape sauce - yes - grapes. This is a variation of a dish I used to make years and years ago - pasta with a Gorgonzola and grapes. Basically - pre-cook the soba - sauce is shallots, sake, cream, crushed peppers, natto and grapes - generous twists of black pepper and topped with mint and scallions. YIKES - it was so good - and maintained all the stickiness and “neba-neba” and stinkiness of the Natto.
To pair - a favorite of ours - Paleokerisio from Domaine Glinavos which was established in 1978 in the Viticultural Area with Protected Designation of Origin, Zitsa, Ioannina, Greece.
If there was an “orange wine” brand - this would be it - everyone who tries it loves it and who can forget the cute 500ml bottle. The wine has everything - it’s orange, semi-sparkling and semi-dry wine. It is produced from the indigenous white wine grape variety Debina with the addition of a small percentage of the red variety Vlahiko. It is a special type of wine where the little natural carbonate reveals the richness of flavors and aromas with a sweetness that blends in with all the other elements.
This is a perfect cheese/charcuterie sort of wine - people say it tastes like beer - a little hoppy I suppose with generous Christmas spices on the nose, but reliably delicious and really went well with this new Natto creation.
Suzuki-san agreed. Cheers.
#natto #nattodishes #Paleokerisio #DomaineGlinavos #greekwine #debina #vlahiko #DNS #nattofest
DNS Wines Κτήμα Γκλίναβος - Domaine Glinavos Korin Knives Wines of Greece
Hey hey, we’re back again with our good friend Suzuki-san in preparation for Natty-Fest which we hope to hold later in the Summer or early fall. We have been tasting through Natto dishes we have created - dishes where we use Natto as an ingredient - but try to elevate it and make it the star.
Here, I am putting Suzuki-san to the test and I have created a dessert with Natto, something he has never had before. Not Natto cookies, not Natto ice cream, never.
Here I am using fresh figs and topped them with Natto, reduced condensed milk, which is sort of a caramel, black berries, mint and a couple drops of soy sauce. We’re pairing with a more traditional wine for dessert - Saveiro ‘Vento do Oeste’ Madeira is produced by Humberto Jardim, owner and winemaker of Henriques & Henriques. This is Madeira that has rested in bourbon barrels for about a year before the barrels are shipped off to Scotland where whisky will spend some time in them.
The dessert is like a cocktail - salty, sweet, savory, tart - just aromatic. The wine is dry for a dessert wine nutty, dry vanillin, roasted orange, and rancio-tinged baking spices.
We’re trying a new Natto, a local product, which Suzuki-san assures us passes mustard (though there is not mustard) and very authentic. New York Natto “Black” from NYrture Food.
It works! There is no reason to not like Natto - especially when it is presented in a dish like this. Suzuki-san was surprised, as he typically eats Natto straight up with rice - never in a dish as an ingredient like we have been doing.
There is more to come as we prepare for Natto-Fest - we’re doing pretty good.
See you next time - right here on the internet.
#NYrtureFood #natto #japanesefood #HenriquesandHenriques #HausAlpenz/SotolonSelections #Madeira
Haus Alpenz NYrture New York Natto Natto
Hey hey - we’re back again - with my friend Suzuki-san and part one of our pursuit of excellent wine pairings with Japan’s favorite food - Natto! This is in preparation for Natto-Fest which we hope to have later this summer. At first we wanted to use Natto in place of beans and other food stuffs in more or less traditional WESTERN preparations. But when we gave it some thought, we decided to create dishes that respected Natto - and perhaps elevated it to another level all along creating creative Natto and Wine pairings.
Suzuki-san has explained that Natto is not typically an ingredient that Japanese think about when making a wine pairing - so though we have done it before - this could be a challenge with 6 or 7 dishes to be created.
We decided to start with a cold dish where the Natto was almost - as is - incorporating it into a beef tartar made with fresh beef heart. Very flavorful and just firm to the bite, the tartar uses mustard, Worcestershire, lemon, olive oil, shallots, capers, black pepper and anchovies and we incorporate a fresh raw egg yolk in addition to Natto. Served on endive leaves which provide some bitterness (and also on potato chips) the dish paired nicely with a fresh red from Castilla y Leon, Bodegas Margon, Primeur from the Prieto Picudo grape. Very fresh, the wine drinks a lot like a Cru Beaujolais. Grapes are from 60-100 year old vines so the wine is generous and complex with layers of flavors and lovely aromatics. The dish is equally complex with salt and spice and acid and subtle aromatics. Everything was very fresh and went nicely together - and both wine and the Natto held their ground.
So there you have it - the first Natto and Wine Pairing in preparation for Natto-Fest. The fun is just beginning.
さようならSayōnara
#natto #nattofest #BodegasMargon #polaner #CastillayLeon #spanishwine #PrietoPicudo
Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads out there - and all the moms who have to play that role!
This is my first Father’s Day without my child by my side - our annual visit to Katz’s Deli postponed until her return. She is halfway around the world, but managed to order a Father’s Day piece of cake for me from room service (she promised to save it!).
I am so happy to be Ginger’s father - she makes me proud every day - and I hope everyone has a wonderful day with their children by their side or otherwise.
Happy Father’s Day!
