BEST WINE BARS IN NYC

Courtesy of Wine Enthusiast.



Issue Date: November 2009, Posted On: 10/7/2009

Wine bars in New York are as varied and eclectic as the city’s inhabitants; a wine tour through Manhattan can take you around the globe and back again. Whether you are on the east side, west side, uptown or down, you are always a short walk away from an eye-opening international gustatory experience. Most bars offer small plates—tapas, cicchetti, or hors d’oeuvres—to accompany your glass of wine, emphasizing the pairings possibilities with countless global sips. We’ve short-listed the standouts, chosen for depth of wine list, variety of wines by the glass, food and ambiance. Whatever your toast—Salud, Prost, Yassas, Salut or simply Cheers—raise a glass to New York City!

Upper East Side
Accademia di Vino Sometimes going back to school can be fun. Accademia di Vino offers an elegant atmosphere in which to learn about Italian wines. Warm wood and etched glass evoke a Tuscan villa, while artfully displayed bottles of grappa and wine have a “wine cellar below the streets of Rome” feel. Wine Director Michael Doctor has selected more than 850 bottles for his geographically arranged list, and forty wines are available by the glass. All of the major regions of Italy are represented, many of them with notable wines: the super Tuscan selections boast many from Bolgheri, including magnums of Ornellaia and Masseto from Tenuta dell’Ornellaia. Chef Kevin Garcia prepares full entrees as well as small plates to accompany your choice of wine. The heavenly prosciutto and parmigiano fritters pair beautifully with the flavorful white-fruit and herb-scented Planeta 2007 Cometa Fiano from Sicily, while the St. Michael Eppan 2007 Pinot Nero from Alto Adige complements the Cognac- and sage-sautéed chicken livers.
What’s nearby: Restaurants: Daniel, Aureole, Post House. Bloomingdales; Madison Avenue shopping, such as Barney’s New York and Giorgio Armani; and the oldest continuously operating wine shop in the U.S., Sherry-Lehmann

Upper West Side
Bar Boulud Its cave-like vaulted ceiling, 32-page wine list and house-made charcuterie give Bar Boulud a “French village cooperative on steroids” vibe. Head Sommelier Michael Madrigale pours 50 labels by the glass and he and his staff will cheerfully recommend pairings for Executive Chef Damian Sansonetti’s Lyonnaise-style specialties. Focusing on the wines of the Rhône Valley and Burgundy (and international “cousins” made from the same grapes), categories include value-driven Discoveries, and more familiar Classics and Legends. Also on offer are “Heart Throbs,” (or wines they love) from around the world. The long wood bar is covered with large-format bottles and a round tasting bar in the back is used for weekly wine dinners. Among classics by the glass are Domaine Bernard Morey 2006 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Le Puits, and Coudoulet de Beaucastel 2006 Côtes de Rhône. Insituto Agrario di San Michele 2007 Müller-Thurgau from Alto-Adige is also a star, and if you’re in the mood for bubbles, try a bottle of Henriot 1998 Brut Champagne. From the kitchen, enjoy flatiron steak with pea fricassee and chanterelles, slow baked wild striped bass with mahogany clams, or do the Black and White Tasting, which pairs blood sausage and truffled white sausage.
What’s nearby: Restaurants: Per Se, Masa, Landmarc. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, home of the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet and New York Philharmonic; Central Park

Midtown West
Molyvos The Alpha and Omega of Greek wine, Molyvos pours 320 of them, with over 70 by the glass. An additional 130 international bottles round out its 28-page list. Affable Wine Director Kamal Kouiri knows his Assyrtiko from his Xinomavro, and he will gladly guide you through a tour of Greece. While terra cotta walls covered with ancient family photos and ceramic plates remind one of a taverna in Athens, the enormous arrangement of seafood just past the 16-seat bar instantly brings you to the Aegean. From the 10-page by-the-glass list, a refreshing Gaia Estate 2008 Wild Ferment Assyrtiko from Santorini is perfect with grilled baby octopus and olives, while the Boutari 2006 Kotsifali-Mandilaria Kretikos from Crete works well with Greek-spiced lamb spare ribs. A vertical of Tsantalis Cabernet Sauvignon-Limnio from Metoxi in Mount Athos is available, running from 1996 through 2000, as are multiple years of Ktima Kir-Yianni Ramnista from Naoussa. The front bar also has a 22-seat casual café, with a larger, more formal dining room in the back. Chef and partner Jim Botsacos excels across a wide-ranging menu of small mezedes (appetizers) and meat and fish entrees.
What’s nearby: Restaurants: The Modern, adour Alain Ducasse, BLT Market. Carnegie Hall, Museum of Modern Art, Broadway theaters

Midtown
Morrell Wine Bar & Café Just steps away from the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink, Morrell Wine Bar offers a civilized view of New York City’s most beloved Christmas Tree in winter months, but is worth a visit year-round. A large plate glass window separates you from the crowds that throng the streets, and warm wood accents and a 14-seat curved black granite bar make for a cozy atmosphere. More than two thousand bottles are available from their extensive list, with fifty wines by the glass. Standouts at this grande dame of Manhattan wine bars include a delicious Yarden 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from Israel, and the herb-tinged Do Ferreiro 2006 Albariño from Rías Baixas. Small plates are served at the bar; try the braised octopus carpaccio with the crisp Craggy Range 2008 Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, or the velvety Muga 1998 Prado Enea from Rioja, which is an excellent complement to the jamón serrano and charcuterie plate. The restaurant is under the direction of Chef Edwin Bellanco and serves a variety of delicious pasta, fish and meat entrees. After dinner, on a cold winter’s night, nothing warms the soul like a glass of Croft Reserve Port.
What’s nearby: Restaurants: Le Bernardin, Insieme. Rockefeller Center, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Saks Fifth Avenue

West Village
Lela Bar Thirty three seats arranged around an intimate oval bar make this West Village locale an excellent choice for meeting old friends or making new ones. The wood-topped bar, with its frosted glass base encased in delicate ironwork, sits beneath hanging Riedel glassware of all shapes and sizes. There are more than 150 wines on the list with 20 available by the glass; however, Wine Director Andrew Hotis—sheep farmer-turned-sommelier—will open any bottle if two glasses are committed to from it. Most major wine regions of the world are represented on the well-balanced list. His favorite selection is Weingut Kofererhof 2007 Kerner from the Alto Adige. A fruity Tempranillo rosé by Mesoneros De Castilla from Ribera del Duero is refreshing as an apèritif on its own, or alongside a variety of cheeses, meats or pressed sandwiches. The bacon and smoked meat flavors of the Upland Estate 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa pairs perfectly with the Hungarian Pick salami and Italian sopressata. The reserve list boasts wonderful selections including a 1998 Chateau d’Issan from Margaux and a 1999 Chateau Cheval Blanc from St. Emilion.
What’s nearby: Restaurants: Perry Street, Blue Hill, Babbo. Bleecker Street shopping, such as Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren and Magnolia Bakery

