So, you are in the city this weekend. Not at the beach, not in the Hampton’s. There are lots of things to do. Many of them free. There are always outdoor concerts and street fairs. But in between, you may need something to drink. What better way to hydrate with on a hot summer day than with some wine. And yes, even on a summer weekend, you can find wine tastings in the city.
Union Square Wines
Union Square Wines has the best wine tasting program of any wine store I’ve been to or heard about. Whereas most wine store tastings consist of two or three wines, Union Square Wines sets up three to five tables with five to ten wines each. Plus, at the entrance to the tasting room (at the back of the store), they set you up with a glass, a list of the wines and a pencil to take notes. And there are water pitchers around the room to rinse your glass and buckets for spitting. You can often taste ten or twenty (or more) wines—it is great for making comparisons and for finding new wines.
Union Square Wines discounts the wines in the tastings if you buy them that day, but I often save my tasting notes for later. When they have a 30% off sale, I will take a look at my notes from previous tastings and pick up a mixed case.
This Saturday, June 21st from 2:00 pm to 5:00 p.m., they are having a tasting that is focused on the Southern Hemisphere.
Here is their description:
“Join USQ as we embark on a Futbol-fueled quartet of tastings certain to get attendees in the spirit for two things- intenational soccer and world class wine! Throughout the World Cup USQ will feature wines from participating countries for fans to sip whilst taking in the current match. World Cup Wine Party: Southern Hemisphere Edition features the proud nations of Argentina, Australia, and Chile. USQ weekend warrior Joseph SanGiovanni will be taking attendees through delicious wines fashioned from Argentina’s Malbec and Bonarda grape varietals. Gordon Little joins the fray for a boutique look at Australia’s wine country courtesy of Little Peacock Imports. Chile will be represented by T Edward Wines, pouring tasty expressions of Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon and more!”
Astor Place Wines
If you are at Union Square Wines and still want more wine, it is a short walk to Astor Place Wines. From 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, they will be serving four French wines: a sparkling and a red from the Jura region and two whites from the Loire Valley:
The four wines:
Crémant du Jura, Zero Dosage, Champ Divin – 2010
Pinot Noir, Champ Divin – 2012
Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”, Pascal Janvier – 2011
Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”, Denis Jamain – 2013
Sherry-Lehmann Wines
Sherry-Lehmann Wines (505 Park Avenue @ 59th Street) is a nice wine store with a great selection of serious wines. Their wine tastings are more of the “oh by the way here is a bottle of wine to taste” type. But if you are uptown and want to taste some summer Rose’s, this Friday, June 20th, they are pouring Chateau Margui, Rose (Coteaux Varois en Provence), 2013, $23.95 bottle. And if you are in the city the following Friday, June 27th (4-6pm), you can get a taste of the Hamptons with three Rose’s from the Wolffer Estate (Rose, Summer in a Bottle Rose and Grandioso Rose). You don’t have to go all the way to Sagaponak.
Appellation Wines
If you are hanging out at the High Line this weekend, you can stop by Appellation Wines at 156 Tenth Avenue. On Saturday, June 21st, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m, they will be pouring some summer whites: Austrian Grüner Veltliner, Oregon Chardonnay, and German Riesling.
When I lived in Madrid in the early 1980’s, the wine I drank was mostly table wine. At restaurants and bars–at least the ones I went to–there were two choices: “tinto” or “blanco” (red or white). One of the few times I heard a specific wine mentioned (besides Rioja) was sometime later, perhaps on a visit to Madrid in the mid- or late-80’s, when a Spanish friend served a bottle of white wine to me and a group of friends saying that it was from Rueda. He said there were some nice white wines coming from that area. It was something new for all of us.
Like many wine regions in Spain, Rueda wine-making has come of age in the last 25 years. Yesterday, I participated in a wine tasting event featuring the wines of Rueda. Michael Schachner, the Spain and South America editor for Wine Enthusiast magazine, was the speaker.
WHERE: Rueda is in the Castilla y Aragon region of Spain about an hour and a half northwest of Madrid. With a continental climate (hot summers and cold winters), it is home to the “number one selling Spanish white wine.”
Rueda = white wine
WHITE: Rueda = Verdejo and Verdejo = Rueda. Almost all of the wine in Rueda is white and most of the is made from the verdejo grape.
WHAT: the wines are crisp, ultra fresh, citrusy and minerally with no oak aging.
WHEN: Rueda wine is meant to be drunk young and fresh—between 6 and 12 months old. So, last year’s September harvest should be drunk this year between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Schachner used the expression “one and done” meaning drink it before it is one year old.
HOW MUCH: Rueda wines are inexpensive—they can range from $8 to $20 for a typical Rueda white and up to $30 for a more unusual, barrel aged wine.
