Archive for July, 2010

Caipirinha: the classic cachaça cocktail of Copacabana

Friday, July 30th, 2010


From Brasilia to Belo Horizonte, Salvador to São Paulo, Brazilians are united by one thing*: a love for cachaça. Unlike rum (which is made from guarapo) cachaça is made from fermented sugarcane. Collectively, Brazil consumes a whopping 1.5 billion liters of its national liquor annually — that’s 97 times more than the rest of the world put together! Much of this is due to cachaça’s role as the main ingredient in Caipirinha, Brazil’s quintessential cocktail.

Cachaça, lime, sugar and ice are all that go into a simple Cairpirinha, making it one of the easiest drinks to make at home, and the perfect drink to enjoy at the beach, bar or Maracana. Such is Caipirinha’s global popularity that creative variations — from the vodka-based Caipiroska to versions enhanced with crushed fresh fruit — are commonplace. This week you don’t have to hop a flight to Rio to sample some samba: we’ll be sliding into our havaianas and cangas to whip up what our resident paulista Andreia considers the classic interpretation of this delicious and refreshing cocktail. We’ll be using Fazenda Mãe de Ouro cachaça, which comes from São José da Barra in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais. So if you’re tall and tan and young and lovely (or even if you’re not all those things) join us from 5:30pm this Thursday as we bring the Ipanema to 27th Street. Just don’t ask us to perform the capoeira.

Cocktail Hour
CAIPIRINHA
Thursday, August 5
5:30-7:30pm

Tasting is free, no reservation required. For more information please call 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.

*OK, maybe two things:

This video was embedded using the YouTuber plugin by Roy Tanck. Adobe Flash Player is required to view the video.

I’ll never tire of watching this!

Posted in VINO, cocktail hour, spirits | 1 Comment »

Boxcar: on track for a happy ending

Friday, July 30th, 2010

It has been said that within the realm of storytelling there are only seven basic plots. When one looks at wine, there are three recurring narratives:

1. The Fight: Two family members of a winemaking dynasty fight, they go their separate way, and a new winery is established (e.g. Mastroberardino/Terredora, Krug/Mondavi, etc.)

2. The Rebel: A son or daughter inherits a winery (or strikes out on their own) and does things drastically differently from their predecessors (e.g. Gaja, Didier Dagueneau)

3. The Surprise: Some non-winemaking person or persons decide to make wine and they take the world by storm (e.g. Sine Qua Non, Kamen, Charles Smith)

At Vino, we’re happy to announce that we’ve come upon another “surprise”: Boxcar Sonoma Coast Syrah 2007. This wine is made by the folks at Red Car Wine, which was founded in 2000 by two Hollywood types, one a producer and the other a screenwriter. Who would’ve guessed that they’d wind up making a true blockbuster of wine?

Unlike the vast majority of schlock churned out by Tinseltown these days, this is a product actually made with care. All the fruit comes from the Sonoma Coast and undergoes 100% native yeast fermentation. The wine is aged in 25% new French oak (the remainder is used oak) for 10 months. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

And the taste? It’s a balanced, rich wine with velvety tannins and black fruit flavors. Its long, ripe finish brims with baking spice, black cherry and vanilla. We’re not alone in thinking this wine a “no-brainer”. There you have it, a wine whose story is worth raising a glass to.

Boxcar Sonoma Coast Syrah 2007
$21

For more information please call 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.

Posted in USA, VINO | No Comments »

Lovely Rita returns

Monday, July 26th, 2010

Though the Margarita is said to have been inspired by a star of the silver screen, its popularity has yet to wane in this blockbusting digital age. Our favorite Tequila-based cocktail returns to Vino this Thursday, and if you enjoyed our last Margarita tasting take note: this time around we’ll be making this classic drink with Don Diego Santa Tequila Resposado for a little extra kick!

Cocktail Hour: MARGARITA TASTING
Thursday, July 22
5:30-7:30pm

Tasting is free, no reservations required. For more information please call 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.

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Posted in VINO, cocktail hour, spirits, weekly tasting | 1 Comment »

Lini Lambrusco: the original summertime sparkler

Friday, July 23rd, 2010


The brand new vintage of Lini’s Lambrusco has just arrived at Vino, and we’re pleased to report that this year the wines taste as cool and refreshing as ever. Lambrusco is the natural choice for the beach, backyard and beyond: whether you’re throwing red meat on the grill or hosting a rooftop soirée, we defy you to find a better choice for town or country this summer.

Scoffed at for a generation, Lambrusco is now well and truly back in vogue (and in Vogue) and back on the tables of America’s wine drinkers. Since Vino launched Lini’s chic line of Lambrusco in 2007, this endlessly-approachable wine has swept across the land like an enormous pink tidal wave, gently engulfing all those who allow themselves to be consumed by its bubbly kick and washed up among its opulent foam.