East Village
Terroir With a tattoo-to-sport coat ratio of about 100:1 most nights, Terroir is definitely not your father’s wine bar. The downtown clientele and casual atmosphere (24 metal stools line its slate-topped bar and single wooden communal table) evoke an unstuffy vibe, but this place is serious about what Wine Director Paul Grieco passionately refers to as “grape juice.” Its brick walls and pine shelving are home to 100 bottles of wine, with 50 by the glass, evenly divided between whites and reds. To call its three-ring binders filled with essays and musings on the fruit of the vine a “wine list” is akin to calling Homer’s Odyssey a “poem.” Salads, panini and “fried stuff” such as sage leaves with lamb sausage or risotto balls with peas and pecorino accompany a quirky selection of wines that includes a spicy Antoine Arena 2005 Patrimonio from Corsica. The Reserve List, titled “From the Cellar of a Distinguished Gentleman,” boasts López de Heredia 1964 Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva from Rioja. Should you make it to the last page of your binder, Taylor Fladgate 2003 Late Bottled Vintage Port, with its nose of dried stone fruits, is a refined way to end your evening.
What’s nearby: Restaurants: Hearth, Momofuku Ko, Apiary. Tompkins Square Park; East Village shopping, including Kiehl’s, Trash & Vaudeville, and Giant Robot

Raise a glass to these additional finds...Though these wine bar finds are on a smaller scale, they do what they do extremely well and deserve an honorable mention:

Bar Veloce, Citywide -- Forty five mostly Italian wines are available by the bottle, with 24 by the glass. Bruschette, panini and small plates are available. Caldaro 2007 Moscato Giallo from Alto Adige is ideal with Nutella panino. Exposed brick, dark woods and back-lit bottle racks create a comfortable space for meeting your friends. Three locations throughout the city.

Boqueria Soho, Soho -- Named for Barcelona’s sprawling food market, Boqueria Soho is a roomier version of its Flatiron sibling. Beyond the long cream marble bar are counter height tables, including a communal one which seats twelve. The wine list is predominantly Spanish and both tapas and full entrees are served. Elegant Remirez de Ganuza 1996 Tempranillo/Graciano from Rioja is a perfect match for fried quail eggs with chorizo on toast.

Clo, Upper West Side -- Located in the central gallery of The Time Warner Center, this unique 36 seat wine bar offers 100 wines by the glass, 96 of which are dispensed self service—think Horn and Hardart Automat for well-heeled grown-ups. Four sparkling wines are hand poured by the knowledgeable staff, who offer assistance with the space-age interactive wine list. Enjoy Opus One 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon or Fonseca 2000 Vintage Port without buying a whole bottle.

Counter, East Village -- Taking vegetarian to the next level, Counter serves gourmet, inspired cuisine paired with organic and biodynamic wines in their dining room. The wine bar serves 13 rotating selections by the glass from their 160-bottle list.

‘Inoteca, Lower East Side, Gramercy -- The frequently updated list features only Italian wine, and the panini press and prosciutto slicer never see any down time. Wine and small plates are served at the bar where you can watch the chef slice paper-thin prosciutto on a racecar-red hand-cranked slicer. Wash down a grilled mushroom and mozzarella panini with Valter Scarbolo’s 2007 Sauvignon Blanc. Choose between the rustic LES original, or its newer, slicker East 20’s sibling.

Las Ramblas, Greenwich Village -- Thirty bar stools are continuously filled in this West Village wine and tapas bar. Exposed brick and rustic wood are straight out of Barceloneta. Charming owner Natalie Sanz spent her childhood summers traveling throughout Spain, which is apparent in her focused Spanish wine list and market-inspired plates. A well balanced Pago Del Vicario 2007 Petit Verdot from Castilla and an expressive Pago De Los Capellanes 2006 Joven from Ribera del Duero are two standouts of the 23 wines offered by the glass.

Xai Xai, Hell’s Kitchen -- A virtual safari through South African wine. Over 100 bottles are available, and 75 are poured by the glass. Rough-hewn wood, a South African staff and small plates including venison carpaccio and ostrich tartare make for an authentic experience. An elegant dark fruit driven Raats 2006 Cabernet Franc from Stellenbosch and a minerally white Buitenverwachting 2007 Riesling from Constantia are two of South Africa’s finest wines.

SO MANY TASTINGS...SO LITTLE TIME!

I've come through what I now refer to as Wine Season, having attended no fewer than 6 wine tastings, sales, and events since Labor Day. (And I'm not even including our own club meeting in this tally!) With this experience behind me, I thought I'd blog a bit about it and pass along some of my observations.

The number of events taking place in the weeks and months following Labor Day is a little overwhelming, to say the least. It seemed there was another event each week. Not only can it be difficult to decide which events to attend, it can also be hard on the pocketbook without a little planning. Firstly, do I think it's a good idea to attend these tastings? Yes, definitely. Tastings can be an ideal way to sample a wide variety of wines of different quality and price point without having to actually buy the wines. You should attend as many as you can, whenever you get the chance. Most wine shops feature tastings of one type or another, whether they are scheduled tastings with paid attendance, or simply making some open bottles available for tasting by any customers who walk into the store. Penn Wines and Spirits, located on the LIRR level of Penn Station, opens two or three bottles and holds free tastings every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The Village Wine Cellar on Jericho Turnpike in Bellerose Village features a scheduled tasting one Friday a month. Attendees are required only to buy two bottles of any wine sold in the store. Bacchus Wines on Broadway near 71st, on the other hand, holds a number of scheduled tastings each month, and admission prices range from $45 - $75. They usually offer refreshments and attendees get to take home a Riedel wineglass. You can always find a tasting to fit your budget.

Tastings are often organized by theme, much as our club meetings are. If a store or organization holds many scheduled tastings they often have a calendar of events and you can plan to attend a tasting that interests you. Most businesses list their tastings on their websites, such as Novita Restaurant in Garden City, at http://www.novitany.com/, or Bacchus Wines at http://www.bacchuswinestore.com/. If you are interested in gaining knowledge, look out for tastings of varietals that interest you. It's always fun to go to a tasting and come across a great new malbec or syrah that you may have otherwise never tried. Or attend a tasting that features a varietal that is new to you, like a gigondas or gruner veltliner. You might find a new favorite!

Be prepared, in many cases, to fight your way through a crowd. It amazes me the way stores will hold tastings and cram as many people into as tight a space as possible, often making it extremely difficult to taste the wines. Morrell Wine Store http://morrellwine.com/ holds an annual event that costs $50 a person and makes almost 70 wines available for tasting. The wines can range in price from as little as $10 to as much as $200/btl. But the store is nowhere near large enough to accommodate the huge crowd that shows up, so it's a careful operation to navigate among the tables, which are not necessarily set up in numerical order, and choose the wines you'd like to taste. It's definitely worth the effort for a chance to taste wines such as the $150/btl of Dominus Napa Red. But next time, I'll go early and perhaps carry only a small pocketbook. Keep in mind that there's often nowhere to sit at these events, and that while many stores, including Morrell, Village Wines, and Bacchus will offer refreshments, not all do. You may be a little uncomfortable, but you usually get what you pay for at these tastings, so you can rest assured that you will get your money's worth.