Hey - we’re back again with Suzuki-san for another interesting wine and food pairing challenge. Today we’re pairing a cold seafood salad with an assertive dressing of orange, ponzu, soy and red wine vinegar. The salad is composed of mussels poached in white wine, poached calamari, bitter greens and garlic-kimchi. The wine we have chosen for this dish is a Muscadet from Le Fief aux Dames, a family estate in Monnières, Loire Valley, France. The Cuvée Tradition pairs seamlessly with this dish and effectively marries with salt, spice and acid. I wish more Americans drank Muscadet but due to its “unfortunate” name - many I believe mistake it from the wine’s polar opposite - Muscato, which of course is sweet.
Muscadet of course is the perfect pairing for cold seafood - but as mentioned - manages to embrace the complex edges of this dish.
Please try Muscadet - if you like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, I think you will really like this wine - and the best examples are rarely over $20.
Thank you again Suzuki-san for another great time tasting a cool wine and a delicious, inexpensive dish.
#foodpairing #muscadet #LeFiefauxDames #loirewine #whitewine #seafoodsalad #metropoliswinemerchants
Metropolis Wine Merchants Korin Knives Loire Valley Wines
Today is the 5th anniversary of Anthony Bourdain’s death.
I am a big fan of Bourdain and typically watch his programming every week.
Early episodes of No Reservations were shy of celebrity guests, but over time - the guests rose in notoriety. The guests he related to the most? Musicians, actors and artists. Alice Cooper, Debbie Harry, Bill Murray, Sean Penn, Ralph Seadman, A.A. Gilles, Michael Ruhlman and Bill Buford amongst so many.
But it was the chefs I think he enjoyed the most - often superstars on their own - René Redzepi (Noma); Fergus Henderson (St Johns); Ferran Adria (El Bulli ); Paul Bocuse; Michel Troisgros; Juan Mari and Elena Arzak; Masayoshi Takayama; Jose Andres, Daniel Boulud and of course his “best friend” Eric Ripert. Too many to mention.
When he met his guests - you wonder how much of the interaction is honest vs showing tolerance for our curious friend. This was TV after all.
How famous was Bourdain?
I think one episode answers that question - Parts Unknown - S8, E1 - Vietnam. Tony loved Vietnam, especially the flavors of street food. But on this episode - a very special guest, who seemed equally thrilled to meet Bourdain as Bourdain was to meet him.
On a rainy street in Hanoi, surrounded by throngs of police and locals - in rolls the “Beast”. The Secret Service pops out and the crowd roars - and who is under that big black umbrella?
President Barack Obama.
The two greet and talk and eventually sit down to a bowl of Bun Cha and share a beer, stories and Bourdain even provides instruction on how to eat this local dish. Only Obama could pull this off with respect, honesty and show so much enthusiasm. Only Bourdain.
After watching this episode you realize how big a star Bourdain had become - how often do you get to meet the President of the United States over noodles and a beer? I think his curiosity made him so approachable. His humor. His honesty. And that perhaps he knew that sitting across the table was a person that was
Another fun event - this time we hosted a group of teachers from Midtown West.
We like to help the community, and no better way than to help a school. So we donated a wine event to the school auction which a parent won and gave to the teachers - so cool. It was a vibrant evening - and most teachers followed good classroom rules like speak when called upon and not talking over each other - yeah right! It was a fun night where these fine folk got to know a little bit more about their love of wine.
If you have a need for a wine event, just ask and we will fashion something to meet your needs.
Cheers and thank you Midtown West parents and teachers!
A wine guy’s little surprise…
I was invited over to taste through various brandies and digestif over at one of the best purveyors, if not the best purveyors of these precious liquids here in the City - Haus Alpenz. Haus Alpenz has brought this category to a whole different level. You know many of them - Dolin, Cocchi, Cardamaro and others. The best of the best across the board. Their office is full of wonderful liquids to sip and consider - which I did. And after happily selecting some Madeira, Garnatxa d’Empordà (don’t ask me to pronounce this), a Pear Williams and specifically for a customer, Allspice Liqueur (which is crazy tasty). My friend David brought out something unexpected - a cool, crisp white wine to sober me up.
Chao do Prado, Bucelas, Vinho Branco
Portugal is great at churning out delicious wine with exotic, heady aromas and flavors you can’t find elsewhere. Portugal has its own roster of native varieties, and Portuguese winemakers love nothing more than to blend them all together so we poor American wine drinkers haven’t a clue what’s going on. In Bucelas, just a few miles north of Lisbon, the folks at Chao do Prado blend together Arinto and Sercial (heard of the latter, not the former). Aromas of Anjou pear, lemon curd, lime zest, pineapple, kiwi, and chalky soil lead into a palate both custard-creamy and tense with live wire acidity giving life to notes of beeswax, mint, orange, lemon and savory herbs.
The wine is fresh, delicious, complex and very food friendly - as easily with oysters and clams, as it would be with roast chicken or grilled fish. A wonderful wine that anyone would love. And when the leaders in the brandies, digestif, liqueur category bring in a still wine - you know it has to be good.
Cheers and we’ll get into the other stuff later.
#hausalpenz #ChaodoPrado #portugal #whitewine #portuguesewine
Haus Alpenz Chão Do Prado Wines of Portugal US
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