One of the many reasons for Lini’s popularity in the United States — in addition to photos of sultry Lambrusco scion Alicia Lini (like the one at the top of this post) — may be the fact that it defies classification. In fact, in many ways it is a wine unto itself: though it’s chilled and sparkling we’ve discovered there’s room for Lambrusco in practically every wine-drinking context. One such circumstance in which Lambrusco comes into its own is a sticky summer afternoon, much like the ones we’ve been experiencing lately…

Lini 910 Lambrusco Labrusca Bianco NV
$15

Lini 910 Lambrusco Labrusca Rosé NV
$15

Lini 910 Lambrusco Labrusca Rosso NV
$15

Lini 910 Lambrusco In Correggio Rosé NV
$18

Lini 910 Lambrusco In Correggio Scuro NV
$18

Lini 910 Pinot Nero Metodo Classico Bianco 2002
$32

Lini 910 Lambrusco Metodo Classico Rosso 2003
$27

For more information please contact 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.

Alicia Lini and LINI910’s centenary celebrations were featured on Rai Uno’s Linea Verde earlier this month… check it out in HD!

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Posted in ITALY, Lini, VINO | No Comments »

Supertasting!

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Faster than a popping Metodo Classico cork! More powerful than aged Barolo! Able to leap several cases of Friulano in a single bound! Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Vinoman! Much like the original man of steel, Vinoman was put on this earth for a reason: to fight for truth and justice the Vino way. Donning red boots and cape, Vinoman dashes around the globe hauling those who commit crimes against wine to jail (or at least reporting them to his favorite wine bloggers). He uses his super strength to smash down the doors of bureacracy and X-ray vision to see what really goes into wines in the cellar. It’s all in a day’s work for Vinoman, who in the evening retires to his Fortress of Solitude for a cool glass of Schiava. Just don’t expose him to new-world oaked Cabernet (that’s his Kryptonite).

For  more information please contact 212-725-6516 or info@vinosite.com.

This video was embedded using the YouTuber plugin by Roy Tanck. Adobe Flash Player is required to view the video.

Posted in VINO, events, weekly tasting | 1 Comment »

Introducing Bacco: four new wines from Puglia

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Though 2010 has been the year of international expansion at Vino, we’ve not forgotten our southern Italian roots. Vino is still the place to find the widest selection of top Italian wines, which is why we’re excited to welcome a brand new addition to our shelves from the heel of Italy’s boot. Bacco is a series of four classic wines from Puglia, each highlighting the region’s native varieties and winemaking tradition.

Winemaker Antonio Romano of the esteemed Leverano estate Conti Zecca has produced a line of wines that he feels best characterize the most significant indigenous varieties of the Salento peninsula. In keeping with tradition, all four wines exhibit great varietal character, represent tremendous value and overflow with the sun-drenched charms of Italy’s meridionale.

The name “Bacco” comes from the Italian for Bacchus, the Greek-Roman god of wine. Also known as Dionysius, this winemaking deity is said to inspire ritual madness, joyful worship, ecstasy, carnivals and celebration. We’re hoping Bacco (the wine) will generate a similar reaction in those who drink it (well, apart from the madness part). The wines’ label features a reproduction of Bohemian sculptor Dominikus Auliczek’s baroque porcelain Bacchus, originally created for Nymphenburg in 1770. Traditional Pugliese wine and classic Bavarian porcelain: it’s a wonder nobody thought of it sooner…

Taste all four wines next Friday from 5:30pm!

Bacco Malvasia 2009
$13

Bacco Negroamaro Rosato 2009
$13

Bacco Negroamaro 2008
$13

Bacco Primitivo 2007
$15

BACCO TASTING
Friday, July 30
5:30-7:30pm

Tasting is free, no reservation required. For more information please contact 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.

Posted in Bacco, ITALY, VINO, featured producer | 1 Comment »

Bobal: a diamond in the rough

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Have you ever met somebody who you swear one day would hit the big time?  Think you’d see them appear on that super star discovery show? No, not Idol or “This Place” Got Talent… the real super star discovery show. That’s how we felt when I was first introduced to Bobal, the hidden gem from Spain’s south-eastern Valencia region.


Known mostly as a native workhorse that produces loads of juice concentrate and fills up blends for a color boost, this third most planted Spanish variety is finally beginning to forge an identity as a grape worthy of savoring. Documents show that The Utiel-Requena appellation has hosted Bobal since the 15th Century. By adapting to the extremes of the local climate this vigorous grape has made itself uniquely at home here. It is bold and rich in character, but unlike other important Spanish varietals like Monastrell, it retains acidity and is not exceptionally high in alcohol.  For careful winemakers who employ the fruit of older vines, they are discovering its great potential to produce powerful wines of complexity and longevity.


Vera de Estenas is one such producer. Founded by the Martinez family in the 1940s, they hand harvest their Bobal from low yield vines up to 100 years of age. Current third generation winemaker Felix Martinez Roda matures the wine in tank and French barriques, allowing its intensity to broaden, giving us deep complex fruit with balanced structure. It’s the kind of profile that makes one wonder “Where have you been?” Although they already know where it has been, more and more producers from the region are determined to be a part of where it is going. From where we’re standing, that looks like the Stars, baby!

Vera de Estenas Bobal 2008 $13


Photos courtesy of Vera de Estenas.