There are annual festivals, such as the one held by the Garden State Wine Growers Assn., where you pay $10 to sample the wines of more than 100 New Jersey producers while you stroll through a historic park or have a picnic while listening to a local band playing jazz. There are tastings by businesses such as Swirl Events http://www.swirlevents.com/, which specializes in uniquely fun events such as their Wine and Dessert pairings where you not only sample a selection of fine wines but taste them along with some decadent desserts that make for surprisingly successful pairings. Vestry Wines, located on Vestry Street in lower Manhattan http://www.vestrywines.com/, offers 3 wines for free tasting each week. You can attend a tasting nearly anytime you'd like, even if you don't want to spend money. Go to an event, taste, and ask questions about the wine you are sampling. Wine folks love to talk! Even at a very crowded event you can usually get the store owner or representative of the wine producer to discuss the wines they are offering at length. Just be mindful that others are waiting their turn to taste as well.

So get out there and taste some wine. Make it your business to attend a tasting or two. And tell the club all about your experience.

OCTOBER CLUB NEWS -- THE BLIND TASTING THAT ALMOST WASN'T!

Our host for this month's meeting was Psyche, who suggested we do a blind tasting, a theme we were very excited about. This would be a good test of our knowledge and of our palates after nearly three years of meetings and tastings. We would taste a number of wines blind and guess at the varietals. The rules and prep took some work; there were some complicated logistics involved in ensuring the wines were at least mostly blind since the members themselves would be providing them. But kudos to Psyche who really worked hard to pull this off, from providing guidance with the rules and instructions, to designing and creating 10 bottle covers for us to use to hide the bottles during the meeting. She even printed up certificates for the winners. Everyone was game and the stage was set, until the day of the meeting when I realized that we would only have 5 bottles of wine for the tasting, two of which were white. No way was this going to be blind -- the two whites were no-brainers, which left only 3 reds, and if everyone correctly guessed the wine they'd brought, well, you can see why I was concerned! I had to take drastic measures to save the tasting, so I went into the stash and carefully chose two more reds, bringing the number of wines to 7 and, hopefully, providing a little more of a challenge for the players.

So the tasting went off without a hitch, and boy, some of us were in for a rude awakening! We're constantly talking about the smells and tastes you pick up in different wines, and this is why. When tasting blind, all you have to go on are what you smell, and what you taste. The wines exhibit certain qualities that can help to identify them: shiraz tends to be over-the-top fruity; cabernet sauvignon can have a slightly vegetal bouquet; an oaky chardonnay has that rich, buttery mouthfeel. But because there are so many variables -- terroir, method, vintage -- the wines can fool you, and if you taste many wines one after the other, the flavors and smells can blend. So you have to really pay attention as you taste the wines, not just to the obvious flavors and smells but even to the undernotes.

Though I played along with the others, I ended up disqualifying myself from the contest. I realized early on that I simply knew too much about the wines that were present for tasting. No biggie, the most important thing was that the game be fair (though Arthur and Robin continued to insist that the fix was in!).

The seven wines tasted were:

1. Cantina Gabriele Moscato 2008 http://www.shoppersvineyard.com/1/41831/Cantina-Gabriele-Moscato-Mevushal-Kosher-For-Passover -- Okay guys, it's white, it's fizzy, it's sweet, say it with me, Must Be Moscato. See, the fact that it's sweet narrows it way down already. And moscato tends to be the sweeter of the sparkling wines; if it had been sparkling but dry, it could have been champagne, prosecco, or cava. But sweet? Gotta be moscato.

2. Lynmar Russian River Valley 2005 Chardonnay http://www.lynmarwinery.com/wines.html#06rrvchd -- A classic rich, buttery chardonnay. The Lynmar had a golden yellow color that was too dark to be sauvignon blanc, and it couldn't have been sauterne (which is sweet) or riesling (ditto). Viognier was a possibility, but no, this was textbook chardonnay. Note: the 2005 is likely no longer available; only the 2006 was listed on the website.

3. Bolla 2007 Chianti http://www.americaswineshop.com/r/brand/bolla -- Now things began to get complicated! When I think chianti, I think dusty, dry, musty red. But the Bolla didn't exhibit any of the traits I usually associate with chianti; it was dry, yes, but more fruity and lighter in color than I remembered. I was thrown off, but Mom guessed this one correctly; to her it was unmistakably chianti.

4. Bogle Phantom Old Vine Zinfandel 2005 http://www.boglewinery.com/bogle_phantom_facts.htm -- Ah, zinfandel, our old favorite. I was surprised that this wine had some of us stumped. Dark, bold, fruity, slightly off-dry -- we've enjoyed this zinfandel more than once in the past but, when tasted blind along with other reds, it had a hard time standing out. On this one as well, it seems the 2006's are now available, so it may be difficult to find the 2005.

5. Seidelberg 2006 Pinotage http://www.seidelberg.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=33 -- Pinotage should have been easy! Along with the dark berries on the nose, we'd pick up that unmistakable beef jerky scent and that smoky flavor, along with a subtle hint of copper pennies or banana. This one, though, had none of that. I did manage to guess it, but more due to process of elimination than from actual knowledge.

6. Sula Vineyards Dindori Reserve Shiraz http://www.sulawines.com/wines/sula-reds/ -- We're more than familiar with shiraz, but I threw a monkey wrench into the works with this one -- this shiraz was from India, made to pair well with Indian and other spicy foods. It did not disappoint, showing rich, dark fruit, while not being too over-the-top.

7. Castillero del Diablo 2008 Pinot Noir http://www.chileanlegend.com/ourwines/pinotnoir/ -- I need to do more research! This pinot noir was nothing like I expected: darker, bolder, not as fruity. I like pinot noir a lot, and I did not like this one. On my game sheet, I confused the pinot with the chianti, which is telling. I felt like each wine exhibited the characteristics of the other. Noticed later on that this pinot noir hailed from...Chile. A factor? Could be...

We chose the moscato as our favorite, followed by the zinfandel and the chardonnay. But most telling was that the club was not bowled over by any of the wines at all, choosing the moscato only because it was sweet (which, of course was what kept me from choosing it). Also interesting was the fact that members found themselves trying to identify the wines not from each one's flavor and aroma profile, but according to whether or not it suited the member's taste, as in, "I don't like this one, so it must be chianti, since I don't like chianti." Of course, for reasons discussed earlier, that isn't necessarily a reliable method. But it did help us to see what we need to focus on as we taste wines going forward. We'll likely concentrate more on single varietals in future meetings, so that we can increase our knowledge of the characteristics of each, rather than focusing solely on which one we like the most.

The winner of the challenge was Mom, who along with her prize received a certificate declaring her to be the DiVine Wine Company's "Master Taster"! She will hold this honor until the next blind tasting, the winner of which will assume the title. Nice job by everyone, and nice work by Psyche!

Next meeting is November 14. I made announcements about this important meeting on Saturday and will send an email as well. Really hope to see you there!

PHOTOS FROM OUR JULY MEETING -- THANKS, LILLY!

AUGUST DIVINE CO. WINE CLUB NEWS -- SUMMERTIME WINES

What a great meeting! We met during the dog days of summer, in the midst of record humidity, to choose great summertime wines -- those wines that you sip while sitting on the porch in the middle of August, or even better, while sitting in the air-conditioned headquarters of the DiVine Company Wine Club. This month's meeting was hosted by Donna, who had actually planned to have the meeting at her place in the backyard, but the rainy forecast pushed us inside. Near as I can tell it did not rain, but location didn't matter. We were assembled and ready to evaluate this month's wines.

