Westchester Wine Guy

With the Twitter craze in all its glory, the wine social media industry has taken full advantage and delegated holidays for certain grape varieties and regions. Today happens to be #ChardDay (they all have the hashtag included so you can search for relevant tweets on Twitter). Since Chardonnay continues to be one of the most (if not THE most) popular wines in the US, I figured I would share my current fave.

It’s the 2009 Double T Chardonnay from Trefethen. Trefethen’s estate Oak Knoll Chardonnay is one of the better known Chards in all of Napa for its quality and somewhat reasonable pricing. This Double T comes from the same estate, but is produced from the fruit off the younger vines and spends less time in oak. So what does that mean?  The fruit is a bit cleaner and brighter then in the estate Chard. Also, while the oak integration is still noticeable, it does not overpower the wine with those rich and creamy buttery notes that many Napa Chards suffer from. This wine has a nice dose of those characteristics but the green apple, pear, citrus and some popcorn nuances maintain the focus on the palate. Pair it up with a hearty shellfish dish or sip it on a hot summer day. Either way, this is a wine worthy of picking up for #ChardDay. Oh, and for under $20, it is certainly one of the best value Napa Chards around.

Cheers!

It has been brought to my attention that a lot of my recent posts have not hit on that real value end of the spectrum.  For some wine drinkers, a value wine is under $20, for others under $15 or $10. But there is also a large contingency that is looking for something cheap and drinkable under the $7 mark. Mind you, it is tough to find “great” wines at this price point.  However what we are looking for here is great value,  not top quality.

So with that, I give you my Top 7 under $7!

7. Fish Eye Pinot Grigio

Nothing too complex here, but the fruit is clean and the acidity is crisp. What else do you want from a $7 Pinot Grigio?!

6. Yellow Tail Shiraz

Bash it all you want, for about $5-6 this is an easy drinking Shiraz with lots of ripe, dark fruit.  And for a few extra bucks their Reserve is a big step up!

5. Il Bastardo Sangiovese di Toscana

This is the wine that has that fat Italian guy sitting in a chair that’s too small and drinking out of a glass even smaller. Funny label,  good juice!

4. Beringer Chenin Blanc

All the green apple and citrus that a good Chenin Blanc should have with just a hint of sweetness. Fantastic summer sipper at $5-6 a bottle.

3. Rex Goliath Cabernet Sauvignon

Ever seen that label with the Rooster… that’s this wine! Lots of black cherry and cassis, but with soft and mild tannins. Smooth and supple.

2. Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir

Blind taste this next to Pinots 2 and 3 times the price and you will be shocked how well it stands up. The whole Pepperwood Grove line is solid, but this one stands out.

And the number one wine under $7 is….a tie!!

1. Black Box & Bota Box

That’s right… Boxed wine! It doesn’t matter which varietal you go with (Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, etc.), these two brands provide the absolute best bang for the buck on the market. Box wine no longer has to be the sweet, cheap and nasty wine that gives you those viscous hangovers.  They are using good grapes and making really solid wine from them. And at around $20 a box that breaks down to $5 a bottle  (4 bottles per box for those non mathematicians out there).  So open it up and keep it in your fridge for the week…with the bag acting as a “bladder” inside the box the wine will stay fresh longer than in your fancy bottles.

Cheers!

Recently Brooklyn Brewery visited The TapHouse in Tuckahoe for another one of their innovative Beer Pairing Dinners. If you ever want to experience the TapHouse at their best… get yourself to the next one! Chef Kevin kills it in the kitchen and the staff really creates some wonderful beer pairings enhancing both the food and the brews. Garrett Oliver himself, basically the foremost authority in the beer industry, hosted this beer dinner which was pretty special. Below is a piece written by yours truly about the event. Some fun information on how Garrett recommends pairing beer with food instead of wine. Yes, even us wine guys can get into the craft beer craze as well

Enjoy!

http://www.winemag.com/Wine-Enthusiast-Magazine/Web-2012/Tips-from-a-Brewmasters-Table/index.php

This week I attended the ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) food and wine event in NYC. These guys are serious about promoting Zin and do a wonderful job at it. This particular event was a Pairsine Chefs Food & Wine Pairings, basically meaning they paired up a number of really nice dishes with different Zinfandels from various producers. The event was held in the Sun West Studios on the West side of Manhattan. Needless to say the views were pretty impressive and only enhanced while sipping  some tasty Zins! Here were a few of my favorites from the event.