The event took place at the Salinas restaurant in Chelsea. And Chef Luis Bollo served up some super delicious tapas to accompany our wine tasting. The blood sausage croquette, the txistorra sausage wrapped in a puff pastry with a bit of sweetness and even the simple Serrano ham on bread with tomatoes and olive oil were so delicious that I want to go back soon to try out the full menu of the restaurant.
Tapas to accompany wines
Tasting menu
The wines we tasted were:
1. Avelino Vegas
Montespina Sauvignon Blanc 2013
2. Bodegas Copaboca
Gorgorito Verdejo 2013
3. Seleccion de Torres
Verdeo Verdejo 2013
4. Castelo de Medina
Vendimia Seleccionada Verdejo 2012
5. Javier Sanz Viticultor
Coleccion “V” Malcorta Verdejo Atipico 2013
6. Bodega El Albar Lurton
Campo Alegre Verdejo 2013
7. Bodega Emina Rueda
Matarromera Verdejo Limited Edition 25th Anniv. 2012
The first wine was a sauvignon blanc.
The next two wines were typical Rueda–lots of citrus, some pit fruits like apricot and peach, some herbal and spice qualities, some stony minerality and bright acidity. I preferred the Gorgorito–it was the more complex and intense of the two.
The fourth wine sees three months of aging in French oak–it must be old oak–it is still a bright crisp wine, but a little more intense and creamy than wines 1 through 3.
Wine 5 is from a type of vine (“malcorta or “bad cut”) that is not used anymore–but this winery has started making wine with them again. The wine says “atypical” right in its name–it was my least favorite, so I say don’t bother.
I loved wine #6–lime grapefruit, sage, grass, black pepper, asparagus–but I can’t find any info about it on the web.
And wine 7 was the most different from the rest–it was the only one that had noticeable oak and oxidation–it was nice, but not the same summer, patio drinking wine as the rest.
Oh, and June 12th is Verdejo Day!
Rueda tasting with Michael Schachner
Eataly class
I recently took a cooking class at Eataly. It was taught by Fitz Tallon, the executive chef of Eataly and since it was entitled “Spring at the Greenmarket”, the chef put the menu together based on ingredients that were available in the Union Square greenmarket that day.
Cheese course
First we had a cheese course. Nothing to cook here, this was a little amuse bouche. The plate had a prune jam, and three cheeses: Drunk monk (a cheese washed in brown ale), brebis blanche (a young sheep’s milk cheese) and Shushan snow, a soft camembert style cheese.
Asparagus with Zabaglione
The next course was asparagus and some ramps with a zabaglione of parmesan and black pepper. I learned that ramps and wild and never farmed and that the stems and peels of asparagus can be saved and used for a puree. Both ramps and asparagus have a very short season in New York.
Monitor showing stovetop
Farrotto with Swiss chard and mushrooms
The next course was a farrotto with baby Swiss chard and mushrooms. A farrotto is like a risotto, but made with farro instead of rice. I learned that when you want to sauté mushrooms, you shouldn’t add salt to the them–that will make them release liquid. And, don’t add the mushrooms to the pan until the oil is super hot to the point of being smoky. This helps to prevent the mushrooms from just soaking up all the oil. And finally, don’t move them around in the pan right away–let them get golden.
Stuffed squid
The main course was grilled stuffed calamari over baby turnips and turnip leaves. We were shown how to clean and cut the squid, prepare the stuffing, and how to cook the baby turnips and greens.
Dessert was an apple strudel.
With the meal we were served three wines: They were all wines I was not familiar with but really enjoyed.
A white wine made from the vespaiolo grape
Velenois, Passerina Brut NV
A sparkling wine from the Marche region that is a great alternative to prosecco or cava.
Crotta di Vegneron, Chambave Rosso
And a light red wine from Northern Italy (Valle d’Aosta) that was paired with the squid.
I opened a bottle of St. Supéry 2012 Estate Sauvignon Blanc this past Memorial Day weekend.
St. Supery is a family owned winery in the Napa Valley. They have two vineyards—the Rutherford property where they grow cabernet sauvignon and the Dollarhide Ranch where they grow Bordeaux grape varieties particularly cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc. The “Estate” Sauvignon Blanc is their entry level sauvignon blanc. It is made from 100% sauvignon blanc grapes and there is no oak contact—fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. They also make a sauvignon blanc labelled “Dollarhide Estate”—that one is a little pricier and sees some oak aging.
The Estate wine was delicious—a crisp white wine which was perfect for a warm afternoon. There was nice citrus flavor, grapefruit was present but not overpowering and it was complemented by notes of tropical fruits. I noted some herbs and spice, but not cat’s pee. The wine had a nice intensity, moderate acidity and 13.5% alcohol.