This turned out to be a great theme for us because it led us in some new directions. As our regular members know, we are not by and large white wine drinkers, nor do we enjoy roses. If we do drink a white, most of the time it's a riesling (just keepin' it real). But here we were, charged with choosing summertime wines, so our usual reds just wouldn't do. And we even had a "no riesling" rule! Harsh! So we were forced to open our minds and palates to new things, and we did pretty darn well: explored a couple of new grapes, and even tried a rose we liked. And we tasted some really nice summertime wines. In keeping with our summertime theme, we also enjoyed a summer pasta salad from Mom and a refreshing, fruity dessert from Robin that the above photo does not do justice; what can I tell you, I tried.

I urge you to find some of these wines and try them; nearly all are worth the effort. Note: Aside from the one red we tasted, these are best served chilled.

THE WINNER

Conundrum 2007 California White http://www.wineglobe.com/21234.html -- The Conundrum is basically a white wine blend from California -- a distinctive combination of sauvignon blanc, muscat, chardonnay, and viognier. The result is a very fruity white with strong peach aromas and flavors (we compared the nose to the syrup found in a Dole tropical fruit cocktail), along with nectarine, black pepper, and other tropical fruits. The muscat makes the wine semi-sweet, perfect for easy summer drinking.

SECOND PLACE

Domaine Raffault Chinon 2008 Rose http://www.adventuresinwine.net/index.php?id=95 -- This was a fruity rose with hints of green grape and red berries, and it even had a kick to it, making it more appealing to us than many roses. We enjoyed the hint of strawberry flavor and the mouthfeel, which gave the wine body. Not only did we like it, we made it our number 2 choice.

THIRD PLACE

Casal Garcia Vinho Verde http://tablewine.com/archiv18.htm -- Literally translated, "vinho verde" means "green grape." The wine, which hails from Portugal, is meant to be drunk young, and is absolutely perfect for summertime. It even smells like summertime air -- you know, sunshine over a field of grass and daisies -- and a little bit like Welch's white grape juice. It also surprised us by being slightly effervescent, yet so smooth, with light grapefruit flavors. Chill this and take it to the porch.

THE REST

Ceretto Blange Arneis 2007 http://www.ceretto.com/pagine/eng/vini_ceretto/monsordo_bernardina/langhe_arneis_blange.lasso -- A new grape for us, from Italy's Piedmont region, that gave our developing palates a real challenge. Mom probably has one of the most developed noses in the group and she picked up a soapy aroma, like Tide detergent. The palate was also hard to place; we tasted mustiness, grapefruit peel, and it had a nice long finish. This was a complex wine and we did like it, but it was a challenge to categorize. I will definitely get another bottle of it and taste it again. If anyone else tries an arneis, please report back to the club!

Hess Chardonnay 2008 http://www.wine.com/V6/Hess-Monterey-Chardonnay-2005/wine/88003/detail.aspx also see an interesting review of this wine here http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/284962/hess_chardonnay_monterey_2005_a_white.html -- Robin nailed the aroma on this one: roasted chestnuts. That was the first indication of the oakiness of this summertime chardonnay. The nose was very toasty with hints of fruit way in the back. The taste was an eye-opener -- grass, leaves, and lots and lots of oak and butter. The crazy thing is that the tasting notes on the back of the bottle as well as those I've seen online refer to fruity flavors like guava, pineapple, and pears, but we got none of that. Either we missed the boat completely, or everyone else is lying!

Clos de la Siete http://www.winereviewonline.com/clos_siete.cfm -- Our only red wine of the day was a blend out of Argentina comprised of 50% malbec, 30% merlot, 10% cabernet sauvignon, and 10% syrah grapes. On the nose we picked up berries, leather, smoke, and a bit of prune or raisin. The taste was heavy on tannins and heat, which overpowered the fruity taste that would have been lent by the malbec and syrah grapes. This wine seemed a bit young to us and would have benefited either from lots more breathing time (we tasted it over an hour after opening) or more time in the cellar.

Stone's Original Green Ginger Wine http://www.winechateau.com/sku14264.html?utm_source=Shopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=STONES%20GINGER%20WINE -- The surprise of the day was this ginger wine that was more of a liqueur. Made using a centuries-old recipe, this wine smells exactly the way ginger ale should smell; waves and waves of real ginger scent. The wine is somewhat sweet and best used as a mixer -- we imagined it mixed in tea or as a hot toddy, or with whiskey. Or you can try it the way we did: on the rocks, with an orange slice. So refreshing and satisfying, this drink pretty much signifies summertime.

So now you have some great wines to try during the upcoming Labor Day weekend while you're at the beach or on the porch. I hope you all enjoy the rest of the summer, and make the best of it; it'll be over before you know it. Our next meeting is scheduled for October 3. See you then.

JULY DIVINE CLUB NEWS -- BBQ IN NJ

Let me tell you, it's not easy to pull off a "serious" wine tasting when you're busy enjoying great weather, great friends, and great barbecue! Do not ask me how we did it, but the second annual Divine Wine Co. barbecue meeting went off without a hitch. Our theme was, of course, a wine and barbecue pairing, and we set out to decide which of our chosen wines went best with barbecue. Not an easy feat: the barbecue was smokin' to say the least, and we brought no fewer than 10 wines to evaluate. Plus, you could not beat the setting -- Deirdre and Gary's lovely home in Pt. Pleasant, NJ. A good time was had by all, and of course I need to thank our gracious hosts for opening their home to us; our great chefs, especially Laura and Tris for the tasty shish-ke-bobs and Robin and Mom for the amazing ribs and pork chops, plus Robin's skills on the grill. Everyone's food and wine were delicious; thanks for coming through.

But we're here to talk wine, so here goes! Ten wines were tasted, and while we did manage to get through them all, somehow we neglected to choose a favorite before ending the meeting. We took a vote by email and I have results for you here. I'm especially proud that we tried out not just one but two new grapes, along with revisiting some old favorites.

THE WINNER
Chono Reserva Carmenere
http://www.snooth.com/wine/chono-reserva-carmenere-2006/ -- A new grape ranks number one! In fact, our two new grapes this month made the numbers one and two spot in the final tally, showing that the club is not afraid to expand our palates. And, get this, the carmenere is from...Chile. (Somebody talk Arthur down off the ledge.) Learned about this grape from WinelibraryTV, and honestly, if you are serious about trying new things, please check out this podcast. I have learned so much from it and it is fun. In any case, the carmenere, Chile's signature grape, was earthy and vegetal on the nose, but the taste was rich, dark, plummy, lots of dark fruits, and very smooth. No harsh tannins, either. We liked it very much, and I plan to head over to Astor Place Wines as soon as I can and pick up some more; they have it for $10.99/btl.

