Spain makes more than Rioja and there’s more to Portugal than Port. Wines of the Iberian Peninsula gives you the chance to learn why these countries produce some of the finest wine values in the world. Explore Spain’s wonderful whites and Portugal’s dry reds, taste Albariño and discover Green Spain, visit Jumilla and quaff Monastrell, and find out about Portugal’s indigenous varieties while downing Dão.
WINES OF THE IBERIAN PENINSULA
with Scott Rosenbaum, DWS
Wednesday, September 22
$45
For more information and reservations please contact 212-725-6516 or info@vinosite.com.
In the world of wine, there are few absolutes nowadays; the exception to the rule tends to be the rule itself. When you sell Romanian Pinot Noir and varietal Clairette, you recognize that most good wines aren’t typical. After all, isn’t that what makes them good. Quinta Nova Colheita 2008 now joins the ranks as one of our best atypical wines.
Unfortified wine from Portugal’s Douro Valley is nothing new, and neither is wine from Quinta Nova (the winery was founded in 1764). What’s wonderfully weird and utterly interesting is the fact that this red is unoaked. There are plenty of unoaked reds from ’round the globe, but to find one from a region that’s best known for producing heavy, vanilla-and-jam-laden reds is a revelation. Make no mistake, this blend of traditional, indigenous varieties is no welter-weight; its concentrated without being cumbersome, long without being tiresome. This is an accessible Portuguese red you can enjoy more than one glass of without worry of busting your palate or gut.
Quinta Nova is run by the Amorim family (a name most closely associated with cork) who purchased it in 1999. Recently introduced to the US market, the estate produces a number of still and Port wines, but in our tasting this was the one that stood out. The grapes hail from the Cima Corga sub-region of the Douro Valley and the wine is a composite of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinto Cão. The wine undergoes an 8 day fermentation in stainless steel tanks and is bottled without filtration. Of course, it’s sealed with real Portuguese cork, but that’s about all the wood it sees. It’s somewhat of an anomaly for sure, but a tasty one at that.
Vino may be an international wine store these days, but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten our Italian roots. Join us this Tuesday as we celebrate the Festa di San Gennaro, New York City’s biggest and longest-running Italian festival. We’ll be pouring over 100 wines from boutique Italian importer Domenico Valentino starting at 6pm. We’ll shut the party down when the wine runs out (or when Vino closes at 9pm — whichever happens first). So avoid the crowds on Mulberry Street and taste the real Italy.
SAN GENNARO TASTING Tuesday, September 21 6pm-9pm (or until the wine runs out). FREE!
For more information please contact 212-725-6516 or info@vinosite.com.
It’s happening again. Whenever we feel the change of seasons up here in the North East, it’s always accompanied by a sense of excitement and new beginnings mixed in with a little nostalgia. If you’re not quite ready to be out with the hot sun and in with the cool breezes, we recommend you pay a visit to Galicia. Bodegas Fefiñanes Rias Baixas Albariño 2009 gives you the best of that summer feeling from a place that for much of the year can seem more like a rainy autumn afternoon in Manchester, England.
Albariño has thrived in the northwest Spanish region of Rias Baixas for centuries and its wonderfully expressive nature is exemplified best by Bodegas del Palacio de Fefiñanes. Named after the 17th Century Palace in the center of the estate (above), the Bodega was the first to bottle under the Rias Baixas D.O. appellation. Wine has been produced here since 1904, and the Albariño label (depicting the Palacio) has remained unchanged since 1928.
Today current owner Juan Gil Careaga(above) ensures the winery’s significant heritage is maintained. Winemaker Cristina Mantilla vinifies this Albariño in stainless steel to retain freshness. The wine reveals beautiful aromatic fruit reminiscent of a leaner Viognier but with a zest and minerality that sets it apart as a perfectly refreshing aperitif and a bullseye match for seafood. It kind of makes you reminisce about the dog days of summer, doesn’t it?
Get on board with this brandy sour! We’ll be mixing some Philippe Latourelle V.S. Cognac along with triple sec and fresh lemon juice to counter the autumnal chill.
FREE Cocktail Hour
SIDECAR TASTING
Thursday, September 16
5:30-7:30pm
For more information please contact 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.
Join Jim Hutchinson as he takes you on a tour of “Italian moonshine.” He’ll dispel the myth that all grappa is fire-water as he explores the various styles, regions, grape varieties, production methods and people behind the spirit. He’ll also discuss the incredible historical journey grappa has made over the last 200 years, from peasant drink to sought-after luxury beverage. A guided tasting of half a dozen grappas will see that participants understand the diversity that exists within this much-neglected spirits category.
GRAPES INTO GRAPPA
with Jim Hutchinson, DWS
Wednesday, September 29
$65
For more information and reservations please contact 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.
Fall is fast on our heels, and with it the holidays are on their way. Don’t worry. We’re not pitching gift ideas… yet. Of course, if you were thinking of doing something nice for yourself, we’re all for it. Because we all know that holidays have a way bringing on family-induced headaches, we have the perfect medicine: Old Pogue Master’s Select Bourbon. This family-run distillery crafts Kentucky hooch so fine you’ll wish your last name was Pogue.