Sauvignon blanc grapes are also grown in France’s Loire Valley (e.g. Sancerre), Bordeaux (usually blended with semillon) and New Zealand.
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate called the St. Supery a big, fruity white displaying lots of exotic melon and buttery citrus notes in a fruit-driven, front end-loaded, light to medium-bodied, clean, pure style. Best drunk over the next several years. (86 points)
Natalie MacLean gave it 90 points and suggests pairing with cheese, shellfish, Caesar salad, and corned beef and cabbage.
The suggested retail price of the wine is $20.00. It is available at Union Square Wines for that price. You can also find it at these places.
Most stores seem to be out of the 2012 and are now stocking the 2013. Sherry Lehmann has the 2013 for $15.95. K and L Wines has the 2013 for $14.99.
Understanding Wine: Spain
Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) has recently made its internal wine training program available to the public at Institute of Culinary Education. The 10-week course, entitled “Understanding Wine: a Course for Enthusiasts and Professionals,” is the same one that the Group’s sommeliers have gone through.
A friend of mine is taking the course and, because she is out of town, I got to sit in her seat for last night’s class covering Spanish wines.
The course is led by John Ragan, the Wine Director of USHG, which includes restaurants Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern, Maialino, and The Modern. Ragan is a Master Sommelier (one of only 135 people in North America) and has received a James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Service. For last night’s class, he was joined by Andrew Rastello who works at Gramercy Tavern and recently passed the Advanced Sommelier level.
Preliminaries
I received a warm welcome when I arrived. I was given a glass of fino sherry to sip before the class got started and I served myself a plate of cheese, olives, almonds, grapes and ham to accompany the tasting and make sure the wine doesn’t go straight to my head.
Before starting the material on Spain, there was a discussion of a few general issues. One question discussed: In a restaurant, when is it okay to send a wine back? The answer: Of course, send back a corked bottle and we also should feel comfortable sending back a bottle that was recommended by the server or sommelier that is not what we wanted. And if a wine is really not what someone expected, restaurants like those of USHG may even accommodate those customers with a new wine. The restaurant can do many things with the unwanted bottle—incuding using it for staff training or pouring it by the glass.
Spanish Wine
After a quick look at the map and a run through of the classifications of Spanish wines, we began a tasting of 8 wines, which would take us through the regions of the Basque Country, Rias Baixas, Rioja, Ribero del Duero, Priorat and Jerez. For each region we got a look at things like climate, soil, and vine growing method. For the tastings, we went through, as a group, a discussion of appearance, nose, taste of the wine. We used a framework which divided nose and palate into categories of “fruit”, “earth” and “other” (flower, vegetable, herbs and spice). We also discussed the structure of each wine: its acidity, alcohol level, tannin and body.
Then we went though possible pairings for each wine with Rastello giving examples of pairings with dishes on Gramercy Tavern’s menu.
Blind Tastings
The tastings included an interesting side by side blind tasting of two wines. They turned out to be the same wines from the same producer except that one was a “Reserva” while the other was an older “Gran Reserva”. While more people seemed to prefer the Gran Reserva, there were plenty in the group who preferred the less expensive Reserva.
American vs. French oak
Rioja wines are known for their use of American oak. In order to contrast American oak with French oak, we were given cups of Bourbon and Cognac to smell.
Rioja vs. Ribero del Duero
We tasted two red wines from the Rioja region and one from the Ribero del Duero. All three wines are made from the Tempranillo grape. I’ve been a big fan of Ribero del Duero wines, and this tasting confirmed my preference for these wines over the Riojas. We tasted a 2010 Emilio Moro wine which was more fruit forward and youthful, with less notes of American oak , than the Riojas we tasted. Unlike Riojas, we were told, Riberos are meant to be drunk young—there doesn’t seem to be any indication that they will get better with age.
Txakoli
The first wine we tasted was a Txakoli—a bracing, lightly effervescent white wine from the Basque country. In the Basque country, it is cheap and plentiful. It’s served in big water glasses—sometimes poured from high above the glass for show. Like water, it is served all the time regardless of what is being eaten. I’ve been noticing txakolis on wine lists lately and it’s been served to me in some wine dinners recently. I admit—I’ve had a hard time taking this wine seriously. Should it be? It included as one of our three white wines (not counting the sherries). And, it was quite well-received by the class. I’m going to look into this some more—Stay tuned for more about Txakoli next Wednesday!
So, I have to thank my friend for giving me the opportunity to take her place. It was a real pleasure to have the perspective of these two high calibre restaurant professionals. The class was informative, it featured a range of wines and focused on tasting skills. And the wines were delicious—I didn’t spit out a drop!
Wendi Eats and Reads 