SECOND PLACE
Joh. Bapt. Schafer 2006 Scheurebe
http://www.snooth.com/wine/joh-bapt-schafer-scheurebe-kabinett-2006/ -- Another new grape wows the club, this one a white. The Scheurebe hails from Germany and is a cousin to riesling; no surprise, then, right? But this wine was a bit more acidic, with a nice aroma of pineapple, and though it was a tad sweet, it was not overly so; we found it slightly drier than the kabinetts we are used to. There was a nice hint of grapefruit on the back end and even a little melon. It reminded us of sour candy, like Lemonheads. It paired very nicely with the kabobs.

THIRD PLACE (A four-way tie)

Leitz Dragonstone Riesling 2008 http://www.englewoodwinemerchants.com/product_details_wine.asp?ProductID=350
As with many of the wines, we had a hard time picking up smells with this wine and we realized it was a drawback of being outside and near the grill. But on their website Englewood Wine Merchants describes the nose as "Smells of cherry cider laced with orange peel and mulling spices." Uh, yeah. In any case, on the palate we picked up lime for days, and green apple. As with the Scheurebe, we loved this with fruit, especially off the grill.

Agua de Piedra Malbec 2007
http://www.hillsideliquors.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1748
Featured tobacco on the nose and the palate, along with dark berries. Went very well with the barbecue.

Snake Charmer Australian Shiraz 2006
http://grapeandcheese.com/wine/red/vinaceous-snake-charmer-2006-shiraz
This was inky dark, and a little inky on the palate, too, but with berries and a little leather. We liked it, as we do most shiraz, but some of us found it a bit thin, with too much alcohol on the back end and not much else.

Fairview Pinotage
http://www.wine.com/V6/Fairview-Pinotage-2006/wine/89802/detail.aspx
Last wine we tasted, so I have no real notes on this one except that we really liked it, and that along with the typical smoky, coppery pinotage taste that bowls me over every time, I actually picked up chocolate, which did me in completely. I had a hard time picking my favorite between this and the carmenere and while the Chilean won out, I would recommend that us big red wine lovers pick up the Fairview as well.

THE RUNNER-UP
Rosso Supremo Antica Tenuta Il Torchio 2007
http://www.snooth.com/wine/il-torchio-rosso-supremo-2007/
The surprise here was that the nose on this wine was very similar to that of the malbec: like a freshly opened pack of cigarettes. That, plus the dark berries made this a wine the group found quite pleasant. But the best thing about the wine was the packaging. The bottle was resealable, with one of those rubber-rimmed flip tops that hangs by a metal ring from the lip of the bottle. Very practical!

THE REST
Diva Veneto Pinot Grigio 2006 -- We found this amber-colored pinot grigio very intriguing right off the bat. It turned out to be a little sweeter that we anticipated, with a hint of peach on the nose. We thought it too light for barbecue.

Isabel's Cuvee Donkey and Goat Rose 2008
http://www.adonkeyandgoat.com/
A failed experiment! I specifically chose this rose for the meeting, knowing that the club tends not to like roses in general (see the notes from the August 2008 meeting for the one rose we did like). I'd tried it before, and aside from the nice floral nose and the taste of fresh berries on the palate, this wine has real mouthfeel and weight to it. It doesn't disappear the way most roses do. I'd even had some of our members sample the wine prior to the meeting, and they found it enjoyable. So I thought this would go over well with the club. NOT! Not only was the wine judged to be not good for barbecue, most of the club did not like it at all. Oh, well, can't blame me for trying!

Chateau Cotes de Chambeau Montague Saint Emilion 2007 http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/product/10981201/2005-Chateau-Cotes-de-Chambeau-Montagne-Saint-Emilion
Ishmael picked up jam on the nose in this Bordeaux red, but the rest of us found it tight, heavy on the tannins, and not very fruity. It was pronounced not good for barbecue. NOTE: take a look at the reviews for the 2005 vintage in the link I've included here; they mirror our comments on the 2007. Makes sense; if the '05 isn't ready to drink, the '07 is way too young.


Now, some may say we bit off a bit more than we could chew with so many wines to try, but we did manage to get through it and expanded our palates in the process. Good job, people! Try something new every chance you get; that's what this is all about.

Speaking of trying something new, you may know that Mom is working on a listing of our favorite wine shops, and I'm putting together a list of wine bars. We hope to collect these in a booklet that we'll give out to the club members, so please, let us know your favorite shops and bars. You can email them to us, or post them in the blog, whichever is easier. I think people will enjoy checking out each other's shops and hangouts.

So, on to August! Our host for the next meeting is Donna, and she is preparing an intriguing theme for us. Stay tuned!

MAY DIVINE WINE CLUB NEWS -- GREEK WINES

We really lived up to our slogan -- winos with knowledge -- this month! The theme was Greek wines, subject chosen by our host, Robin. As many of you know, the subject came about by chance after he found that it really isn't easy to find wines from Brazil, the original theme. When we got into the research of Greek wines and of the country's history, we learned what an intriguing topic it is and we were really looking forward to trying these new varietals. So much of Greek history revolves around and influenced the wine trade, right up till today. And overall, we found that the wine styles are quite similar to the wines we are used to tasting. It's no wonder that back in the day it was Greece, not France, that was the leader in wine production.

In addition to our wines, our menu this month featured Greek foods: Greek pasta salad with olives and smoked mozzarella; turkey meatballs with a lemon-yogurt dip; appetizers of spanakopitas and manitaropitas; and plenty of Greek olives and hummus for snacking. That's what I love about our club; whatever subject we do, we do it thoroughly.

So, on to the wines. Greece produces a wide range of wines: whites, reds, dry, sweet, sparkling, and dessert wines. There truly is something available for nearly every palate. We featured seven wines this month, five whites and two reds. Here we go.

THE WINNER
Gaia Estate Agorgitiko 2005
http://www.snooth.com/wine/gaia-estate-agiorgitiko-2003-1/
I'm starting with this wine because we chose it as our favorite, but by the time we got to this red wine we had already tried five whites with wildly mixed results (you'll see what I mean) and I really think our opinions and palates were greatly influenced by the experience. We were relieved to finally get to the reds. The agorgitiko was surprisingly familiar: deep, full bodied and leathery on the nose, with lots of fruit; it had firm tannins and a great, long finish. It was very reminiscent of a typical Old World style red, and that was part of the problem. There was nothing different or special about the wine, nothing that said it was a Greek varietal rather than a French or American one, and we knew we could get a great wine just like this one at a much lower price point (the Gaia was $33.98). Still, it was the favorite of the group.

SECOND PLACE
Sigalas Santorini 2007
http://www.domaine-sigalas.com/domaine-sigalas-wines.html
Made from the asyrtiko grape, this wine was rich, rich, rich. The grapes are grown on old vines in volcanic soil and the wine was aged in oak barrels, and man, did it show. Is this why the wine had so much heat and was so very full bodied? This had real mouthfeel, with peppery notes on the back end. Most of us liked this one because it was so different from the other crisper, more floral whites we'd had up to that point. Not Arthur, though! His was the one dissenting opinion.

THIRD PLACE
Moschofilero Boutari 2006 http://www.terlatowines.com/wines/greece/boutari/product.asp?Id=34
This was the first wine we tried. What was striking was how quickly everyone drank it. Moschofilero tends to be aromatic, low in sugar. The wine was very light, citrusy, semi-dry, and reminded me of a riesling without the acid.