Best Overall Zin: Ridge Geyserville 2009 Sonoma

Big and juicy with lots of spice, yet surprisingly smooth for a young Zin. Very sophisticated wine.

Best Family of Zins: Ravenswood Zinfandels

Everyone knows their entry level wines offer great value, but their small production Teldeschi and Belloni Zins were really impressive, especially from such a large outfit.

Best Newcomer: Chacewater Zinfandel 2012 Sierra Foothills

This is their first bottling and damn was it tasty! I see big things for these guys….

Biggest Surprise: Tie between Opolo Vineyards and Pedroncelli Winery

Opolo’s Summit, Mountain and Reserve Zins all showed very well, especially at the price points offered. Pedroncelli had 2 Zins, both under $20 that were soft with beautiful fruit. They also had a Zinfandel Rose (NOT White Zinfandel) I was somewhat skeptical about, but I will be seeking that one out for a summer BBQ sipper.

Biggest Disappointment. Cakebread Cellars Zinfandel 2009 Red Hills Lake County

I know, I know… everyone loves Cakebread. But in all honesty, I’m not sure I get it. In a room full of great Zinfandels, this one was just OK. It wasn’t bad, but there was nothing that really stood out about it. And of course, Cakebread is NOT cheap…

This ZAP movement is up and coming and they will be having more of these events throughout the country. So if you are a Zinhead (one who favors the Zinfandel varietal), then I strongly suggest checking them out the next time they are in town. The events are not inexpensive, but you certainly get your money’s worth both in quality and quantity of solid food and killer Zins.

Cheers!

Let’s take a break from wine for a minute, shall we? While there is nothing wrong with a little vino on St. Patrick’s Day, the majority of Westchestorians will be chugging green beer, scarfing down corned beef and cabbage while singing When Irish Eyes are Smiling… or at least wishing they were. So if you would like to turn that imagery into a reality here are a few fun spots to hit around town for some good old fashioned St. Patty’s Day shenanigans.

Rory Dolan’s on McLean Ave in Yonkers is probably the most well known Irish Bar and Restaurant in town, and with good reason. It offers up a large number of brews on tap (yes they have Guinness) and the food is a step above your standard Irish pub fare. The celebration will be going from 9 am to 4 am over at Rory’s where you can expect Live Irish music all day, Irish Breakfast, Corned Beef and Cabbage and beer flowing like water. They will also be featuring the Ireland vs. England Soccer match enhancing the full Irish Pub experience…just watch out for the random scuffles.

If you are looking for something a little more sophisticated without losing that pub feel, then head on over to the TapHouse in Tuckahoe. Their beer selection is stellar and the “gastropub” fare is outstanding. Plus if you are looking for something other than the standard St. Patrick’s Day grub their apps and entrees are vast and delectable. It’s also right across the street from the Tuckahoe train station, in case you plan on having more than just a couple of pints.

If it ends up being a nice day out there’s probably no better place to be than on Mamaroneck Ave in White Plains. The main drag has almost a dozen different bars that you can bounce around from all afternoon and into the wee hours of the morn. Depending on what you are looking for there is a little something for everyone. My favorite still tends to be The Lazy Boy for their astounding beer selection and somewhat tamer crowd. Hudson Grille and Brazen Fox have some of the best eats on the strip with Brazen being a great spot to watch a game as the bar is loaded with flatscreens.

And then there’s The Candlelight Inn. This iconic establishment on Central Ave across from the freaky European Health Spa structure that has been abandoned for decades has some of the best bar food in town… and it’s cheap! On St. Patrick’s Day they whip up a mean batch of Corned Beef and Cabbage for under $10. They also still serve pitchers for under $10 so if budgets are tight this year, then the Candlelight is definitely the move.

Or you can stay home and just pick up some Guinness at Target for $13.50 a 12 Pack and cook up the traditional Irish fare on your own. Sometimes that ends up being the most fun way to celebrate anyway.

Céad Míle Fáilte!

You can say what you want about New Jersey, but there is no better place to go out for a meal. No, it’s not because you may run into Pauly D or JWOWW at your favorite restaurant (although that’s a pretty solid reason). New Jersey laws have made it very difficult and expensive for restaurants to obtain a liquor license, so most of them will allow you to bring your own wine, beer or booze without any corkage fees!