Their story is a simple one, while their bourbon is quite complex. In 1869, the original Pogue distillery, Kentucky registered distillery No. 3, was established in Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky. It produced what was long considered some of Kentucky’s finest through the 1970s when the distillery was razed. In 2004, Jack Pogue, along with his sons, Peter, Paul, John and Bo and their cousin Henry reintroduced the brand using the original 19th-Century recipe.
With only some minor tweaking of the recipe, what consumers taste when they drink Old Pogue is the same thing someone would have tasted almost 150 years ago. With 9 years of age under its belt (compared with just two years for mass-market bourbons and five years or so for an upscale brand like Maker’s Mark), this bourbon is the archetype of small-batch goodness. Bottled at 91 Proof, Old Pogue Master’s Select carries the weight and spice you’d expect from bottle with a much higher price tag.
One is welcome to get political about “family values”, but at Vino we stand firm in our belief that Old Pogue is one of the best. As we discovered last week, it helps make a great Old Fashioned. And we’re not alone either. In 2005, Wine Enthusiast declared Old Pogue Master’s Select Bourbon to be one of the best spirits of the year. Critic F. Paul Pacult called Old Pogue, “A new American small-batch gem.” We couldn’t agree more.
Wines called rosé are typically made by allowing limited contact between red grape skins and grape must immediately after the crush. The process is fairly simple and the resulting wines, if made correctly, offer wine drinkers a versatile and often inexpensive third option when the choice of white or red just won’t do. Italian rosé, or rosato, first emerged as a popular wine in Puglia where hot weather and plentiful red-wine grapes made the wine a going concern. As wine drinkers warmed to the style, dusty pink and dry with delicate berry and floral aromas, winemakers in other parts of Italy took notice and began to add rosato to their lists of labels.
Today, rosé is made all over the boot from scores of different grape varieties and both the Italian and international markets have embraced the wines. Sales of rosé spike in the summer months of course, as red wine drinkers search for lighter more refreshing choices but here at Vino we like to advise folks to drink rosé year round. Here are three of our favorites.
Negroamaro Rosato, IGT Salento 2009, Bacco, Puglia
$13 From where it all began, the team at Conti Zecca briefly macerates 100% Leverano-grown negroamaro in temperature-controlled stainless steel to produce a light-bodied rosé with fresh floral and strawberry notes and delicate tannins.
Massoferrato Rosato, IGT Toscana 2009, Massoferrato, Toscana
$13
From Vino-owner Nicola Marzovilla’s estate just south of Florence, this charming rosé is made of 100% Sangiovese by Collio expert Fabio Coser. Zesty acidity and medium body make for a robust but balanced rosé that is a great compliment to grilled meats and vegetables.
Lagrein Rosé, Alto Adige DOC 2009, Castel Sallegg, Alto Adige
$18 With its deep color, meaty tannins and herbaceous aromatic profile Lagrein would seem an unlikely candidate for great rosé but we’ve seen plenty and Castel Sallegg’s is one of the best. Firmer than the negroamaro or sangiovese and with more pronounced “red wine” aromas, this sub-Alpine selection holds its own with aged cheeses and heavier meat dishes. A screw cap makes it great for a party or a picnic in the park.
For more information and please call 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.
Charles de Gaulle once asked, “How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?” It’s even more difficult to wrap one’s head around the country’s various wines (of which there are over 300 distinct appellations). This class introduces some of France’s best known exports: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Participants will taste representations of these grapes as they manifest themselves in some of their finest growing regions. Participants will learn about basic winemaking techniques, French wine laws and appellations including: Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy, and the Loire and Rhone Valleys.
FRENCH WINES IN A NUTSHELL
with Scott Rosenbaum, DWS
Wednesday, September 15
$45
For more information and reservations please contact 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.
A name can be deceiving. For example, if you’ve never tasted “sweetbreads” before, it may be helpful to know that they are neither sweet nor bread, and in fact have little at all to do with such sugary confections. Wine can also have a tendency to slightly confuse. Take the improbably-named Bodegas Juan Gil “Wrongo Dongo” Jumilla Monastrell 2008. When Bodegas Juan Gil decided to attach a funny title and quirky label to their wine, they certainly weren’t the first to engage in this type of bottle marketing. They say never judge a book by its cover, but indeed, names and labels have been shown to have a potential influential effect on the bottom line.
But does this make “Wrongo Dongo” the “wrong” choice? Do not be deceived. Their 100% Monastrell (Mourvèdre) from the arid Jumilla region of south eastern Spain is worthy of consideration beyond its label. The Juan Gil winery has been in the family for four generations, specializing in what is one of Spain’s more exotic native grapes. Situated 700 meters above sea level, the fruit grows at high daytime temperatures and cools down by as much as 77°F at night, promoting the heavy ripening needed while slowing down its natural vigor. The wine, jumping with ripe blackberry fruit and aromatic herbs is remarkably balanced despite its raised alcohol level (15%).
And at $11 a bottle, we at Vino find it particularly appealing, no matter what is written on the label. For a wine with a silly name, “Wrong Dongo” exhibits all the right stuff.
Italian rosé, or rosato, first emerged as a popular wine in Puglia where hot weather and plentiful red-wine grapes made the wine a going concern. As wine drinkers warmed to the style, dusty pink and dry with delicate berry and floral aromas, winemakers in other parts of Italy took notice and began to add rosato to their lists of labels.