THE REST
Notios Peloponnisos 2008
http://downtown.greenegrape.com/product_info.php?cPath=3_308&products_id=1672&osCsid=p4k78ltslsjjsdva7pat7823k5
Also by Gaia Estates, the Notios is a blend of 50% moschofilero grapes and 50% roditis. The roditis did give the wine an added crispness that struck some of us as vinegary, and this also reminded us of riesling sans acid. The Notios and Boutari were very similar, but of the two we preferred the Boutari.

Kouros Patras 2006
http://www.nestorimports.com/kouros/kouros_patras.htm
Made from 100% roditis grapes, this wine was also light, floral, citrusy, but with an interesting undertaste: corn chips! Psyche described it as reminiscent of growing up in the south with fresh corn growing everywhere. The citrus was front and center, though: lemons, grapefruit, lime, right in your face.

Boutari Retsina wine
http://www.terlatowines.com/wines/greece/boutari/product.asp?Id=55
This was the most...interesting of the bunch. Retsina is traditional Greek wine, made in the old style using savatiano grapes and infused with pine resin to mimic the historic method of preserving the wine. The wine smells just like a combination of floor wax and old, moldy potatoes. I kid you not. And the taste? EXACTLY THE SAME. Psyche was generous, saying the taste was vaguely Mediterranean, and while she and Mom were put off at first, they both eventually grew more accepting of the odd taste and smell. Robin, Arthur, and I found it completely undrinkable. Ishmael, in his trademark style, remained neutral.

SPECIAL MENTION
Cavino Mavrodaphne of Patras
http://winelibrary.com/wines/29757-Cavino+Mavrodaphne+750ML
The group was unanimous in its vote that this wine be put in its own separate category, so as not to skew the voting for our favorites. Mavrodaphne is a red grape variety that yields very sweet wines, dark, with hints of plum, dried cherries, and raisins. It reminds one of an Italian amarone or...a port! Saved this wine for last and when the group tried it, well, Arthur sank back in his chair and sighed blissfully; Robin nodded his head real slow and grinned and grinned; Ishmael drawled "Weeellll," and I just smiled, because at last the port lovers were satisfied. We decided to nickname this "the poor man's Sandeman." But because it was basically a dessert wine, we decided it wasn't fair to compare it to the rest of the wines even though it was the overall favorite, so it gets its own special category. Oh, and the $7.99 price point was just an added bonus.

If you can find them, definitely try some Greek wines, whites and reds. Well, maybe not the retsina. Whatever your tastes, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how much you like them.

Next meeting isn't until July 11 -- seems like forever! But it will be well worth the wait because we will meet "down at the shore" for our barbecue at the Smerillos'. This is going to be a LOT of fun, so I urge you, if you can, please join us. I'll be sending out emails to keep everyone updated as we begin making our plans closer to the date. Ishmael will be our host and the theme is, of course, wines that go with barbecue.

Happy sipping!

APRIL 2009 DIVINE WINE CLUB NEWS -- WINE COCKTAILS

Once again, this has been a very, very busy time! But with my class at NYU done for the semester, I can finally turn back to wine club news and updates. Seems like the last club meeting was forever ago, so maybe this posting will help us to revisit the fun!
The theme for our April meeting was Wine Cocktails, selected by our member Laura. Everyone brought a cocktail recipe and the wine and ingredients to make it, and we set up a real cocktail bar complete with fruit, olives, ice, and an honest-to-God bartender, our own recently recertified member Arthur (who showed up in full uniform!!). In addition, our member Robin got in the kitchen and created some amazing ribs for us. Added to that, we had a visit from my Boston family -- my cousin Chandra, her hubby Jovan, and their daughters Maya and Imani -- and Laura brought along her daughter Lily, and we had a full-fledged cocktail party going on.

Laura explained that she came up with the idea of the cocktails as a means to learn different ways to enjoy wine, particularly in the summertime when we may not wish to drink yet another white wine, a heavy red, or a rose. Amazing what happens when you mix wines with liqueurs and other ingredients; the characteristics of the wine were sometimes muted, and other times enhanced by the other flavors. We found the cocktails very enjoyable, and they could be made with either high- or low-end wines and liqueurs, depending on your preference. But we did learn two valuable lessons: one, experiment, experiment, experiment. If a cocktail recipe doesn't float your boat, try a different wine, another brand of liqueur, or change the amounts of the ingredients. Remember, everyone's palate is different, so find out what works for you. And two, know your tolerance. If you're like those of us who have been drinking nothing but wine for the past couple of years, some of these cocktails can hit you like a ton of bricks, so be careful.

We had a difficult time choosing first, second, and third favorites, but after much debate, here's how it played out.



THE WINNER

Kir (presented by Laura): one part pinot grigio, 5 parts cassis. We used Tomaiolo 2007 Italian pinot grigio. This was by far our favorite cocktail, as the wine and cassis blended together so smoothly to produce a slightly sweet, slightly fruity cocktail.



SECOND PLACE

Blue Grotto (presented by Donna): For each glass, combine 1 oz. melon liqueur or midori, 2 oz. Tanqueray gin, and 1 oz. blue curacao in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, pour into an 8 oz. flute. Fill the glass with prosecco or spumante, and garnish with an orange slice. Although this drink came out green, not blue (Donna nicknamed it the Alien Blood), we were immediately impressed by its tropical, island flavor.



THIRD PLACE

Angostura Costa del Sol (presented by Psyche): Harvey's Reserve, orange juice, cream (which we did not have), Angostura bitters (which we also did not have). So we basically had a drink of Harvey's and orange juice, which was interestingly pleasant. We decided we probably wouldn't like bitters anyway.



THE REST

Port Wine Cocktail (presented by Ishmael): For each glass pour 2 oz. Sandeman Ruby Port into a cocktail shaker with ice. Add a splash of Remy Martin and shake for at least 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Of course we looked forward to this cocktail because we love our Sandeman, but the Remy completely overpowered the port, and the drink was not enjoyable.

Klingon Blood Wine (presented by Loretta, Navorn, and Robin): For a pitcher, mix together 1 gallon red burgundy (we used Gallo), 1 cup brandy, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/2 cup Cointreau, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp Tabasco Sauce, 3 drops green food coloring, and slices of star fruit (we substituted orange slices). A recipe this involved should have been a huge hit, at least with the Trekkers in the group, but it garnered a mixed reaction. Some of us liked that it wasn't too sweet, while others were turned off by that. We think there were probably too many ingredients in this cocktail to give it any distinct flavor that we could enjoy, and the color, which was a blackish purple, was a bit...intimidating.

Kalimotxo or Calimocho (presented by Donna): For each glass, combine equal parts red table wine and Coca-Cola. We used Este Spanish table red. Right off the bat we did not like this combo, then we tried the wine alone and realized it probably was not bold enough and that the drink demanded a fuller-bodied red. Keeping in the Spanish theme, we substituted a Tres Picos garnacha for the Este and used less Coke, and the drink was much improved. As an alternate, we substituted Canada Dry ginger ale for the Coke, but this did not help.


And so went the first DiVine Wine Club cocktail party. Another great idea presented by a club member; we have had some truly enjoyable meetings so far this year and I look forward to the meetings to come!