Unfortunately that is not the case for most restaurants in NY, although there are a handful of BYO spots out there (ex. Buon Gusto in Irvington and Juniper in Hastings). However, almost all restaurants will allow you to bring your own bottle as long as you pay a corkage fee. Most of the higher end steakhouses and fine dining establishments will charge so much that it ends up not being worth it ($30-40 a bottle), unless you are bring a particularly expensive wine. For example, if you want to bring a bottle of Far Niente Napa Cab that cost you $100, it is certainly more cost effective to pay the $35 corkage fee than to purchase it off the wine list for $200-300.

But there are a number of places that will charge a much more palatable fee ($10-20) making it very cost effective to grab a bottle from your cellar or even your local wine shop to take with you. For example, Acquario in Silver Lake only charges $8 per bottle! So when you consider a typical mark up on any given wine in a restaurant can be 2-3 times what you would pay for it in a store, bringing your own is an absolute no brainer. This is especially genius if you have a magnum you wanted to open. This way you are basically paying one corkage fee for two bottles. Is that being a little bit too frugal? Probably, but whatever man…aren’t we still in a recession?!

So my recommendation is this… the next time you are going out for a meal around town, give a call first and ask the restaurant if you can bring in your own wine and what corkage fees are associated in doing so. Be aware, there is some etiquette involved. The most important is not to skimp out on the tip. The server will have to serve the wine just the same as if you purchased it at the restaurant, so remember to factor that into the final tally. Lastly if you are out with a big group and know you will be doing some drinking, you may want to bring a couple of bottles with you but still purchase one or two from the restaurant’s wine list. It is a sign of good patronage and who knows, in doing so you may even get that corkage fee waived.

Cheers!

http://www.aquariony.com/

http://www.juniperhastings.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/buon-gusto-restaurant-irvington

Yes… I realize posting a blog actually on Valentine’s Day is a little last minute. But what can I tell you, better late than never? Whether it is my skeptical view of these “Hallmark” holidays or just having a little less time these days… it just didn’t happen. Don’t get me wrong, any reason to tell the one you love how much they mean to you is absolutely something to celebrate.  But the materialistic hoopla that follows it is not my favorite aspect of any holiday.

What IS my favorite part of Valentine’s Day is that it usually involves a romantic candlelit dinner at home or a quality meal at your favorite restaurant. So while I am sure you already have made your dinner plans for the evening, the least I can do is offer up a couple of good wine recommendations for your celebration.

First things first…Champagne! Typically I would say there is no reason to spend the extra dough on Champagne and just stick with a sparkling from California or a nice Prosecco. However there is something about Valentine’s Day that screams Champagne. Maybe it is the romanticism that comes along with region, or the yeast and acidity that can only be captured by the traditional method of making Champagne, but sometimes there is no substitute. My favorite is always Piper Heidsieck Brut Cuvee ($30-40), although the most romantic bottle of bubbly has to be a vintage Perrier- Jouet Fleur de Champagne ($140-160) if you’re feeling extra saucy!

If you want to stay on the value side and are looking for a good red, then the 2007 Red Splash blend from St. Francis is a perfect way to follow in the Valentine’s Day motif. At around $10-15 a bottle, this is one of the more original concoctions produced in Sonoma. It’s a fun blend that includes Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Zin and a couple of other varietals. Lots of supple fruit and spice makes it a perfect pairing to everything from pizza and pasta to steak and potatoes.

A lot of wine bloggers put the “Bitch” Grenache wine in their top Valentine selections for all of those V-Day haters out there. While that is a great value wine option, I am going to buck the trend and vie for Hope instead of spite. After all, if we can’t find Hope for love on Valentine’s Day then when can we?!? This makes the 2009 Austin Hope Grenache from Paso Robles the perfect pick for your romantic evening. Not only is it loaded with ripe and concentrated fruit, but the aromas of rose petals (seriously!) will keep you in that Valentine’s Day spirit. Plus it’s perfect for your roasted lamb or veal dish.

However you decide to celebrate and whatever wine you choose for your meal, keep in mind today is for celebrating the ones you love and to make sure you let them know. Flowers, candy, presents… they are all well and good. But without genuine emotion and passion behind them, they just don’t mean the same.

Cheers!

Check out this post I wrote for the Wine Enthusiast blog page. Some cool and fun additions for the big game blowout you are throwing this Sunday… or ANY Sunday really   Just click on the link below.

GO GMEN!!!

http://blog.wineenthusiast.com/2012/02/01/top-10-necessary-accessories-for-the-big-game/