For more information please call 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.

Posted in SPAIN, VINO, featured producer | No Comments »

Meet Ruchè producer Luca Ferraris!

Friday, July 16th, 2010

Meet Ruchè winemaker Luca Ferraris at Vino this Friday! Luca will be pouring his entire range of wines at this very special event, which will also feature an appetizing spread of summer antipasti courtesy of I Trulli chef Patti Jackson! Join us for this an aperitivo piemontese that you won’t want to miss!

Vino is thrilled to welcome Luca back to New York, where his wines have attracted a growing number of intrigued and devoted followers. You’ll have probably heard the Ferraris name mentioned in reference to the variety Ruchè: Luca hails from Castagnole Monferrato, a tiny Piedmontese hamlet famous for this local grape. In addition to his signature Ruchè, Luca’s Barbera d’Asti, Grignolino d’Asti and Ruchè-Syrah blend Il Re continue to rank among Vino’s  best-selling bottles.

This season we’ve added to the Ferraris catalogue. Monferrato Bianco is made from 100% Viognier; Luca was among the first producers in Piedmont to plant the French variety. His rosato, a Monferrato Chiaretto known as “Ciaret” is made from from two of Piedmont’s best-known red varieties, Dolcetto and Barbera — plus a healthy dose of Ruchè — each vinified white. Finally, Luca defied many skeptics to produce Opera Prima, an aged Ruchè dedicated to his grandfather, Martino, who first purchased the vineyard Luca calls “Vigna del Casot”. Today he continues to cultivate Barbera, Grignolino and Viognier on the same site.

APERITIVO PIEMONTESE
with LUCA FERRARIS
Friday, July 23
5:30-7:30pm

Tasting is free, no reservation required. For more information please call 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.

Posted in ITALY, Luca Ferraris, VINO, weekly tasting | No Comments »

Sazerac: the classic cocktail of the Crescent City

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Vino’s classic cocktail hour is heading back down to N’awlins this Thursday! You may recall our dalliance with Mint Juleps last month; this week we’re bringing you the Crescent City’s quintessential cocktail: the Sazerac!

The Sazerac is one of the oldest known cocktails; indeed the origins of this drink date back to before Civil War. It is believed to have been created by Antoine Amédée Peychaud in the 1830s, making it (according to some reports) the first cocktail to be invented in America. It was named by John Schiller in 1859 to coincide with the opening of his Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans (both names probably derived from Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils, a popular brand of Cognac).

Women clamoring for Sazerac’s at the Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans, 1949.

Peychaud’s Sazerac was essentially a combination of Cognac and bitters, although the recipe has continued to evolve over the years. Various versions still abound today, but the modern Sazerac is invariably made using rye whiskey, Peychaud’s bitters, and absinthe or pastis. In 2008 it was declared by the Louisiana State Senate as the official cocktail of New Orleans.

Cocktail Hour
SAZERAC TASTING
Thursday, July 22
5:30-7:30pm

Tasting is free, no reservation required. For more information please contact 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.

This video was embedded using the YouTuber plugin by Roy Tanck. Adobe Flash Player is required to view the video.

Posted in VINO, cocktail hour, spirits | No Comments »

Bonne fête! Celebrate Bastille Day with Cabernet Franc

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

OK, let’s forget about what happened to the psyche of the poor French in the World Cup… Happy Bastille Day! What better way to brush off your French national shame than to commemorate the greatness of history? Today on this anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille and the start of what would be the French Revolution, there are plenty of ways to celebrate, even in New York. But despite the joy of waving colorful flags and marching in parades, we all know how one properly displays their francophone loyalty: through their choice of wine!

In Parisian bistros, the “go to” red is without a doubt Cabernet Franc. This classic yet often overlooked variety is known in the Loire valley as “Breton” (not the other Cabernet). It is here near the village of Bourgeuil that it finds the pinnacle of expression. At Vino, we have a particular fondness for Cabernet Franc because it shows itself so honestly; clean berry fruit, supple tannins and vegetal earthy undertones that reflect the significance of terroir. No, it’s not as “important” or as full bodied as Cabernet Sauvignon but that’s why we like it and feel it at least deserves some respect. Most importantly, it drinks well anytime.

The 100% Cab Franc from Domaine de la Petite Mairie is produced by Corinne and James Petit, a couple who understand fully the marriage of Cabernet Franc and its terroir. The grapes are harvested on gentle south facing slopes just north of the Loire River, where limestone and sandy soils provide excellent drainage. They follow traditional vinification techniques with a fermentation and maceration period lasing approximately 15 days followed by aging in large casks for 4 to 6 months.  The result is a wine of charming character that can be celebrated every day, or at least once a year! Join us while we proclaim one for the people and the people’s wine. Bon fête!

Domaine de la Petite Mairie Bourgueil “Cuvée les Galluches” 2008
$17

For more information please contact 212-725-6516 or info@vinosite.com.

Claude Monet, Rue Montorgueil, Paris, Festival of June 30, 1878, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France.

Posted in FRANCE, VINO | No Comments »

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