Now, as a bonus, since many of you asked for it, I'm passing along Robin's recipe for those yummy ribs. Enjoy, and see you at the next meeting!

Chicago BBQ Ribs

spare ribs, pork or beef, 5 lbs
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
brown sugar to taste (optional)
1/4 cup water
honey to taste (optional)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (can be found in supermarkets)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Clean and season ribs to taste.

In a shallow roasting pan, add two cups water. Place ribs on a rack in pan and cover with aluminum foil. Lower oven temp to 250 degrees and cook ribs in oven for 1 hour. Remove ribs from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a separate bowl add remaining ingredients and mix well. Uncover ribs and place directly in roasting pan (water will have evaporated; discard any remaining water). Pour sauce onto ribs, return to oven and cook uncovered for 15 minutes until sauce is carmelized. Grab a bunch of napkins and dig in!

MARCH WINE CLUB NEWS -- VALUE WINES

We went into this month's meeting with some trepidation, I believe, and with good reason. Since the rule was that the wine must cost no more than $5, who knew what we would get? Would there be any good wines at all? Would we all end up with headaches? Would I have to break out the $60 Amarones just to make us feel better? Well, we began the tasting with our minds open and our stomachs full just in case, and here's what we ended up with!

THE WINNER: Archeo Nero d'Avola 2006 http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=340088 -- A new grape for us, and from Sicily, so it can't be all bad, right? This wine retails for under $5 at Trader Joes, and by all accounts it wasn't even half bad. A bit of cherry tobacco and leather on the nose, and also dark berries. Robin actually picked up apple. It did smell a bit hot, though, as cheaper wines tend to do. The tannins were surprisingly firm but not overbearing, and the taste was fruity and pleasant but not sweet. I read that it does not stand up well after being open for more than a few hours, so I'll try it again today and see.

2ND PLACE -- Ca' Donini Delle Venezie Chardonnay 2007 (no web page available) -- This was the second of two chardonnays we had at the meeting and they were very different. This one, from Italy, was light and fruity, unoaked, and floral on the nose. The taste was similar, a good wine for those who like their chardonnays crisper and more subtle on the palate.

3RD PLACE -- Crane Lake Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (no web page available) -- We also had two Cabs to compare, this one from California. The wine had a herbaceous smell, which I pick up in most Cabs, and the club liked the taste of this one, dry but also fruity, and I thought it a touch sweet compared to our other Cabernet.

You MUST check out this write-up on the Crane Lake, which I found at winecast.com: http://winecast.net/2006/10/08/crane-lake-petite-sirah-2003/ For starters, Crane Lake is made by the same company that makes Two-Buck Chuck!! Who knew??

THE REST:

Two Oceans Chardonnay 2006 -- http://www.wine.co.za/Directory/Wine.aspx?WINEID=17586 This South African wine was the other chardonnay we tried. This one was more oaky and I thought it pretty hot on the back end. Mom preferred this to the Italian chardonnay, saying she found it fruitier and that it had more weight. But we all agreed it was underwhelming.

Casa del Toro Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (no web page available) -- I refuse to give up on Chile! This cab was even more herbaceous than the Crane Lake; I thought it smelled just like walking through a forest in the rain while holding a green pepper. The taste was like a cross between wine and lettuce. The fruity red lovers did NOT like this one!

Berefoot Merlot nonvintage http://www.barefootwine.com/our-wines/overview/red/Merlot.html -- The description on the Barefoot website says, "It is a decadent fruit-filled combination of red cherry, boysenberry and plum with melt-in-your-mouth chocolate notes and mild tannins to round out the flavors." Not!! The club was so ambivalent about the wine that I couldn't even get a description from them. About ten minutes after we tried it Psyche ventured to say that the wine smelled and tasted like over-ripe melons, which is pretty darn weird for a red. I think the fact was that nobody hated it, which was good, except that by the time we picked our favorites, no one could remember what they liked about it. A major PASS.

Frontera Shiraz 2007 http://www.conchaytorousa.com/wines/frontera.html -- The club hated this wine, but I'm not sure I completely blame the Frontera. I put it in the refrigerator at the start of the meeting just to give it a slight chill and completely forgot about it, so by the time we tasted it it was way too cold. We tried to give it time to warm up, but this was at the end of the meeting, so I don't think we did it justice. One person did like it, though, and that was Eslin, who declared she liked it cold and killed off the bottle before we could let it get too warm. See? Everyone's palate is different!

There's one other "wine" we tried, and I saved it for last, as I believe it belongs in a category all it's own.

Andre Cold Duck (Check out the description on Wikipedia!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Duck) -- So Robin brought this wine as a joke, and boy, was it ever! The best thing about it was that it brought back fond memories for club members who drank it growing up, although now they can't remember what on earth they liked about it. The nose was pure Welch's grape jelly. The taste was like grape soda. I venture to say there was no wine in it at all. It was... an experience.

A lot of good came out of this meeting, not the least of which was that we had so much fun with the subject. True, the wines were mediocre. But the important part was that we knew they were mediocre and we knew why. Many of these wines were described at some point as being "an okay wine for those who don't know wine." Well, I think this meeting proved that we know wine!

JANUARY - FEBRUARY WINE CLUB NEWS

My apologies for taking so long to update the blog and catch everyone up on club news; it's been an eventful month to say the least. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and good wishes during the past couple of weeks. I got back from attending my father's funeral in Florida this past Wednesday. Everything went beautifully, and I can say that we gave him a great send-off. Even though I only saw my father roughly once a year, he was a big part of my life and I will miss him very much. As I mentioned, he helped motivate me to start the DiVine Co. Wine Club, so I'm dedicating this month's blog posting to him.

Last month we held the first of our 2009 meetings, and the agenda for January was chosen by Loretta (aka Mom): a Wine & Music Pairing. We asked members to bring their wine of choice, and also a song that they like to listen to while enjoying their favorite varietal. I was a little concerned beforehand because it seemed that people would have a hard time choosing music, but as usual you guys came through. We had so much fun at this meeting that we hung out drinking and grooving until pretty late, and we decided we will definitely do this pairing again. It was a huge success.

Some of the wines were past favorites that we've enjoyed many times previously, and we didn't feel comfortable choosing a favorite pairing because all of the music was so darn good, so I'll just list the pairings here. We did enjoy a few new wine faves, though, and I will note those.

ARTHUR's Pairing: Covey Run Riesling http://www.coveyrun.com/wines/quail.asp w/"Maputo" by Bob James and David Sanborn -- This riesling had a good acidity to it that gave it a little more bite than some of the rieslings we've tried, and it was a nice change. The music was butter-smooth saxophone jazz with a rich rhythm section that just took us away. It was hard to move on after this one and we had just gotten started!

LORETTA's Pairing: Schmitt Sohne Riesling 2007 http://www.schmitt-soehne.com/mainframe.asp?lang=de&e1=634 w/"Fade Away" by Mary J. Blige -- We've had this riesling many times before and it's already a wine club favorite, but this time we sipped it with Mary J. in the background singing about empowerment, and it gave the wine an added depth. Mom explained that this particular song gave her strangth during her illness this past year, and we could see why.

PSYCHE's Pairing: Fleur du Cap Pinotage 2006 http://www.fleurducap.co.za/wines.php w/"Spoonful" by Howlin' Wolf -- Kudos to Psyche! Our most fearless member (She's always introducing us to something new!) brought us a new grape -- one I'd been wanting to try, incidentally -- and some down 'n dirty blues to pair it with. The pinotage is produced mainly in So. Africa and it is a meaty, jammy red that tastes like nothing so much as liquid smoke. It has a great mouthfeel, good tannins, and just makes you want to drink more and more. Mom and I were instantly hooked! And the song? Just download it and listen to it. Bottom-heavy blues like no other. Psyche says she and her mom enjoy this pairing a lot. We have got to get her mom into the club!

DEIRDRE & GARY's Pairing: Cantina Zaccagnini 2005 Dry Red http://www.snooth.com/wine/cantina-zaccagnini-montepulciano-d-abruzzo-riserva-italy-abruzzi-dry-2005/ w/ "Waltz for Debby" by the Bill Evans Trio -- Leave it to the Smerillos to bring us a top-notch Italian red and beautiful piano jazz. Gary describes the Bill Evans Trio as the band he, as a musician, would have loved to play with. We could see why; we were immediately drawn in by the gorgeous melody. The wine was a dry, full-bodied accompaniment to the music; very nice pairing.

NAVORN's Pairing -- Bogle Phantom 2005 http://www.boglewinery.com/bogle_phantom_facts.htm w/ "Zoom" by the Commodores -- What can I say? Nothing sends me away like Lionel singing about that perfect place he hopes to someday see. I know exactly how he feels! But seriously, I chose the Bogle to go with that song because I'd been wanting to try the Phantom again, and it did not disappoint. It's a blend of old vine zinfandel with syrah and mouvedre giving it a nice kick. Go and explore the Bogle line of wines; they have not let us down yet.

ISHMAEL's Pairing -- Forest Glen Merlot 2005 http://winelibrary.com/reviewwine.asp?item=22340 w/"Too Young" by Nat King Cole -and- "Where Will You Go" by Babyface -- Ever the overachiever, my uncle Ish floored us with not one but two song selections to go with his sturdy merlot, and this was after pulling a stack of CD's from his briefcase! Stupid me had assumed he was carrying work in there! I liked this merlot because it was not too tannic and tough. It had a nice silkiness to it that was a real complement to the equally silky tones of Nat Cole. And while I never considered pairing anything with Babyface, I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. This is one of his prettiest tracks.

ESLIN's Pairing -- Sandeman Ruby Porto http://www.sandeman.eu/ w/"Fever" by Ray Charles and Natalie Cole -- This was the first of our two Sandeman pairings, and it was the funkier one. Of course, the club loves us some Sandeman so it really doesn't matter what we pair it with; we could have thrown on a Clay Aiken song and we would have liked it just 'cause we had the port. But "Fever," well, with Sandeman, the song is even jazzier, and a lot more fun!

ROBIN's Pairing -- Sandeman Tawny Porto w/ "Superstar" by Luther Vandross -- Forget it, we were done. Bad enough we were deep into the Sandeman already, but to throw on Luther?!? And "Superstar"??? By the time this was over, Mom was a puddle on the floor, and I had the coffee brewing as an antidote. Robin described his music choice by saying that he finds that whenever he has a problem, he puts on a Luther CD. By the time he gets to "Superstar," his problem is usually solved. Of course, Sandeman solves many a problem too, mainly by making us forget what the problem was!

Ah, good times. So went our first wine and music pairing, likely the first of many. Thanks to Mom for such an outstanding idea.

Next meeting is March 7 and the theme, chosen by the Smerillos, is Value Wines. All wine selections must cost no more than $5. I'm a little bit scared!

WELCOME TO 2009!

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope everybody had great New Years celebrations. Since we're all in the spirit, I figured I'd begin the year with some wine updates and info about this year's meetings. We added a good number of wines to our favorites in 2008, and I'm hoping we can do the same in '09.

We're going to do things a little differently this year. Our theme: You Set the Agenda. Instead of me choosing the subjects for each meeting, I'm leaving it to the club members. In this way I hope that others will be able to explore whatever wine subjects interest them, not just those that interest me. Take this opportunity to learn more about the topic of your choice, be it California cabernet sauvignons, 2005 French bordeaux, wines from South Africa, blind tastings, the benefits of decanting, whatever. It's up to you.

I've laid out the scheduled meetings for the year. Each member will choose a month and will set the agenda for that month and tell us how to carry it out. I'd like every member to participate, so if a member does not get to choose a meeting in 2009 we'll carry it over to 2010. We discussed this at our holiday party so some members have already chosen a month and in some cases a theme. I'll outline those here as well. At our January meeting we'll assign whatever months are left.

There are three rules each member must follow in choosing a month and agenda:

1)You must actually attend the meeting for your month. Seems like a no-brainer, I know, but you'd be surprised.
2)You must do your research and bring some knowledge about your subject. If you choose to do '05 bordeaux wines, tell us why '05 was such an important vintage. If you do a wine and cheese pairing, tell us which wine is known to pair well with which cheese and why.
3)You must choose a topic we haven't yet covered. Instead of focusing on Italian wines in general, you may choose to focus on wines from the Piedmont. Or you may choose German wines other than rieslings, which we've done to death. Or choose a new grape or region altogether; there are many we haven't explored yet.

Here's the 2009 calendar of meetings along with the months that have already been chosen:

January 24 -- Loretta: Wine and Music Pairing
March 7
April 18 -- Arthur: Subject TK
May 30
July 11 -- Ishmael: Subject TK
August 22
Sept 26/Oct 3 -- Psyche: Scotch tasting
November 7 -- Eslin: Subject TK
December 12 -- Robin: Subject TK

There are three months still up for grabs in 2009, and once those are taken we'll move to 2010. If there's a month that is not chosen I'll set the agenda for that month. We'll discuss further at our January 24 meeting.

Lastly, I wanted to share some of my wine-related resolutions for 2009. I'm tired of making the same boring resolutions: lose weight, save money, etc. This year, I'm setting fun goals, and if I relate them to wine, maybe I'll actually keep some of them. Here we go:

Wine Resolutions for 2009

10)Find a white wine I really like. Of course, my first choice will always be a red, but there must be a white wine out there that makes me happy.
9)Practice using a waiter's corkscrew until I can get it right.
8)Try not to buy any wine over $60. Shouldn't be hard.
7)Find the perfect cheese to pair with my new favorite grape: Spanish garnacha.
6)Work out every time I overdo it on the wine. Not directly afterward, of course, but the next day.
5)Buy a new "big-ass glass" to replace the wineglass I broke last month.
4)Write tasting notes for the new wines I try, especially the ones I like. Always carry my pad with me for this purpose.
3)Attend more wine tastings. It truly is the best way to learn.
2)Explore some new grapes. On my list: So. African pinotage, Chateauneuf du Pape, California cabs.
And my number one resolution for 2009:
1)Save enough money to take a trip to Napa Valley.

Feel free to share your wine resolutions as well; it'll be fun to compare notes.

Next week I'll send out the mail for our January Wine and Music Pairing meeting and Mom will outline how it will work.

Enjoy the rest of the holiday season.